HR Services Officer

Job summary

As HR Services Officer, you will support the business by providing advice and transactional administration on a wide range of functions including recruitment, contract changes and payroll administration. As a member of the HR Services team, you would report to the HR Services Team Leader, and work alongside other generalist HR Services Officers. You will be predominantly responsible for a geographic area of approximately 400 colleagues, while also supporting national HR projects and initiatives.

Job description

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

Advice and Guidance -

• Respond promptly and professionally to customer enquiries by providing general HR advice utilising relevant information, tools and resources
• Work closely with the HR Business Partners & Advisors when the level of advice required is of a more complex nature
• Build a network of key stakeholders within geographic area, namely district administrators and senior management

HR Administration and Transactional Processes -

• Work with HR Business Partners & Advisors to provide administrative support for a designated geographical area, taking joint responsibility for all HR administrative processes within that area
• Provide support for recruitment processes, including use of the applicant tracking systems and liaison with internal and external recruitment teams
• Prepare and issue employment offer letters and production of contracts of employment
• Administration of staff changes (e.g. promotions, secondments, maternity or parental leave, sickness, etc.) including the production and issuing of revised contracts and variations to terms and conditions
• Undertake support administration relating to Occupational Health referrals
• Accurately process payroll changes into the payroll system and assist in running the monthly pay runs
• Respond efficiently to miscellaneous information requests within GDPR guidelines e.g. Employment references, mortgage applications, etc

Data Management -

• Ensure all contract changes and payroll input are processed with integrity and are easily auditable
• Produce HR and payroll information/data for reports to support business processes as necessary
• Manage sensitive information securely, such as pay, occupational health and diversity records

And any other task reasonably requested by your line manager.

Person specification

Skills, knowledge & experience

Essential professional and technical experience

Advice and Guidance –

• Respond promptly and professionally to customer enquiries by providing general HR advice utilising relevant information, tools and resources
• Work closely with the HR Business Partners & Advisors when the level of advice required is of a more complex nature
• Build a network of key stakeholders within geographic area, namely district administrators and senior management HR Administration and Transactional Processes
• Work with HR Business Partners & Advisors to provide administrative support for a designated geographical area, taking joint responsibility for all HR administrative processes within that area
• Provide support for recruitment processes, including use of the applicant tracking systems and liaison with internal and external recruitment teams
• Prepare and issue employment offer letters and production of contracts of employment
• Administration of staff changes (e.g. promotions, secondments, maternity or parental leave, sickness, etc.) including the production and issuing of revised contracts and variations to terms and conditions
• Undertake support administration relating to Occupational Health referrals
• Accurately process payroll changes into the payroll system and assist in running the monthly pay runs
• Respond efficiently to miscellaneous information requests within GDPR guidelines e.g. Employment references, mortgage applications, etc Data Management
• Ensure all contract changes and payroll input are processed with integrity and are easily auditable
• Produce HR and payroll information/data for reports to support business processes as necessary
• Manage sensitive information securely, such as pay, occupational health and diversity records

Qualifications

Essential

• A GCSE in Maths and English at pass level or functional skills equivalent

Desirable

• Foundation certificate in Human Resources Practice (CIPD), or willing to undertake study (willingness to be suitably trained and apply this).

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,105, Forestry Commission contributes £8,721 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).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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

How to apply…

We cannot accept applications via email. Please follow the steps outlined below. Any CVs and/or personal statements sent outside the system will not be considered for shortlisting.

You will be asked to write a 200 word statement on your relevant experience and career history, along with a personal statement of no more than 500 words. You will be assessed on both during sifting. More details about how to apply are listed on the application form.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

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

You may also be assessed on Experience, Strength based questions, and/or the Technical Success Profile at the interview. The technical element could include a presentation, practical or written task.

Successful candidates will undergo a criminal record check and the government baseline personnel security standard check.

If you require any reasonable adjustments, please email fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk.

If you're planning to use AI to support your application, please ensure you've read our guidelines here first.

Read more about our application process and working with us on the Forestry England website.

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.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

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

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.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 : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk
• Email : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : fcerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact FCE by email: englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.

Attachments

HR Services Officer Opens in new window (pdf, 172kB)