HR Officer

FERA SCIENCE LTD; Sand Hutton; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading science organization in Sand Hutton is looking for an HR Officer to provide crucial administrative support in various HR functions, including payroll processing, onboarding, and occupational health coordination. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of UK employment law and excellent organisational and communication skills. Benefits include flexible working hours, a gym, and a matched pension scheme.

Benefits

25 days' holiday

Flexible working hours

On-site gym

Company matched pension

Life assurance

Voluntary benefits

Qualifications

• Solid understanding of UK employment law and GDPR compliance.
• Proficient in payroll processes and pension legislation.
• Exceptional organisational skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date HR records and systems.
• Support timely and accurate payroll inputs and manage payroll data.
• Administer pension scheme enrolments and contributions.

Skills

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Discretion and confidentiality

Collaborative mindset

H&S qualifications

Tools

HR information systems (HRIS)

Microsoft Office suite

Job description

Overview

As a HR Officer at Fera you'll provide comprehensive administrative support across all HR functions, ensuring seamless coordination of occupational health requirements, payroll processing, onboarding and offboarding activities, and pension administration. This role underpins an efficient HR operation and contributes to a positive employee experience.

What you'll be doing

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date HR records and systems.
• Coordinate occupational health referrals and manage fitness-for-work processes.
• Support timely and accurate payroll inputs and liaise with payroll providers—collecting and verifying payroll data (absences, starters, leavers, salary changes).
• Deliver efficient onboarding and offboarding experiences for all employees.
• Administer pension scheme enrolments, contributions, and data changes.
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation, data protection (GDPR), and internal policies.
• Provide first-line support for HR queries and escalate complex issues appropriately.
• HR Administration including but not limited to updating and maintaining the HR information systems and personnel files, producing HR reports and assisting with audits and compliance checks.
• Arrange pre-employment and periodic health assessments.
• Assist with HR projects, training coordination, and employee communications.
• Solid understanding of UK employment law, GDPR, and HR best practices.
• Working knowledge of payroll processes, pension legislation, and occupational health requirements.
• Proficiency with HR information systems (HRIS) and Microsoft Office suite.
• Exceptional organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong verbal and written communication, with the ability to build rapport across all levels.
• Discretion and confidentiality when handling sensitive information.
• Ability to prioritise competing deadlines and work under pressure.
• Collaborative mindset and willingness to support continuous improvement initiatives.
• H&S experience/qualifications is highly desirable.

Benefits

• 25 days' holiday (rising to 29) with the opportunity to buy & sell extra leave.
• Flexible working hours, on-site gym, restaurant, and free parking.
• The opportunity to take a paid day out of the office, volunteering for our charity partners or a cause of your choice.
• Company matched pension, life assurance, a cycle2work scheme, 15 weeks' fully paid maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, paternity pay of two weeks, and more.
• Voluntary benefits designed to suit your lifestyle — discounts on retail and socialising, health & wellbeing, travel and technology.
• Fera operates a LTIP (Long Term Incentive Plan) with annual awards of points towards shares in the Employee Benefits Trust; shares are held for employees and may realise cash value at an equity event.

What we hope you’ll do next

What we hope you'll do next