HR Lead

Bmat Education; Hare Street; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading education trust is seeking a friendly and organised HR Lead to provide high-quality HR support across two primary schools on a maternity cover basis. This dual-site role involves managing the employee journey from recruitment to onboarding and ensuring compliance with HR processes. The ideal candidate will have demonstrable HR knowledge and a commitment to safeguarding children. The role also offers various benefits including a pension scheme, generous annual leave, and health support programs.

Benefits

Pension scheme

27 days' annual leave plus bank holidays

Health and Wellbeing Cash Plan

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme

Shopping and travel discounts

Nursery Fee Salary Sacrifice scheme

Home and Electrical salary sacrifice scheme

Qualifications

• Demonstrable working knowledge of HR processes in a school or public sector.
• Ability to manage priorities across two sites.
• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting child welfare.

Responsibilities

• Support the full employee journey including recruitment and onboarding.
• Coordinate safer recruitment processes and maintain the Single Central Record.
• Ensure payroll and workforce information is accurate.
• Provide HR advice in line with Trust policies.

Skills

Knowledge of HR processes

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Confidentiality and professionalism

Education

CIPD Level 3 (or working towards)

Job description

We are looking for a friendly, organised, and people-focused HR Lead to join our Trust and provide high-quality HR support across two welcoming primary schools on a maternity cover basis. This is a varied and rewarding dual-site role where you will be a trusted first point of contact for staff, working closely with Headteachers, senior leaders, and the central HR team. You will play an important part in ensuring our people processes run smoothly, are compliant, and support a positive staff experience.

Responsibilities

• Supporting the full employee journey, including recruitment, onboarding, contracts, absence management, and leavers
• Coordinating safer recruitment processes and maintaining the Single Central Record
• Ensuring payroll and workforce information is accurate and up to date
• Supporting leaders with absence management, wellbeing processes, and day‑to‑day HR queries
• Keeping HR records and systems accurate and compliant with GDPR
• Providing clear, professional HR advice in line with Trust policies

Qualifications & Attributes

• Has demonstrable working knowledge of HR processes, ideally within a school or public sector setting
• Enjoys working with people and building positive relationships
• Is organised, adaptable, and confident managing priorities across two sites
• Handles confidential information with care, discretion, and professionalism
• Shares our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children
• CIPD Level 3 (or working towards) and previous school‑based HR experience are desirable but not essential
• A supportive Trust environment with access to a central HR team
• A role with real variety and the opportunity to make a difference to staff wellbeing
• Term‑time working, supporting work‑life balance
• The chance to develop your HR experience within an education setting

Benefits

• Pension scheme (Teachers' Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contribution
• 27 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, or equivalent for staff on term time contracts
• BMAT Health and Wellbeing Cash Plan including cover for routine and specialist healthcare and wellbeing services
• Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice
• Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme
• Wide range of shopping, leisure, and travel discounts
• Nursery Fee Salary Sacrifice scheme
• Home and Electrical salary sacrifice scheme

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if a suitable candidate is shortlisted and appointed. Early applications are therefore strongly encouraged. BMAT is committed to safeguarding children; successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. In line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance, we may also conduct an online search about any shortlisted candidates as part of our due diligence to identify any matters that might relate directly to our legal duty to meet safeguarding duties, in accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).