HR Assistant

Pinnacle Group; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading housing services provider is seeking an HR Assistant to join their People Team in Chelmsford, UK. The role involves providing administrative support across HR functions such as onboarding, contract preparation, and maintaining employee records. Candidates should have a background in HR administration, strong organisational skills, and proficiency in HR systems like Cascade. This position offers diverse benefits including flexible working arrangements and private medical insurance.

Benefits

Flexible Working Arrangements

Private Medical Insurance

Enhanced Pension Scheme

Cycle to Work Scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Retail Discounts

Childcare Assistance

Personal Development Plans

Qualifications

• Experience in HR administration and employee lifecycle processes.
• Strong ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Detail-oriented with excellence in communication.

Responsibilities

• Carry out audits for employees' eligibility to work.
• Process and monitor criminal record reference checks.
• Administrate key HR processes and maintain employee records.

Skills

HR administration

Administrative skills

Organisational skills

Communication skills

MS Office proficiency

Confidentiality

Education

CIPD Level 3 qualification

Tools

Cascade HR system

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Responsibilities

• Carry out audits in relation to employees' eligibility to work, flagging concerns with the HR Co-ordinator.
• Answer relevant HR queries over helpdesk, the telephone and by email.
• Process and monitor criminal record reference checks.
• Administrate key HR processes including new starters, pre‑employment checks, appointment letters, provision of contracts and enter details into the HR/payroll system (Cascade).
• Monitor probationary periods, diarise key dates, maintain sickness records, and administer contractual changes and leavers' processes.
• Handle sick pay letters, respond to reference requests, and ensure accurate HR documentation.
• Process TUPE employees onto Cascade and raise queries from Employee Liability Information data, ensuring data is accurate and complete.
• Provide ad‑hoc support to the Payroll team; enter data and retrieve data from Cascade as and when required; regularly send pay‑related correspondence to many employees.
• Provide support for the whole HR team while working closely with the HR Advisors.
• In conjunction with the HR Co‑ordinator, take responsibility for the reorganisation of the current HR filing system.

Qualifications & Skills

• Background in HR administration with exposure to employee lifecycle processes.
• Strong administrative and organisational skills, able to manage multiple priorities.
• Experience using HR systems (e.g., Cascade or similar) and proficiency in MS Office (Outlook, Excel, Word, Teams).
• Excellent communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Comfortable working under pressure and collaborating within a team.
• CIPD Level 3 qualification desirable.

About the Role

Pinnacle Group is looking for an HR Assistant to join our People Team and provide administrative support across the HR function. You'll manage key processes including onboarding, pre‑employment checks, contract preparation and maintaining accurate employee records. The role also includes assisting with audits, compliance checks, sickness absence monitoring and supporting payroll and training activities. This position offers a great opportunity to gain experience across a wide range of HR responsibilities while helping deliver a smooth and efficient HR service.

Our People Team & Company

Our People Team supports our 4,000 colleagues nationwide, driving recruitment, development, wellbeing and engagement across the business. They play a key role in shaping our values‑led culture and helping our teams deliver on our mission to Transform Communities, Change Lives. The ideal candidate will have experience in HR administration, general office administration, and working with systems to manage data and processes. Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and the ability to handle multiple priorities are essential. You should be proactive, able to work under pressure and communicate effectively at all levels. If you're looking for a role where you can make an impact and be part of a supportive team, we'd love to hear from you.

Company Background

Pinnacle Group is a market‑leading national provider of housing, neighbourhood and workplace services. With over thirty years of experience, we deliver expert, place‑based management and maintenance solutions that enhance the everyday lives of the communities we serve.

Diversity & Inclusion

We believe that diversity makes us stronger. The more varied our workforce, the better we can understand, reflect and meet the needs of the communities we serve. That's why we actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds – especially those who represent the communities we work with every day. As a colleague, you'll be part of an inclusive and supportive culture where you're encouraged to thrive.

Benefits

• Statutory benefits such as sick pay, maternity/paternity leave, a pension scheme and annual leave.
• Maternity/paternity packages
• Flexible Working Arrangements
• Life Assurance
• Enhanced Pension Scheme
• Additional Annual Leave
• Private Medical Insurance
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Retail Discounts
• Childcare Assistance
• Season Ticket Loans
• Sick Pay Schemes
• Personal Development Plans