HR Assistant

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Competitive salary

Job summary

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is seeking an HR professional to support the Europe HR team in London. You will handle essential HR administration, maintain GDPR-compliant records, and prepare employment documents.

You will also support HRIS processes in Workday, generate reports, and contribute to wellbeing programmes and employee engagement initiatives. The role involves liaising with Inclusion, Learning & Development, and Recruitment teams, assisting with mentoring and biannual reviews, and

Qualifications

• Interest in employment legislation and HR best practice.
• Experience with HR systems, Workday preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; credible and diplomatic.
• Strong time management and organisational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple detailed projects and deadlines.
• Professionalism and confidentiality when handling sensitive information.

Responsibilities

• Administer HR processes including absence, parental leave, sickness, probation, and leaver processes.
• Maintain GDPR-compliant personnel records and employment templates.
• Support specialist teams (Inclusion, Learning & Development, Recruitment) as needed.
• Process employee lifecycle changes in Workday and ensure data accuracy.
• Create regular and ad hoc HR reports; analyse data using Excel and provide insights.
• Support wellbeing programmes and manage health-related benefits.
• Assist with employee relations, engagement initiatives, and mentoring programmes.
• Assist with biannual associate reviews and development activities.

Skills

Employment law interest

Workday experience

Written & verbal communication

Time management

Organisational skills

Multitasking

Attention to detail

IT skills

Ambassador for HR

Tools

Workday

Job description

The firm

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is one of the world's leading international law firms. The Firm was established in 1884 and has more than 2,000 lawyers. Headquartered in New York with offices in Beijing, Boston, Brussels, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Luxembourg, Palo Alto, San Francisco, São Paulo, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C., the Firm provides coordinated legal advice and transactional capability to clients around the globe.

Description/Job Summary

To assist the Europe HR team by providing high quality, proactive and efficient HR support.

Responsibilities/Duties

Operational HR

• Undertake administration related to all HR processes including: absence, parental leave, sickness, probationary periods, the leaver process, etc.
• Ensure that up-to-date records are filed in accordance with GDPR for all personnel.
• Prepare and maintain employment documentation templates, including contracts, variation letters and other correspondence relating to changes in employees’ terms and conditions of employment.
• Provide administrative support to the specialist teams when required, including Inclusion, Learning & Development and Recruitment.

HRIS and HR Systems

• When required process and maintain employee lifecycle changes in Workday, including new joiners, leavers, transfers, promotions, salary changes, and parental leave, ensure employee records remain accurate.
• Produce regular and ad hoc reports, use Excel to analyse data, identify trends and provide clear and meaningful insights to support the HR team and wider business.
• Conduct regular data checks and audits across HR systems, proactively identify and resolve discrepancies to maintain high standards of data accuracy and integrity.

Wellbeing And Benefits

• Provide administrative support for the health and wellbeing programmes for personnel including medicals, flu jabs, ergonomic assessments.
• Maintain the employee benefits membership databases with joiners, leavers and other amendments.

Employee relations and engagement

• Assist with conduct and capability, grievance and disciplinary issues and a broad range of employee relations matters involving all London employees.
• Assist with initiatives and projects that increase engagement amongst all employees.

Legal personnel and professional development

• Assist with the associate mentoring programme.
• Assist with the associate biannual review processes.

Required Skills

• Interest in employment legislation, best practice and upcoming changes.
• Interest in HR Systems. Experience of Workday preferred.
• Highly effective writing and communications skills (both verbal and written) and the ability to communicate credibly and diplomatically at all levels.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple highly detailed projects.
• Ability to manage a very busy workload within deadlines.
• Ability to solve problems in a timely manner and work using initiative.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to deliver.
• Maintain professionalism under pressure.
• Trusted to manage sensitive information with confidentiality and integrity.
• Ability to demonstrate a flexible approach.
• Excellent IT skills including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel and PowerPoint).
• Act as an ambassador for the HR team.
• Sound judgement.

Details

Salary and Benefits: Competitive

Hybrid: Monday-Thursday in office, ability to WFH on Fridays

Equal Opportunities

Simpson Thacher is committed to being a Firm where everyone can reach their full potential, irrespective of background, identity or circumstance. We recognise that in order to be successful we need to attract, retain and develop diverse talent at all levels. This means recruiting from the widest possible pool of talent and fostering a collegial environment which maximises collaboration and empowers everyone at Simpson Thacher to bring their whole selves to work. If there is anything we can do to accommodate you to participate fully in the recruitment or interview process, please let us know by emailing [e-mail].