People Officer (fixed-term) in Islington

Salary: £32,300 per annum

Hours: Full-time

Contract: Fixed-term (until October 2027)

Benefits:

• 27 days' annual leave + statutory holidays + three closure days over the Christmas period.
• Flexible working for all staff, including working from home/hybrid working and flexitime/TOIL scheme.
• Attractive family-friendly policies.
• Private healthcare cover.
• Season ticket loans.
• Employee awards, and training and development opportunities.

Office locations: London (Holborn) / Hybrid

Please note, the successful candidate will be expected to carry out two days of in-person working per week on average, which will include attendance at your office location. Flexible working arrangements can be discussed and agreed with the line manager subject to role and business needs.

An exciting opportunity has arisen at the National Housing Federation (NHF) for a People Officer to join our small people team on a fixed-term basis. You will play an important role in helping us deliver an effective and responsive People service across the organisation. The successful candidate will oversee the full employee lifecycle, have the opportunity to contribute to a range of People projects and initiatives and gain broad HR experience. This role will suit an experienced HR Administrator looking to take the next step to fulfil their career aspirations.

Key elements of the role:

• Manage the recruitment process and provide support to hiring managers.
• Coordinate onboarding and induction activities, ensuring new starters have a positive experience.
• Respond to HR enquiries and provide excellent people service to line managers and colleagues.
• Manage employee lifecycle processes, including contractual changes, family leave and leavers.
• Work collaboratively with the Finance team to ensure that payroll is processed accurately and on time.
• Act as the HR systems administrator and primary contact for queries, providing appropriate reports on employee data.
• Undertake a range of HR duties and support the People Manager with employee relations matters.
• Contribute to People projects and initiatives, helping to continuously improve our processes and the employee experience.

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

• A good understanding and knowledge of HR best practice.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Highly developed organising and prioritising skills, working within set deadlines.
• Good problem-solving skills and the ability to identify practical solutions.
• Ability to build strong working relationships with colleagues at all levels.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately.
• Confidence using HR systems and working with employee data.
• The ability to think creatively and deliver on defined project goals.
• A strong commitment to creating a work environment that is equal, diverse and inclusive.

The NHF has published its equality, diversity and inclusion strategy, which was co-created with staff. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace, and we value the contribution each individual makes to our work. We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and are working to increase the diversity profile of our workforce. We are currently under-represented by ethnic minorities, people with a disability or disabilities and LGBTQ+, and would particularly welcome applications from people in these groups.

We are a disability confident employer, and if you are a disabled person who meets the skills and experience we consider essential for the role, we will offer you an interview. Please note: there may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the job. In certain recruitment situations such as a high volume of applications, we may be required to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. In these circumstances, the NHF will select the disabled candidates who best meet the minimum criteria for the job rather than all of those that meet the minimum criteria, as we would do for non-disabled applicants. This is in line with the Disability Confident guidelines.

We are happy to consider reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process if you have a disability or have a condition that you feel may affect your performance during the recruitment process. Please email the People team with your request or to arrange a time to discuss in more detail.

Our role profile and job advert can also be requested in large print or in an accessible format.

To apply for this role, please complete our online application form. The application form includes your employment and education history, plus you will be asked to answer questions in relation to your knowledge, skills and experience; why you are applying for the role; and questions in relation to our values. The application form is anonymous and will not require you to upload a CV or cover letter. This will help us to shortlist candidates for interview based solely on their knowledge, skills and experience.

You must have the right to work in the UK, and it is important to note that the NHF does not sponsor individuals to work in the UK.

Closing date for applications: 15 November 2026

Interview date: 25 and 26 November 2026