Human Resources Officer (part-time 22.5 to 30 hours per week) in Oxford

Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, founded in 1878 as Oxford’s first women’s college. It now hosts around 400 undergraduate and 300 postgraduate students, 80 academic staff and 145 support staff. LMH is committed to widening access and supporting academic excellence, and holds a Gold-level Investors in People accreditation.

We are seeking an experienced and proactive HR Officer to join our small, collaborative HR team working 22.5 to 30 hours per week. The role provides comprehensive end‑to‑end HR support across the employee life‑cycle, with a particular focus on academic HR and support for the North Oxford Shared College Service. The successful candidate will also assist with recruitment, workplace investigations and ad‑hoc projects covering all staff.

Key Responsibilities

• Recruitment & Selection
  • Take ownership of end‑to‑end recruitment processes across academic, non‑academic, NOSCS and casual staff.
  • Work with hiring managers to design job descriptions and adverts.
  • Manage advertising, candidate attraction and shortlisting.
  • Screen applications and support hiring managers in candidate selection.
  • Coordinate and participate in interviews where appropriate.
  • Manage the offer process and pre‑employment checks, including right to work and references.
• Onboarding, Contract Changes & Offboarding
  • Produce academic and NOSCS staff contracts and variations.
  • Prepare correspondence relating to staff changes and support the annual pay review process.
  • Work closely with payroll to ensure new starters, leavers and payroll changes are implemented timely.
  • Monitor key dates and ensure relevant actions: DBS renewals, training renewals, visa end dates, fixed‑term contract end dates, etc.
  • Maintain accurate employee lifecycle records and dispose of HR documents in line with statutory retention dates.
  • Administer leaver processes including exit documentation.
• Employee Relations (First‑Line)
  • Act as a first point of contact for HR queries from managers and staff.
  • Support managers with low‑level employee relations matters, including sickness absence monitoring, return‑to-work meetings and informal capability and conduct issues.
  • Escalate more complex cases appropriately and support formal processes where required.
  • Assist with workplace investigations.
  • Provide staff and managers with details and interpretation of HR policies.
• Training & Development Administration
  • Invite staff to complete mandatory training and maintain records of completion.
  • Respond to requests for training.
• HR Systems & Administration
  • Maintain and optimise HR systems and records, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality.
  • Monitor key dates (probation, fixed‑term contracts, visas, DBS renewals).
  • Identify opportunities to improve HR processes and system efficiency.
• Additional Responsibilities
  • Provide administrative support for employee benefits, including health care schemes, cycle scheme, flu clinic, etc.
  • Cover for the HR Officer and HR Manager as required.
  • Provide ad‑hoc support for support staff recruitment.
  • Undertake ad‑hoc HR projects and continuous improvement initiatives from time to time.
  • Take on new areas of responsibility as the College’s priorities develop, with training and support provided.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Essential
  • Good general education (A level or equivalent).
  • Minimum two years’ experience in an HR role, with exposure to the full employee life‑cycle.
  • Minimum CIPD Level 3 or working towards it, with a commitment to further professional development.
  • Sound and up‑to‑date knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
  • Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, with a high level of attention to detail and accuracy.
  • Experience of HR systems, data management and reporting.
  • Experience handling first‑line employee relations matters (e.g., absence, informal performance issues).
  • Strong organisational and project management skills, prioritising multiple tasks and deadlines.
  • Excellent attention to detail and ability to manage confidential information.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of people.
  • Proficient IT skills, including HR systems and Microsoft Office.
• Desirable
  • Experience working in a higher‑education or charity environment.
  • Experience of the recruitment process and conducting interviews.
  • Experience of conducting workplace investigations.
  • CIPD Level 5.

Terms, Conditions and Benefits

The salary will be c.£32,000‑£35,000 per annum FTE, depending upon experience. Benefits include: 37 days holiday.