HR Officer

Colas Rail UK; Greater London; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days annual leave

Industry leading life assurance

Healthcare cash plan

Wellbeing Employee Assistance Program

Pension scheme

Eye care vouchers

Long service award

Season ticket loan

Occupational health service

Job summary

Colas Rail UK is seeking an HR Assistant to provide high-quality HR administration and first-line support across the business. You will handle contracts, onboarding, payroll inquiries and benefits guidance, while supporting recruitment and employee relations in a fast-paced environment.

The role offers a chance to work within an inclusive team, develop HR processes, and contribute to broader HR projects across the UK operations.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to provide high-quality HR admin support and respond to employee queries.
• Experience handling HR data, contracts, and onboarding processes.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Deliver internal HR administration, including contracts, changes, BPSS checks, new starters, and inductions.
• Provide first-line HR support via phone and email; advise on benefits and payroll queries.
• Support attendance management, sickness, and return-to-work processes; maintain HR records.
• Support recruitment admin: advertise vacancies, track candidates, pre-screening if required.
• Assist with HR projects (TUPE, employee engagement, policy reviews) and HR systems updates.

Skills

Customer service

Attention to detail

Team player

Education

HR qualification or demonstrable experience

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

HRIS

Job description

Make your mark with Colas Rail UK

At Colas Rail, differences matter. Join a team where being your authentic self is respected, encouraged, and vital to our success. At Colas Rail you'll be at home. You'll be welcomed into an inclusive team where there's a role for every talent and a close-knit, familial culture. You will also get the opportunity to help us transform transportation, set new standards, and dare to be different.

What Makes Us Different

This is true because...

• We value everyone as part of the same team.
• We treat everyone as equals – and everyone is approachable, from the CEO down.
• We put you in control of your career to lead and grow in any way you want.
• We have a culture of care, from safe working environments to diversity and inclusion.
• We're renowned for innovation, adopting new ideas, and daring to be different.
• We are building a more sustainable future and our projects impact infrastructure for generations.

About Us

Step into the world of Colas Rail, where a century of expertise merges with a daring spirit to shape the future of rail infrastructure. At Colas Rail, we deliver transport solutions for sustainable mobility. We are a leading rail infrastructure business with on-track plant and freight capabilities. As a subsidiary of the Colas Group, we are part of over a hundred years' experience in delivering major innovations across our sector. Every day, thousands of trains run on tracks built, designed, or maintained by Colas Rail.

Leading by our Values

Our values, Respect, Commitment, Pioneering and Sharing are at the heart of everything we do. These values feed into our main strategies and accompany us daily in realising our ambitions.

We Respect

We respect our employees, celebrate diversity and foster a culture of safety, care and respect for everyone we interact with. We care about our employee’s wellbeing and create an environment of inclusivity and support.

We Commit

By showing up wholeheartedly. When we commit together, we invest in everyone’s success. We invest in our customers, our teams and our colleagues, and we lead with safety, integrity, passion, purpose, ethics and transparency.

We Share

As we all hold knowledge that could and should be shared, enabling us to grow and making us a strong collective. We have a passion for excellence, celebrating achievements and nurturing talent.

We Pioneer

To push boundaries, imagine what does not yet exist and dare to do what others do not. We innovate with ambition, and we find solutions.

Even if you don’t meet every requirement, please don’t rule yourself out, we still encourage you to apply if your skills, values, and experience align to the role.

Purpose of the Role

To provide a high-quality, cost-effective HR service within Colas Rail. To ensure the effective operation of internal administration and recruitment processes, and to provide first line support for HR related queries across the business.

