HR Officer

University of Oxford; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension

38 days annual leave

Family leave schemes & childcare

Cycle loan & discounted travel

Job summary

University of Oxford, Blavatnik School of Government, is seeking an HR Officer to deliver a responsive HR service across the full employee lifecycle with a focus on inductions and onboarding. You will manage recruitment from staffing needs to appointment and visa administration, and provide clear HR policy guidance to managers and staff.

You will support payroll data quality, confidentiality, and HR records, while working with a team of six HR professionals to improve processes and the wider

Qualifications

• CIPD qualification or equivalent HR experience.
• Ability to handle sensitive matters with tact and sound judgement.
• Knowledge of employment, visa and data protection requirements; ability to adapt to new systems.

Responsibilities

• Deliver HR service across the full employee lifecycle, with focus on induction and onboarding.
• Manage recruitment processes from staffing requirements to appointment and visa administration.
• Advise managers on HR policies and procedures; maintain accurate payroll and HR records.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Discretion & tact

Data protection knowledge

Microsoft Office

Education

CIPD qualification or equivalent HR experience

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

As HR Officer, you will help deliver an effective and responsive HR service across the full employee lifecycle at the Blavatnik School of Government, with a particular focus on ensuring new colleagues are effectively inducted and integrated into the School. You will manage recruitment processes from initial staffing requirements through to appointment, while supporting visa administration and providing well‑organised induction, contract and onboarding support. You will provide clear advice to managers and staff on HR policies and procedures, using judgement to resolve routine and more complex queries and seeking guidance where appropriate. Your work will support probation, leave, fixed‑term contract processes, leavers and casual engagements. Alongside this, you will contribute to accurate payroll and HR records, maintain high standards of data quality and confidentiality, and support improvements to HR processes and the wider employee experience.

You will hold, or be working towards, a CIPD qualification, or have equivalent HR experience, alongside previous experience in an HR role. You will communicate effectively, build positive working relationships and handle sensitive matters with tact, discretion and sound judgement. As part of a team of six HR professionals supporting the School's mission, you will be a collaborative and flexible team member, working effectively with colleagues and contributing positively to shared priorities and the wider work of the team. You will be organised, accurate and able to manage competing priorities and deadlines. You will also have good knowledge of relevant employment, visa and data protection requirements, strong Microsoft Office skills and the ability to adapt to and learn new systems quickly.

Our vision is of a world better led, a world better served and a world better governed. We are a global school committed to improving the quality of government and public policymaking worldwide, through three routes: teaching current and future leaders; generating research with impact; and engaging with governments and practitioners. What we offer The School is a collaborative, friendly, and dynamic department based in an award-winning building in Oxford. We host regular events and talks with well‑known guest speakers - all of which are open to staff. On the social side, we have a regular events calendar that are designed to appeal to all, including our Christmas and summer parties. As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees' wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days' annual leave
• Family leave schemes and a comprehensive range of childcare services
• Cycle loan scheme and discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans
• Membership to a variety of social and sports clubs
• Opportunities for hybrid working