HR Officer (FTC)

Job summary

The HR Officer is a key member of GAD’s HR team, providing a responsive, professional and inclusive first-line HR service to colleagues and managers. The role will coordinate core employee lifecycle processes, provide clear guidance on routine people matters, and ensure HR activity is completed accurately, consistently and on time.

Working across the full range of HR services, plus other GAD teams, you will maintain accurate workforce data and records, resolve routine enquiries and escalate more complex or higher-risk matters appropriately.

You will also contribute to improving HR processes, systems and guidance, helping to build a reliable, well-controlled and customer-focused service that supports our People Strategy 2030.

Job description

Providing 1st level proactive operational professional advice to colleagues & managers for the whole of the employee life cycle, predominantly in an administration context, but with the expectation of an advisory context as well.

The first point of call for basic employee relations and wellbeing queries, escalating where necessary. Ensuring that HR administrative tasks are carried out on time, to a high standard.

The post holder will use a full mixture of professional skills and integrity built on from enthusiasm, initiative and hands-on experience, to support predominantly the HR Business Partners, but also other members of the HR team, in relation to employee relations cases, wellbeing initiatives, recruitment & onboarding approaches delivering efficient day to day HR advice & administration, supporting the other HR Officers.

The role will require full support in ensuring key recruitment data cleanse and transition to a new HRIS model as required by the Project and senior leadership.

Person specification

People Services and customer experience

• Manage first-line HR enquiries through agreed channels and within agreed service standards.
• Provide clear, accurate and accessible advice on routine policy and employee lifecycle matters.
• Take ownership of enquiries through to resolution, keeping customers informed and escalating appropriately.
• Monitor response times, recurring enquiries and customer feedback to improve the service.

Employee lifecycle delivery

• Coordinate recruitment, pre-employment checks, onboarding, contractual changes, family leave, probation and leaver processes.
• Ensure transactions are completed accurately, on time and with clear audit trails.
• Work with Payroll, Finance, IT and Security to manage dependencies and prevent delays.
• Provide colleagues and managers with a consistent and inclusive experience at key moments in the employee lifecycle.

HR systems, data and controls

• Maintain accurate and timely records across HR systems, SharePoint and relevant trackers.
• Carry out scheduled data-quality checks and resolve discrepancies.
• Produce regular management information on recruitment, workforce changes, absence, probation and service performance.
• Support reconciliation of HR, payroll, finance and establishment information.
• Apply data-protection, retention, information-handling and audit requirements consistently.

First-line employee relations and wellbeing support

• Provide first-line procedural guidance on absence, probation, flexible working, family leave and other routine matters.
• Coordinate meetings, correspondence, records and agreed actions.
• Recognise matters requiring specialist advice and escalate them promptly to an HR Business Partner.
• Handle sensitive personal information with discretion, empathy and appropriate professional boundaries.
• Administer occupational health referrals and signpost colleagues to appropriate support.

Service improvement and change

• Support mapping and improving HR processes, removing unnecessary hand-offs and duplication.
• Develop clear guidance, templates, checklists and standard operating procedures.
• Support new HR systems implementation and improvement.
• Use enquiry, case and workforce data to identify recurring problems and recommend improvements.
• Contribute to projects as appropriate
• Help embed a culture of continuous improvement, shared ownership and learning.

Team contribution and professional standards

• Work flexibly across the HR team, sharing knowledge and providing appropriate cover.
• Build constructive relationships while being prepared to challenge incomplete or inaccurate information.
• Demonstrate impartiality, discretion, sound judgement and commitment to inclusion.
• Maintain professional knowledge and take responsibility for personal development.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Demonstrable experience of delivering a responsive administrative, HR or customer service in a busy, fast-paced environment (Lead Criteria) - Essential
• Strong digital literacy, including use of Microsoft packages, systems and AI. (Lead criteria) - Essential

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £34,543, Government Actuary's Department contributes £10,007 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

As well as competitive salaries, we offer a substantial package of benefits:

• Exceptional learning and development opportunities that you can explore alongside your day-to-day work.
• 25 days annual leave per year, increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service. In addition, we offer 9 days public and privilege days leave per year (pro rata for part time staff)
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• 5 days of paid volunteering leave
• Up to 9 months maternity leave on full pay + generous paternity and adoption leave
• Staff reward and recognition bonuses that operate throughout the year.
• Occupational sick pay
• Family-friendly policies such as help with caring responsibilities, special leave, generous paid maternity, paternity, and adoption leave.
• Access to employee assistance programme which offers staff 24/7 confidential support and resources such as counselling, debt guidance and management advice.
• The opportunity to join a trade union.
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity.
• Salary advances for travel costs, including annual season tickets and cycle-to-work schemes.
• Access to the Edenred employee benefits system which offers discounts to popular retailers and access to various useful resources such as financial and savings advice.
• Complimentary BUPA health check.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Technical skills.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained.
• A Personal statement of up to 500-words explaining how you meet the essential criteria for the role, with particular reference to the criteria provided in the person specification of the JD.

Your CV and Personal Statement will be used to assess the essential criteria listed in the job description.

During the interview you will be assessed on the experience and behaviours listed in the Person Specification and detailed in this advert.

Application deadline: 1200 hrs on 02 November 2026

Shortlisting: w/c 02 November 2026

Interviews: 13 November 2026

Interview location: In office (London or Edinburgh)

Please apply via our recruitment portal below.

As part of the application form process, please submit your CV and supporting statement. Please do not email your CV outside of this process as it will not be accepted.

Shortlisting criteria is based on the Person Specification as set out in the Assessment Criteria section of the Job Description. Please ensure you provide examples of how you meet the Assessment Criteria; a strong application will also demonstrate that you meet the required criteria that are identified as key for this role. Applications will be shortlisted in line with the essential criteria for the role. The desirable criteria will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates. Behaviours will be assessed at sift and interview stage. Candidates who are successful at shortlist will be contacted as soon as possible and advised of the interview process and assessment (exact times and dates will also be confirmed).

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Agency Notice: We will not pay agency fees for any candidate submitted in response to this advertisement unless we have explicitly agreed and contracted with an agency to support that specific role prior to advertising. Agency referrals will only be recognised where prior approval has been obtained from the Recruitment Team for the specific vacancy. Any other candidate submissions will be treated as direct applications.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Recruitment Team
• Email : recruitment@gad.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@gad.gov.uk

Further information

The Government Actuary’s Department’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the recruitment principles of the Civil Service Commissioner, which outline that selection for appointment be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitm… If you feel at any time your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you may make a complaint, by contacting the recruitment team at recruitment@gad.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commissioners.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/government-actuarys-department

Attachments

HR Officer (EO) - Job Description Opens in new window (pdf, 553kB)