Human Resources Specialist in London

This position is responsible for supporting the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, performance management, compensation, benefits administration, payroll coordination, compliance, and HR operations. The Human Resources Specialist partners with firm leadership, employees, and external vendors to ensure effective human resources practices and compliance with applicable employment laws and regulations.

• Recruitment & Onboarding: Manage the full hiring lifecycle, including job postings, candidate screening, interview coordination, and hiring activities. Prepare offer letters and contracts of employment following approval from the Office Administrator. Coordinate onboarding and orientation for new hires. Liaise with Attorney Recruiting, Attorney Integration, and Attorney Development regarding attorney hires and departures. Coordinate sponsorship and visa matters with external immigration counsel.
• Employee Relations: Provide guidance to employees and managers on workplace concerns and employee relations matters. Assist with employee grievances, workplace disputes, and disciplinary matters. Promote consistent application of firm policies and procedures.
• Performance & Talent Management: Administer the annual performance review process. Track evaluation completion and reporting. Support succession planning and talent development initiatives.
• Compensation: Conduct annual salary surveys and benchmarking analyses. Assist with compensation reviews and provide market data recommendations to support compensation decisions.
• Administration: Maintain employee records and HR documentation in accordance with firm policies and legal requirements. Administer staff sickness records and monitor leave utilization. Review and approve holiday requests for non-partner legal staff within Workday. Prepare reports and provide data for audits and compliance reviews as needed.
• Compliance & Policy: Develop, review, and update workplace policies and procedures within the Employee Handbook. Monitor employment law developments and recommend policy updates, including changes related to the Employment Rights Act 2025. Update contracts of employment and other employment-related documentation. Ensure compliance with sponsor license obligations, immigration requirements, and recordkeeping standards. Establish and maintain HR best practices related to employment law and workplace policies. Ensure compliance with GDPR requirements and collaborate with U.S.-based departments on data privacy matters.
• Benefits: Manage the annual benefits renewal process in partnership with the firm's broker and U.S. Benefits team. Coordinate benefits enrollment, changes, and terminations for employees. Notify insurance providers of employee status changes and maintain accurate benefits records. Coordinate payroll adjustments related to benefit elections. Maintain and update the Benefits Handbook. Arrange annual benefits presentations and communications to employees. Administer the firm's pension scheme and ensure compliance with applicable regulations. Liaise with pension advisers and coordinate annual pension reviews and employee communications. Partner with the Office Administrator to review and update benefit-related policies within the Employee Handbook.
• Payroll: Prepare monthly payroll instructions, including new hires, terminations, salary changes, statutory payments, benefit deductions, gym memberships, technology allowances, and other employee lifecycle events. Coordinate with payroll providers to ensure timely and accurate payroll processing. Maintain payroll records and resolve payroll-related inquiries.
• Other Duties: Participate in special projects and HR initiatives as assigned. Perform additional duties as needed to support the Human Resources function.

The HR Specialist role will report directly to the Office Administrator with a dotted line to the HR team based in the US.

• Qualifications Knowledge/Experience: Demonstrated experience in human resources, including recruitment, employee relations, benefits administration, payroll, and compliance. Experience working within a professional services or law firm environment preferred. Knowledge of employment laws, HR best practices, and HRIS systems. Membership with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) essential.
• Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Strong interpersonal and conflict resolution abilities. Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment. Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities. Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and HR information systems. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
• Physical Demands: Must be able to move around the office up to 15% of the time to make copies, fax, file, etc. Remains stationary at least 85% of the time. This position operates computers and other office productivity machines (e.g., fax machine, copier, printer, etc.) on a regular basis. Occasionally required to move documents or files weighing up to 15 lbs. This position requires constant communication and exchange of information with the Firm attorneys, clients, and staff. This position must be able to inspect and observe information on a computer screen at least 80% of the time.
• Working Conditions: Office environment.

At Haynes and Boone, our people are the driving force behind our success. Because we value the role every individual plays in how we deliver exceptional legal services, we hire people who will contribute to our professional reputation, enhance client relationships and share in our success. Our London office is a modern, state‑of‑the‑art space in the heart of the City of London, now home to more than 60 transactional and dispute resolution lawyers who bring deep industry insight and strong commercial judgement to complex cross‑border matters. Our continued growth strengthens our ability to support clients operating in today’s interconnected energy and financial markets. Our London lawyers are recognized in Chambers and Partners UK and Legal 500 UK, and we are leaders among US firms in the ARL Advisor Rankings Guide. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve, and we look for highly motivated lawyers and business professionals who value our culture of respect, collaboration, and excellence.