HR & Governance Officer

Citizens Advice Ltd; West of England; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 38,000; Part time

Job summary

Citizens Advice Bristol is seeking an organised, proactive HR & Governance Officer to support day-to-day HR and governance operations. The role blends HR administration with Board support, liaising with the CEO, managers, trustees and external advisers to maintain accurate, compliant records.

Approximately 1.5 days per week on HR tasks and 0.5 day on governance, with scope to develop processes and contribute to an inclusive, well‑organised working environment in a local charity context.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of UK employment legislation and good HR practice.
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience maintaining accurate records and managing deadlines.
• Experience handling confidential information.
• Good IT skills, including Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.
• Ability to work independently and use initiative.
• Professional, approachable and supportive manner.
• Ability to work with people at all levels.
• Knowledge of charity governance and Charity Commission requirements.

Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate employee records and HR documentation.
• Keep records of annual leave, sickness, training, supervision, probation and performance reviews.
• Maintain a schedule of key HR dates and ensure managers are reminded of relevant actions and deadlines.
• Support recruitment, including preparing adverts, arranging interviews and communicating with candidates.
• Coordinate references, right-to-work checks, DBS and other pre-employment checks.
• Prepare contracts, offer letters and other employment documentation.
• Coordinate onboarding and ensure induction and training requirements are completed.
• Act as a first point of contact for routine HR queries and liaise with external HR advisers, WorkNest, where appropriate.
• Coordinate staff training and maintain accurate training records.
• Provide governance support to CEO, Chair and Board of Trustees.
• Maintain trustee register and governance records.
• Maintain annual governance and Board calendar.
• Coordinate Board, committee and AGM meetings.
• Prepare meeting papers, agendas and supporting documentation.
• Produce accurate minutes and action logs and ensure follow-up.
• Maintain records relating to trustee appointments, terms of office, declarations of interest and conflicts of interest.
• Support induction of new trustees.
• Maintain governance policies.
• Assist with Charity Commission, annual reporting and other statutory requirements.
• Maintain governance and policy review schedules and monitor deadlines.

Skills

UK employment law

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Records management

Confidential information handling

IT skills

Independent working

Professional demeanour

Stakeholder collaboration

Charity governance knowledge

Job description

Citizens Advice Bristol is looking for an organised, proactive and approachable HR & Governance Officer to support the effective day-to-day operation of our HR and governance functions.

This is a varied role, combining responsibility for HR administration and staff support with governance and Board support. You will work closely with the Chief Executive, managers, trustees and external advisers to ensure that our people processes, governance arrangements and organisational records are accurate, well maintained and compliant.

Approximately 1.5 days per week will focus on HR responsibilities, with approximately 0.5 day per week dedicated to governance.

Key responsibilities

Human Resources

You will:

• Maintain accurate employee records, personnel files and HR documentation.
• Keep records of annual leave, sickness absence, training, supervision, probation and performance reviews.
• Maintain a schedule of key HR dates and ensure managers are reminded of relevant actions and deadlines.
• Support recruitment, including preparing adverts, arranging interviews and communicating with candidates.
• Coordinate references, right-to-work checks, DBS and other pre-employment checks.
• Prepare contracts, offer letters and other employment documentation.
• Coordinate onboarding and ensure induction and training requirements are completed.
• Act as a first point of contact for routine HR queries and liaise with our external HR advisers, WorkNest, where appropriate.
• Coordinate staff training and maintain accurate training records.
• Support a positive, inclusive and well-organised working environment.
• Handle confidential employee information with a high level of professionalism and discretion.

Governance

You will provide effective administrative and coordination support to the CEO, Chair and Board of Trustees, including:

• Maintaining the trustee register and key governance records.
• Maintaining the annual governance and Board calendar.
• Coordinating Board, committee and Annual General Meetings.
• Preparing meeting papers, agendas and supporting documentation.
• Producing accurate minutes and action logs and ensuring actions are followed up.
• Maintaining records relating to trustee appointments, terms of office, declarations of interest and conflicts of interest.
• Supporting the induction and onboarding of new trustees.
• Supporting the maintenance of governing documents and governance policies.
• Assisting with Charity Commission, annual reporting and other statutory or organisational requirements.
• Maintaining governance and policy review schedules and monitoring key deadlines.
• Keeping up to date with relevant Charity Commission guidance and good governance practice.

The role provides administrative and coordination support to the Board and senior management. It does not carry the legal responsibilities of trustees or involve making decisions reserved for the Board.

About you

We are looking for someone who is highly organised, reliable and comfortable working with confidential and sensitive information. You will have excellent attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.

You will ideally have previous experience in HR, governance or a similar support role, preferably within a charitable or voluntary sector organisation.

You should have:

• Knowledge of UK employment legislation and good HR practice.
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience maintaining accurate records and managing deadlines.
• Experience handling confidential information.
• Good IT skills, including Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.
• The ability to work independently and use initiative.
• A professional, approachable and supportive manner.
• The ability to work effectively with people at all levels of an organisation.
• Knowledge of charity governance and Charity Commission requirements.

It would be advantageous if you have:

• A CIPD or relevant HR qualification, or equivalent experience.
• Experience supporting a Board, governing body or senior leadership team.
• Experience working in the charity, voluntary or community sector.
• Experience using HR information systems.
• Experience maintaining policy schedules, registers and compliance records.
• Experience supporting recruitment and onboarding.

Why join Citizens Advice Bristol?

This is an opportunity to play an important role in supporting the people and governance systems that underpin the work of Citizens Advice Bristol.

You will work across the organisation, building positive relationships with staff, managers, trustees and external partners, while helping us maintain strong, effective and well-organised processes.

If you are someone who enjoys being organised, takes pride in getting the detail right and wants to contribute to the work of a local charity, we would love to hear from you.

Part Time - 2 Days per Week (Flexible across 3-4 working days)

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