Human Resources Manager

Islington Council; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible 3-day pattern

Hybrid working arrangements

Camden HR advisory backing

Staff wellbeing packages

Pension schemes

Job summary

Islington Council is hiring a qualified HR Manager for Netley Campus to lead operational HR across two schools. You will advise senior leadership, manage recruitment and onboarding, and ensure compliant, people-focused practices. The post sits within a new function supported by Camden HR advisory services.

You will foster wellbeing initiatives, handle absence, performance, and policy implementation, and ensure safety, safeguarding, and data protection standards across the Campus.

Qualifications

• Proven HR Generalist experience in education/public sector is valued.
• Up-to-date knowledge of UK employment law and safeguarding principles.

Responsibilities

• Operate as the primary HR liaison between school leadership, unions, and Camden HR advisors.
• Manage recruitment, onboarding, and SCR compliance across two school sites.
• Oversee absence procedures, capability/disciplinary processes, appraisals, and probation reviews.
• Champion staff wellbeing with Occupational Health referrals and EAPs.
• Ensure HR data, contracts and policies comply with employment law and data protection.

Skills

HR Generalist

UK Employment Law

Communication

Resilience

Autonomy

Organisation

Google Drive

Microsoft Office

Tools

Google Drive Suite

Microsoft Office

Job description

About The Role

Are you an experienced HR generalist looking for a flexible, meaningful role where you can truly shape workplace culture?

Netley Campus is looking for a proactive, compassionate, and skilled HR Manager to join our team. Following significant growth across our campus over the past three years, we are establishing this brand-new, dedicated HR function to support school leaders so they can focus on delivering exceptional teaching and learning.

Working across two unique educational settings on one shared campus, you will lead day-to-day HR operations, champion staff wellbeing, and serve as the strategic link between school leadership and Camden HR advisory services.

About Netley Campus

Sited near Regent’s Park in a vibrant, culturally rich, and diverse community, Netley Campus brings together two distinct schools bound by a shared commitment to inclusion and child-centered excellence:

• Netley Primary School: A high-achieving, inclusive beacon school comprising a mainstream primary, Woodlands (a specialist centre for children with Autism), and Acorns (our 2-year-old provision).

• Robson House: A dedicated Primary Pupil Referral Unit supporting up to 30 children with social, emotional, and mental health needs.

Together, we foster a warm, hardworking, and deeply supportive environment with a passionate staff team dedicated to breaking down barriers to learning.

The Role

As our campus HR Manager, you will take operational ownership of our HR landscape. Backed by the expertise and model policies of Camden HR, you will provide clear guidance to senior leadership, manage recruitment and onboarding, and keep our workforce practices running smoothly.

Key Responsibilities:

• Operational HR Lead: Serve as the primary liaison between school leadership, trade unions, and Camden HR advisors for employee relations, casework, and policy implementation.

• Talent & Recruitment: Coordinate end-to-end safer recruitment, draft adverts, oversee candidate pipelines, manage onboarding, and maintain strict compliance across our Single Central Record (SCR).

• Employee Relations & Performance: Manage absence procedures with care and clarity, support line managers through capability/disciplinary processes, and oversee annual appraisal cycles and probation reviews.

• Staff Wellbeing: Champion initiatives that make our campus an exceptional place to work, including Occupational Health referrals, Employee Assistance Programmes, and health/cycle schemes.

• Compliance & Records: Ensure all HR data, contracts, and policies comply with current employment law, safeguarding standards, and data protection guidelines.

About You

We are looking for a confident HR professional who thrives in a varied, autonomous role and brings both technical capability and strong emotional intelligence.

Essential Requirements:

• Proven HR Generalist Experience: A solid track record in generalist HR, ideally within an educational, public sector, or local authority framework.

• Strong Knowledge Base: Up-to-date knowledge of UK employment law, employee relations, and safer recruitment/safeguarding principles.

• Communication & Resilience: Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to handle delicate situations with discretion, empathy, and diplomatic firmness.

• Autonomy & Organisation: Ability to prioritise your own workload across two busy school environments

• Tech-Savvy: Proficient in Google Drive Suite and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).

What We Offer

• Flexibility: A structured 3-day working pattern with options for negotiable hybrid/offsite working arrangements.

• Support: Expert external advisory backing via Camden HR, ensuring you are never working in isolation.

• Culture: A deeply supportive, values-driven team environment where employee wellbeing is genuinely prioritised.

• Benefits: Access to Camden local authority pension schemes, staff wellbeing packages, cycle-to-work schemes.