Key Areas of Responsibility & Accountability

HR Administration

• Ensure effective delivery of all internal HR administration processes including contract preparation, contractual changes, processing BPSS checks, new starters, probation periods, transfers, MFA triggers, terminations, inductions, and HR data management.
• Provide first-line assistance with HR queries from employees via dedicated phone line and inbox including advising on employee benefits and pay queries. Ensuring matters are dealt with to a high standard and in a timely manner.
• Prepare and analyse HR data as required including monthly board reporting, absence management and salary survey completion.
• Produce and issue contracts of employment and offer letters, ensure that eligibility documentation is provided, and copies retained.
• Administer and update the HR systems maintain employee records.
• Support the company's attendance management procedure via proactive management of sickness, i.e: chasing of certificates; identifying trends, ensuring that relevant return to work interview paperwork is retained, monitoring long term sickness, referrals to Occupational Health etc.
• Assist with development and maintenance of HR policies and procedures including maintenance of HR intranet.
• Involvement in HR projects as required including TUPE processes, employee engagement, policy & procedure review and organisational design/ changes.
• Provide administration support for wider HR team as requested. Manage the probation review process.
• Process leavers and ensure the HR system is updated, and relevant documentation is sent to the employee.

Recruitment

• Assisting the recruitment team and arranging of interviews both face to face and via Teams.
• Process the relevant recruitment administration for new starters such as Colas Rail Contract Offer Forms.
• Ensure communication regarding the recruitment process is managed timely and effectively.
• Help with advertising approved vacancies on Colas Rail website.
• Advertise, track and update candidate status as appropriate on HRIS.
• Undertake pre-screening questionnaires with candidates if required.
• As you will expect the organisation may change from time to time and you will be expected to meet the operational requirements.
• Any other reasonable duties as required from time to time.

Employee Relations

• Provide HR advice and guidance to the business regarding all HR queries, including support on sickness absence, disciplinary, grievance, maternity and paternity, recruitment, flexible working and payroll administration.
• To support the Head of HR/ HR Manager with all aspects of employee relations e.g. disciplinary, grievance, sickness absence including occupational health referrals, performance, managing attendance, flexible working requests.
• To provide administrative support to line managers in HR processes, including note taking at formal investigations or meetings.

HR Systems

• Assist with HRIS projects/initiatives as needed.
• As you will expect the organisation may change from time to time and you will be expected to meet the operational requirements.
• Any other reasonable duties as required from time to time.

Person Specification

The jobholder will have demonstrable experience as an HR Assistant or Coordinator and used to operating in a fast‑paced environment. Strong customer service and Microsoft Word/Excel skills with attention to detail and ability to learn quickly is also required, with a willingness to travel on occasion to sites across the UK where needed.

Qualifications/Experience

• Relevant HR qualification or demonstrable experience.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to prioritise work, and achieve deadlines.
• Excellent attention to detail and organisational skills.
• Team player with an ability to work on own initiative.
• Customer focused.
• Highly proficient user of Microsoft Office, especially Word and Excel.
• Experience of using HR systems.
• Basic understanding of HR practices and employment/recruitment legislation.
• Experience of working as part of a team in a client‑focused environment to meet challenging deadlines in a volume‑oriented resourcing/recruiting environment.

What We Offer

• Competitive Salary
• 26 days Annual Leave
• Industry leading Life Assurance
• Healthcare Cash Plan
• Wellbeing Employee Assistant Programme
• Pension Scheme
• Eye Care Vouchers
• Long Service Award
• Season Ticket Loan
• Occupational Health Service

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We believe that diversity drives innovation and creativity, and we actively seek to create an environment where everyone feels welcome, heard, valued and respected. Regardless of background, disability, age, race, religion or gender, everyone is welcome at Colas Rail.
We strive to promote equity and eliminate discrimination, actively seeking to create a workforce reflective of communities we serve. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, offering flexible and inclusive adjustments to the interview process.
As part of a positive action drive to address under‑representation we encourage applications from women, ethnically diverse individuals and people with disabilities, along with all candidates who identify with protected characteristic groups under the Equality Act 2010.
We are proudly part of the Disability Confidence Scheme, and as such we operate a Guaranteed Interview Scheme if you meet the minimum requirements.
On joining Colas Rail you’ll have access to our growing Employee Network Groups including Railbow (representing the LGBTQ+ community), BeyonDisability (representing those with disabilities) and Cross Culture (representing people from ethnic backgrounds). Everyone is welcome to join our network groups whether you are part of the community or an ally.
Work life balance is important to us; flexible working options are available where feasible and dependant on the role. Please discuss this during the interview process.

Join us in making a positive impact! Apply and be part of a team that values diversity and embraces unique perspectives.