People Specialist in Crawley

Are you passionate about creating a supportive, thriving environment where people can succeed? Do you have an eye for detail and a collaborative spirit? The Kemnal Academies Trust (TKAT), one of the largest Multi-Academy Trusts in the South of England, is looking for a dynamic and dedicated People Specialist to join our growing People Operations Team. This is a fantastic chance to be part of a vibrant department committed to our vision: 'Achieving More Together.'

Why This Role Matters: Building Our Culture

The People Team exists to nurture an inclusive, collaborative, and ethical culture—building a safe, forward-thinking Trust that shapes young futures through exceptional education. By supporting our schools in managing people matters, you’ll play a direct role in keeping both students and colleagues safe and ensuring our schools thrive.

What You'll Be Doing:

This is a varied role at the heart of the employee lifecycle, offering you broad exposure and the opportunity to grow your career. You will be instrumental in ensuring our employees, the core of our success, are supported from day one. Your key areas of focus will include:

• Administration Excellence: Managing the employee lifecycle from starters to leavers, including preparing contracts, maintaining our systems and ensuring seamless payroll liaison.
• Recruitment & Onboarding: Providing crucial administrative support to the recruitment process, from advertising and shortlisting to managing the interview schedule and completing all essential safer recruitment checks and pre-employment checks.
• Employee Support: Responding to general queries, signposting managers and employees to policies and providing first line advice.
• HR Systems & Data: Maintaining our HR system, managing job posts, and preparing vital employee-related management reports.

Flexibility is key, and you'll have the opportunity to work collaboratively, with opportunities for personal career development along the way.

Why Join TKAT? Your Benefits and Well-being

We are committed to being an employer of choice and ensuring our staff are valued and supported. As a TKAT People Specialist, you'll benefit from:

• Exceptional Work-Life Integration: We offer true flexibility with a hybrid working model (currently 1 day in the office and 4 days remote). While the role is advertised full-time/52 weeks, we also offer the option for Term Time contract for the right candidate.
• Financial Security: A generous Employer Pension Contribution, providing a substantial investment into your long-term financial future.
• Well-being Focus: Free access to the leading well-being and mindfulness app, Headspace, and the option to participate in our Mindfulness programme.
• Development: Access to funded development training to help you grow your skills and career.

Who We Are Looking For: Skills, Experience, and Qualities

We are seeking a professional who embodies our values. You should be someone with:

• Competent administrative skills and the ability to produce work of a high quality in terms of presentation and accuracy.
• Experience of working in a busy and dynamic environment, including delivery to challenging timescales and the ability to realign deadlines when reacting to urgent situations.
• Experience with HR and Payroll systems and the ability to understand and manage employee data.
• A proven track record of maintaining positive relationships with a variety of different stakeholders.

We are looking for someone who treats people with respect and in a fair and consistent way, who is proactive in supporting colleagues, and who maintains focus and drive to achieve quality outcomes. If you are a talented professional ready to apply your skills in a mission-driven environment, we want to hear from you. Apply today and help us achieve more, together!

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early should we receive a significant number of applications.

Safeguarding

TKAT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Offers of employment will be subject to the full safer recruitment process, including an enhanced disclosure and barring service check.

Flexible working

TKAT recognises the value of enabling our employees to develop their career and balance this with their commitments and interests outside of work. In TKAT we promote flexible working practices and opportunities to promote a positive work life balance.

Our Commitment - Equity, Inclusion, Diversity and Belonging

At TKAT, we are committed to Equity, Inclusion, Diversity, and Belonging. We embrace and celebrate differences, value individual experiences, aspirations, and achievements, and continuously learn how to grow better together. We actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, as we believe diversity strengthens our community and drives us forward.

Access to interview Be Who You Are at TKAT - should you be selected and invited to interview please let us know if you require us to adapt the recruitment process to enable you to participate as your authentic self. We want applicants to be able to engage with us in ways that support who they are and we are committed to making adjustments within the recruitment process and within the workplace.