Human Resources Manager
2 days ago
City of London
HR Manager (Maternity Cover) Salary: Up to £77,000 DOE plus benefits. Location: London office, hybrid 3 days office, hours of work Mon to Friday 9am-5:30pm Overview We are seeking an experienced HR Manager to provide comprehensive, proactive and consistent HR generalist support across the business during a maternity cover period. This role requires strong HR expertise, excellent relationship‑building skills, and the ability to work effectively with senior stakeholders in a professional services environment. HR experience within a law firm; ideally exposure to trainee recruitment, assessment centres or graduate recruitment. Minimum CIPD Level 5 required (Level 7 or working towards preferred). Key Responsibilities Firm-wide & HR Support • Provide consistent HR generalist support across the organisation., • Support the HR Advisors on employee relations issues, coaching and guiding them through processes., • Support the Head of HR on more complex ER matters., • Maintain HR policies, standard documentation and staff manual, ensuring compliance with legislation and business requirements., • Complete and coordinate salary surveys to support benchmarking activity., • Act as point of contact for the organisation’s UKVISA account., • Contribute content for internal HR communications. Employee Lifecycle & Operational HR • Work closely with Heads of Department and line managers to support effective people management., • Advise managers and employees on employee relations queries., • Monitor absence and sickness trends, manage documentation, and coordinate occupational health referrals., • Manage leaver processes, including correspondence, exit interviews, data updates and feedback reporting., • Oversee probation monitoring, reminders, outcomes, and related documentation., • Support processes related to extended leave (maternity, paternity, adoption), including entitlement guidance, updates to payroll and HR systems, and communication with managers., • Manage appraisal tracking, monitor outstanding reviews, and report on training needs., • Assist with the creation of job descriptions, interview participation, offer paperwork, and induction coordination for new joiners., • Work with managers to identify learning and development needs and ensure opportunities align with business objectives. HR Systems & Reporting • Oversee effective use of HR systems and management information., • Manage relationships with HR systems providers., • Ensure HR content on the intranet is accurate and up to date., • Oversee data quality and integrity in HR reporting., • Support publication and verification of D&I and Gender Pay Gap data., • Produce and maintain turnover statistics. Trainee Recruitment & Development • Work closely with the Training Principal to manage the full training contract lifecycle., • Act as the main point of contact for trainee solicitor recruitment and development., • Manage branding and advertising for the Vacation Scheme and Training Contract programmes., • Lead the Summer Vacation Scheme, including preparation, recruitment, delivery, and feedback., • Oversee the full Training Contract recruitment process (advertising, shortlisting, assessment centres, interviews)., • Plan and facilitate trainee induction and coordinate learning and development opportunities., • Manage seat rotations in line with business needs and trainee development goals., • Oversee qualification processes and compliance with SRA requirements., • Monitor trainee performance and address emerging concerns promptly., • Manage trainee appraisals and ongoing engagement with future trainees., • Oversee PSC course coordination and support trainees completing SQE2 where required. Professional Qualifications & Compliance • Manage the practising certificate renewal process (SRA, CILEx and others as applicable)., • Support paralegals pursuing qualification routes such as CILEx., • Maintain the organisation’s mySRA online account., • Manage the bi‑annual SRA diversity reporting process., • Maintain HR-related compliance accreditations and support audits. Person Specification Essential Skills & Experience • A‑levels or equivalent; degree desirable., • CIPD Level 7 qualified or working towards., • Knowledge of legal sector qualification frameworks (LPC, SQE); understanding of training contract processes, • Experience of working in a legal environment; ideally with Trainees and Vacation Schemes, • Experience of developing and delivering assessment centres, • Experience within a professional services environment (legal sector preferred)., • Strong working knowledge of HR best practice and HR strategy., • Commercially aware with a focus on delivering results., • Excellent communication, influencing and interpersonal skills., • Strong attention to detail and commitment to high standards., • Ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines., • High level of organisation and ability to manage a demanding workload., • Strong IT skills, including Outlook, Excel and Word., • A proactive, self‑motivated and team‑oriented approach. Please note: Start Date: Ideally June/July to allow for a thorough handover. A phased or part‑time onboarding period prior to the full start date maybe possible. Duration: Expected to be a 12‑month Fixed Term Contract.