HR Generalist

Cathedral Appointments; Exeter; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Cathedral Appointments Ltd on behalf of a well-established international business recruiting for an HR Generalist based in Exeter. The role covers the full employee lifecycle from recruitment and onboarding through to leavers, supporting employees and managers across the business.

You will report to the regional HR Business Partner and handle employee relations, payroll coordination and HR records, while seeking ways to improve processes and the employee experience.

Qualifications

• Experience in an HR generalist or HR operations role.
• Broad knowledge of employee relations, payroll and benefits coordination, recruitment and onboarding.
• Strong attention to detail and disciplined records management.
• UK employment law and GDPR knowledge; confidentiality and escalation handling.

Responsibilities

• Provide HR advice to employees and managers on policies, processes, benefits and systems across the lifecycle.
• Support employee relations matters including attendance, performance, conduct and grievances, coaching managers on processes.
• Coordinate payroll inputs, changes and queries, benefits enrolment and leave with Finance and external providers.
• Manage recruitment administration and onboarding from postings through to offers and inductions.
• Maintain accurate HRIS data and employee records, generate routine reports, support audits and GDPR compliance.
• Identify process gaps and maintain guides, templates and FAQs to improve accuracy and experience.

Skills

HR Generalist

Payroll coordination

Onboarding

UK employment law

GDPR handling

Education

Degree in HR/Business/Psychology or related field

Tools

HRIS

Job description

Up to £36,000 DOE | Permanent, Full Time | Exeter

Cathedral Appointments is recruiting on behalf of a well-established international business for an HR Generalist to join its Exeter-based HR function. This is a hands‑on role providing the day‑to‑day HR support that keeps a multi‑country workforce running smoothly, freeing up the senior HR lead to concentrate on more strategic priorities.

The Role:

As HR Generalist, you will be the go-to point of HR support for employees and managers, covering the full employee lifecycle from recruitment and onboarding through to leavers. Reporting to the regional HR Business Partner, you will handle employee relations casework, coordinate payroll and benefits, keep HR records accurate and compliant, and look for ways to make processes work better. The role suits a versatile, organised HR practitioner who is confident handling confidential matters, enjoys variety and knows when to resolve an issue directly and when to escape it.

Responsibilities for the HR Generalist:

• Provide responsive, accurate HR advice to employees and managers on policies, processes, benefits and systems across the employee lifecycle.
• Support employee relations matters including attendance, performance, conduct and grievance cases, preparing documentation and case records and coaching managers on standard processes.
• Coordinate payroll inputs, changes and queries, benefits enrolment and leave, working closely with Finance and external payroll and benefits providers.
• Manage recruitment administration and onboarding, from job postings and interview scheduling through to offers, pre‑employment checks and new starter induction.
• Maintain accurate HRIS data and employee records, produce routine workforce reports and support audits and compliance, including GDPR.
• Identify process gaps and keep practical guides, templates and FAQs up to date to improve accuracy and the employee experience.

Requirements for the HR Generalist include:

• Solid experience in an HR generalist or HR operations role, with broad knowledge of employee relations, payroll and benefits coordination, recruitment and onboarding.
• Confident use of HR systems, with strong attention to detail and a disciplined approach to records, reporting and data accuracy.
• Working knowledge of UK employment law and GDPR, with sound judgement on confidentiality and escalation.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to support and influence managers and senior stakeholders.
• A degree in HR, Business, Psychology or a related field, or equivalent experience. CIPD qualification preferred.
• A proactive, organised approach to prioritising a varied workload and improving how things are done.

Benefits:

• Salary of up to £36,000 DOE.
• Permanent, full‑time position based in Exeter, with occasional travel to support the wider business.
• A broad generalist remit across an international workforce, offering wide‑ranging experience.
• The opportunity to work closely with an experienced senior HR lead and develop your HR career.
• Genuine scope to shape and improve HR processes and the employee experience.

If you are an HR generalist looking for a varied, hands‑on role where you can make a real difference to employees and managers, we would love to hear from you.

Note on Sponsorship:

We regret to inform you that at this time, we are unable to offer sponsorship for work authorisation for this role. Therefore, candidates must possess valid authorisation to work in the UK without requiring visa sponsorship