School HR Officer & People Partner

Location: Manchester, North West England

School Type: Primary / Secondary School & Sixth Form (Ofsted Rated 'Outstanding')

Contract: Full-Time, Permanent (37 hours per week, All-Year-Round or Term-Time + 3 Weeks)

Start Date: Immediate / ASAP or January Start

An Ofsted-rated 'Outstanding' educational institution in Manchester is seeking an articulate, proactive, and detail-driven School HR Officer & People Partner to join their central operational team. This is a key human resources post for an experienced HR coordinator, personnel administrator, or CIPD-qualified practitioner who excels at managing the employee lifecycle, embedding statutory safeguarding standards, and delivering high-quality HR advice across a talented school workforce.

About the Role

As the School HR Officer, you will serve as the first point of contact for all workforce matters, ensuring people management operations run with high precision and discretion. Reporting to the Director of Business Operations / Headteacher, you will oversee end-to-end recruitment logistics, maintain the Single Central Record (SCR), coordinate staff onboarding and contracts, and support senior leadership with employee relations and HR compliance across the school.

• Environment: An Outstanding Manchester school recognized for exceptional academic standards, an inclusive culture, and a supportive operational framework

• Culture: A collaborative, professional administration hub where staff wellbeing, clear communication, employment law compliance, and statutory safeguarding are top priorities

Key Responsibilities

• Recruitment & Safeguarding Compliance: Coordinate end-to-end recruitment procedures, including job postings, applicant tracking, interview logistics, and pre-employment vetting; maintain an immaculate Single Central Record (SCR) in full compliance with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) and DBS regulations.

• Employee Lifecycle Administration: Oversee staff onboarding, induction schedules, contract issue, probationary reviews, leave management, and offboarding workflows.

• HR Advisory & Employee Relations: Act as a trusted adviser to line managers on routine HR policies, absence management, maternity/paternity processes, flexible working requests, and low-level employee relations cases.

• Payroll & Absence Management: Track, record, and report staff sickness and absence metrics; liaise closely with central finance and payroll providers to ensure accurate monthly salary adjustments and data transfers.

• HR Data & Policy Maintenance: Maintain secure digital HR records (using systems such as Every HR, SIMS, CIPHR, or SAM People), prepare workforce data returns, and assist leadership with periodic HR policy updates.

Requirements

• Relevant HR qualification (e.g., CIPD Level 3 or Level 5) or equivalent demonstrable experience in a human resources officer or HR administrative role.

• Proven experience working within HR, ideally in a school, multi-academy trust (MAT), local authority, or public sector setting.

• Expert working knowledge of safer recruitment practices, statutory safeguarding checks, and Single Central Record (SCR) management.

• High proficiency in HR software/databases and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams), with strong data integrity and reporting skills.

• Outstanding communication, active listening, and conflict-resolution abilities, maintaining strict confidentiality and discretion at all times.

Salary & Benefits

• Pay Scale: Manchester Local Government Support Staff Scale (commensurate with CIPD qualifications and HR experience).

• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), generous holiday entitlement, funded CIPD professional development and legal compliance training, and access to comprehensive employee assistance and health programs.

How to Apply

If you are an ambitious, organized HR professional ready to drive high-standard people practices at an Outstanding school in Manchester, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your application and CV as soon as possible for consideration.