HR Assistant

MDPI Romania; Manchester; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A publishing company in Manchester is seeking an HR Assistant to provide essential support in HR processes, including payroll and employee queries. The ideal candidate will possess a relevant degree and a CIPD Level 3 certification, along with proficiency in Microsoft Office 365. Responsibilities include maintaining employee records, assisting with payroll, and supporting engagement activities. The role is full-time in an office environment located next to Piccadilly Gardens, offering a friendly workplace culture and various benefits.

Benefits

Flexible Working Times

Special Days Off

Friendly working environment

Bonus Incentives

Perkbox benefits platform

Health Cash Plan

Modern City Centre Office

Cyclescheme discounts

Techscheme savings

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in a relevant field preferred.
• CIPD Level 3 minimum required.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office 365 and data management systems.
• Able to communicate clearly and professionally.
• Must handle sensitive information with discretion.

Responsibilities

• Support employee lifecycle processes such as onboarding and exits.
• Maintain accurate employee records in HR systems.
• Assist with payroll preparation and respond to employee queries.
• Support planning of internal events and HR initiatives.

Skills

Communication skills

Data management proficiency

Problem-solving attitude

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree

CIPD Level 3

Tools

Microsoft Office 365

Job description

The Role: HR Assistant

We are looking for an HR assistant to join our team at MDPI UK in Manchester! The HR Assistant provides essential administrative and operational support to ensure accurate employee records, timely HR documentation, and smooth daily HR processes. The role involves supporting payroll inputs, responding to employee queries, and contributing to HR activities and engagement initiatives. The HR Assistant helps deliver a consistent, compliant, and well‑organized HR service that supports a positive employee experience.

This is a full‑time in‑office role

The office is located next to Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester.

Responsibilities

HR Administration & Documentation

• Support employee lifecycle processes (onboarding, changes, exits), including routine check‑ins with employees when required.
• Maintain accurate employee records in HR systems (e.g., HRMS and local HRIS) and ensure data is consistently updated.
• Organize, compile, and maintain personnel files and HR documentation, both physically and digitally.

Payroll and Employee Support

• Assist with monthly payroll preparation by collecting and verifying relevant data such as absences, leaves, and contractual changes.
• Respond to day‑to‑day employee queries, providing clear, timely, and professional guidance.
• Provide administrative support by sharing HR information, assisting with benefit‑related queries, and coordinating signatures and documentation.

Engagement and HR Responsibilities

• Support the planning and coordination of internal events and engagement activities (e.g., New Year celebrations, team gatherings).
• Contribute to HR projects and initiatives as assigned, ensuring timely follow‑up and completion of tasks.
• Collaborate effectively with senior HR colleagues and provide administrative support to ongoing HR activities.

Skills and Experience

Required:

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in any subject (preferred: Human Resources Management, Business Administration/Management, Psychology, or Law).
• CIPD Level 3 minimum (required).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 and data management systems.
• Ability to communicate clearly, professionally, and appropriately with employees and managers.
• Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and adhere to HR and data protection standards.
• Can maintain high accuracy when handling employee data, documentation, and payroll‑related information.
• Willingness to support senior HR colleagues, share information proactively, and contribute to team effectiveness.
• Ability to provide timely, helpful support to employees and demonstrate a positive, solution‑oriented attitude.
• Interest in HR processes and ability to take ownership of tasks with increasing independence.

Desired:

• Understand basic payroll inputs (absences, leaves, changes) and collaborate effectively with payroll partners.
• Maintenance of structured personnel files and consistent adherence to HR procedures.

Please submit your CV and cover letter via the provided link. We thank you for your interest in MDPI and look forward to reviewing your application!

About MDPI

A pioneer in scholarly, open access publishing, MDPI has supported academic communities since 1996. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, MDPI has the mission to foster open scientific exchange in all forms, across all disciplines.

We operate currently over 400 diverse, peer‑reviewed, open‑access journals supported by over 66,000 academic editors. We serve scholars from around the world to ensure the latest research is openly and broadly available.

Besides our main publishing business, we develop and maintain digital platforms and software ranging from scientific exchange platforms to article databases and search engines, all focused on empowering scholars and giving them the best possible product and service. As of the end of 2022, we count more than 6,700 colleagues in 17 offices across 11 countries.

Benefits

• Flexible Working Times You are able to start work anytime between 7‑9am, and finish between 3pm‑6pm.

• Special Days Off Getting married or moving house? No need to use up your holidays, MDPI offer paid time off for such occasions.

• Our Culture A friendly working environment with monthly lunch parties, office snacks and seasonal events.

• Bonus Incentives Depending on your role, you may be eligible for one of our bonus schemes which rewards high‑performing employees.

• Perkbox You will have access to our benefit platform called “Perkbox.” This will provide you with a range of discounts and benefits across various retailers, including savings on food, drinks, tech, travel, and more.

• Health Cash Plan After passing probation, employees are enrolled into our private health membership with Bupa. You can claim money back on dental, doctors, and prescriptions amongst many other health services.

• Modern City Centre Office Located next to Piccadilly Gardens, our office is a 10 minute walk from both Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Oxford Road train stations. There are also tram stops outside of the building.

• Cyclescheme Save between 25‑39% on a bike and accessories.

• Techscheme Save up to 10% on tax when purchasing tech equipment from places such as Ikea and Currys.

Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion

At MDPI, we believe in fostering an inclusive work environment that respects and values individual differences and prioritises growth through continued learning, support, and feedback. We are always seeking new initiatives to advance diversity and inclusion across all our offices to create a more equal workforce.

Initiatives

At MDPI, we develop and maintain various platforms in order to better serve the scientific community, which you can find below:

MDPI homepage: https://www.mdpi.com/

Sciprofiles: https://sciprofiles.com/

Sciforum: https://sciforum.net/

Scilit: https://www.scilit.net/

Preprints: https://www.preprints.org/

Encyclopedia: https://encyclopedia.pub/