HR Officer- Generalist - London, N17

About Outward. For 50 years, Outward has been providing high-quality support and care services to vulnerable people across London, predominantly in North East London. Established by families seeking alternatives to institutional care, we've grown into a respected provider of person‑centred support for adults with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs, and complex needs. We support over 1,000 people across nine boroughs, guided by our core values: engage, enable, and empower. Outward is proud to be an accredited Living Wage Employer.

About the Role We are looking for a proactive, detail‑focused and people‑centred HR Officer (Generalist) to join our small and busy HR team. In this varied role, you will support the full employee lifecycle, ensuring high‑quality HR operations, accurate data management and consistent application of policies. You'll act as the first point of contact for HR queries, support managers with routine employee relations matters, and help maintain and develop our HR systems, including iTrent, Workable, Zinc and Sona.

Your work will help ensure our staff teams are supported to deliver exceptional services to the people we support.

Requirements As an HR Officer (Generalist), you will play a key role in ensuring smooth, efficient and compliant HR operations across Outward. Your responsibilities will include:

• HR Operations & First-Line Advice: Provide day‑to‑day HR support and first‑line advice to managers and staff, ensuring queries are dealt with promptly, accurately and professionally. Support employee relations matters, including performance, conduct, informal concerns and sickness management. Assist managers during formal ER processes by coordinating investigations, preparing documentation, drafting letters and taking minutes at meetings.
• Recruitment, Onboarding & Lifecycle Processes: Support recruitment activity, including advertising roles, shortlisting coordination and ensuring compliance with safer recruitment practices. Administer the onboarding process, ensuring all pre‑employment checks (including DBS and Right to Work) are completed accurately and on time. Coordinate lifecycle changes including contractual amendments, probation reviews, role changes and offboarding activities. Produce employment documentation such as contracts, offer letters and variations to contract.
• HR Systems & Data Management: Administer and support core HR, recruitment, screening and time‑and‑attendance systems (currently iTrent, Workable, Zinc and Sona). Maintain accurate and compliant employee records, ensuring data integrity, correct workflows and timely updates. Support system developments, new features, integrations and improvements that enhance HR processes and user experience.
• People Data, Reporting & Analytics: Produce accurate HR data and reports using Excel (including formulas and data manipulation) and system reporting tools. Support statutory and internal reporting, including workforce data for senior leaders, regulators and auditors. Monitor trends relating to absence, turnover, recruitment and workforce activity, escalating issues where appropriate.
• Payroll, Benefits & Compliance: Support payroll processes by ensuring all changes are correctly recorded and communicated in a timely manner. Administer employee benefits such as eye‑care vouchers, long‑service awards, buy‑sell annual leave, refer‑a‑friend, DSE arrangements and wellbeing‑related schemes. Ensure compliance with GDPR, safer recruitment, DBS and safeguarding requirements.
• Teamwork & Continuous Improvement: Provide support and cover for HR and payroll colleagues during periods of absence. Contribute ideas to improve HR processes, systems and ways of working. Model a positive, inclusive and solutions‑focused approach within a small HR team.

A full outline of responsibilities is available in the Job Description.

Essential Criteria Experience in a generalist HR role, supporting a broad range of employee lifecycle processes. Experience using, administering or developing HR information systems (HRIS), including iTrent. Proven experience maintaining accurate HR data and employee records. Proficiency in manipulating and analysing data using Excel formulas and related reporting tools. Experience providing clear, practical HR advice to managers, including first‑line support on employee relations matters. Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and confidence working with multiple systems. Understanding of confidentiality, GDPR and data protection principles. Access to a smartphone capable of receiving SMS messages and using authentication apps for secure systems access. Right to work in the UK (Outward does not offer visa sponsorship).

Desirable Criteria Experience using time and attendance systems (e.g., Sona). Experience supporting HR system improvements or process changes. Experience working in a small HR team or shared‑services environment.

Benefits We value everything our staff do for the people we support, so we provide a great benefits package:

• 25 days Annual Leave excluding Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time)
• Comprehensive Learning & Development Programme
• Cycle‑to‑Work Scheme
• Death in Service Benefit
• Health Assured – Employee Assistance Programme
• Eye care Vouchers
• Flu Jab Reimbursement
• Pension Scheme
• Purchase Additional Annual Leave
• Refer‑a‑Friend Scheme

Diversity and Safeguarding at Outward We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Outward applies its Equal Opportunities Policy at all stages of recruitment and selection. Shortlisting, interviewing and selection is carried out without regard to gender, sexual orientation, marital status, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, age or trade union membership. As an employer, who aspire to become Disability Confident Committed, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview.