People Operations Officer

Are you a passionate individual who holds high expectations and aims for excellence? As a People Operations Officer, you won't just join the community - you will help define it. At The Sigma Trust, we are a forward-thinking family of 12 academies across North East Essex, serving over 11,500 pupils and employing 1,600 members of staff. Our founding philosophy - that we are "Greater Than The Sum Of Its Parts" - is the principle that guides every decision we make. We believe that we are stronger and more successful working together, ensuring that no child is left behind. Our central People & Culture team plays a pivotal role in enabling our schools to thrive by delivering high-quality, efficient, and proactive HR and operational support across the Trust.

• Contract & Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week across the full calendar year (52 weeks).
• Working Pattern: Monday-Thursday 08:30-16:30 and Friday 08:30-16:00 (includes a 30-minute unpaid daily lunch break).
• Location: Based at the Trust's central office at Tendring Education Centre in Clacton-on-Sea, with occasional travel to our schools to provide on-site partnership and support.

A Day in the Life

You'll be responsible for bringing your passion and expertise to the following areas:

• School Coordination & Communication: Act as the primary operational point of contact for school leaders and People & Culture school links across your assigned schools, managing the central People & Culture inbox, resolving first-line policy queries, and directing complex advisory queries to the relevant People & Culture Business Partner.
• Drive Recruitment & Employer Branding: Oversee candidate journeys from initial advert to onboarding via digital platforms such as MyNewTerm. Represent the Trust at recruitment events and job fairs to promote our schools and attract talent.
• Champion Safeguarding & Vetting: Rigorously validate statutory pre-employment checks (KCSIE, References, Online Checks, Enhanced DBS, Right to Work, Overseas, Prohibition/S128) and maintain "Ofsted-ready" Single Central Records (SCR) for your assigned schools.
• Contractual, Payroll & Reporting Accuracy: Complete and issue contracts, variations, and leaver letters. Calculate standard salary changes in accordance with Trust pay policies, complete 5-year service recognition correspondence, and conduct regular monthly audits and workforce reports.
• Employee Benefits & Systems Administration: Administer Trust-wide benefits schemes including Cycle to Work and eye care vouchers. Maintain accurate daily inputs in HR Trackers and MIS systems (e.g., Every HR, Arbor) to ensure clean data for statutory returns like the School Workforce Census.

Safeguarding

The Sigma Trust is committed to safeguarding and protecting the children and young people that we work with. As such, all posts are subject to safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records, online checks and other vetting checks. We ensure that we have a range of policies in place which promote safeguarding and safer working practice across our schools. All appointments are subject to safer recruitment requirements to ensure the safeguarding of children and young people. All positions will involve appropriate checks and clearances.

Key Requirements

• Experience working in a busy administrative or transactional HR environment (or a relevant university degree).
• Proven experience using modern HR software platforms and systems (e.g., Every HR, Arbor, MyNewTerm).
• Meticulous attention to detail and a track record of handling sensitive, confidential data in accordance with GDPR.
• Strong understanding of pre-employment vetting checks, safer recruitment principles, and core employee lifecycle processes.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the confidence to collaborate with school leaders and represent the Trust professionally at job fairs.
• A solution-focused, adaptable, and collaborative mindset with the ability to manage competing deadlines under pressure. Please note that an integration period applies to all new staff joining the Trust, to support introduction into the organisation.

Why Choose The Sigma Trust

We believe in investing in our staff and fostering a culture of collaboration. We offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive package designed to support your professional and personal life.

Professional Development

• A robust CPD training programme that empowers you to flourish.
• Unrivalled opportunities to collaborate with colleagues across the Trust, sharing ideas and building strong professional relationships.

Employee Benefits

• A competitive salary and excellent pension scheme.
• A Health Cash Plan and Employee Assistance Programme for your well-being.
• Exclusive perks like the Cycle to Work scheme, discounted gym memberships, cinema tickets, and eligibility for a Blue Light Card.

Commitment to Safeguarding & Diversity

The Sigma Trust is committed to safeguarding and protecting the children and young people that we work with. As such, all posts are subject to safer recruitment processes, including the disclosure of criminal records, online checks and other vetting checks. We ensure that we have a range of policies in place which promote safeguarding and safer working practice across our schools. The Sigma Trust is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of any protected characteristics. This is embedded in our vision 'To Be Greater Than The Sum Of Its Parts', where we believe we are strong and more successful working together, creating a workplace which celebrates diversity.

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