HR and Talent Officer

Sightsavers; Remote; GBP 28,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading international charity is seeking a bilingual HR and Talent Officer to join their HR Operations team. This full-time role is UK remote with monthly travel to Haywards Heath. Responsibilities include leading recruitment campaigns, onboarding staff, and administering pay and benefits. Candidates should have proven HR experience, knowledge of employment law, and fluency in French. The organization encourages a diverse workforce and offers a supportive environment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in HR Officer/Advisor and Talent Acquisition environment.
• Basic understanding of employment law in locations.
• Ideally previous HR/recruitment experience within an international organization.
• Demonstrable planning and prioritisation skills.
• Intermediate level knowledge of Microsoft 365 products.
• Experience of leading projects and fostering relationships.

Responsibilities

• Lead on successful recruitment campaigns with a diverse candidate pool.
• Prepare contractual paperwork and support onboarding.
• Respond to staff queries regarding HR systems.
• Engage in HRIS software changes and administer pay and benefits.
• Provide effective HR Operations service to stakeholders.

Skills

Bilingual (English and French)

Proactive attitude

Planning and prioritisation

Knowledge of HR systems

Intermediate Microsoft 365 skills

Education

Experience in HR or Shared Services role

Understanding of employment law

Tools

HRIS and ATS/CRM systems

Job description

Overview

Sightsavers is looking for a bi-lingual HR and Talent Officer (English and French) to work within our HR Operations team. This is a full-time, 12-month fixed-term contract offering a salary of £28,992 to £34,108. Location: UK remote with monthly travel to Haywards Heath, West Sussex. Hours are flexible around a mostly home-working pattern.

We are an international charity focused on preventing avoidable blindness, supporting equality for people with disabilities and advocating for change. We work in more than 30 countries, with a focus on Africa and Asia.

Role and responsibilities

This is an engaging role within the busy HR Operations team. The postholder will use our systems, lead on and support multiple HR Operations projects, and deliver high-quality outcomes for colleagues worldwide. Typical duties include:

• Identifying, designing and implementing successful recruitment campaigns that attract a diverse pool of candidates, and all related activities
• Preparing contractual paperwork
• Supporting employee onboarding, lifecycle activities and offboarding via a range of HR systems
• Responding to staff queries relating to the use of HR systems in a constructive and timely manner
• Actively engaging with HRIS software changes
• Completing HR Operations onboarding requirements for new hires, including bilingual inductions and reasonable adjustment signposting
• Leading and delivering knowledge sessions
• Pay and benefits administration in conjunction with the Payroll team
• Working collaboratively as part of a proactive team to provide an effective HR Operations service to stakeholders

This is an involved and varied role. Please read the full job description for further details.

About you / Qualifications

We are looking for a proactive, service-driven and organised individual with experience in an HR Officer/Advisor and Talent Acquisition environment or within a Shared Services role.

• Proven experience in an HR Officer/Advisor and Talent Acquisition environment or Shared Services role (essential)
• Basic understanding of employment law in any of Sightsavers’ locations
• Ideally previous HR/recruitment experience within an international or complex organisation
• Demonstrable planning and prioritisation skills
• Knowledge of HR and ATS/CRM systems, able to review and contribute to enhancing utilisation of HR databases
• Intermediate level knowledge of Microsoft 365 products
• Experience of leading on projects, fostering positive relationships and upskilling stakeholders as required
• Proactive attitude to change with the ability to recommend improvements to process and practice, leading through to implementation
• Fluency in French (essential)

Please read the job description for full details of the essential knowledge and skills required for this role.

How to apply and other details

To apply for this opportunity, please complete an application. We are particularly interested in learning your motivations for applying. You may be expected to visit our Haywards Heath offices (RH16 3BW) monthly. We will review applications as they are received and plan interviews in mid-January. Longlisted candidates may be asked to complete an assessment including language, problem-solving and software skills. We reserve the right to end this advert early or to extend the deadline.

As an equal opportunity employer, Sightsavers actively encourages applications from all sections of the community. We are a Disability Confident Leader, and qualified people with a disability are particularly encouraged to apply. We do not tolerate harassment and have zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. All potential candidates will undergo rigorous background checks. In line with our safeguarding commitments, we participate in the inter-agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS) to help ensure no sexual exploitation, abuse or harassment concerns arise for potential new hires and to support accountable, high-standard recruitment across development and humanitarian fields.