HR Specialist

Join a friendly, fast-paced HR team where you’ll combine hands-on payroll and benefits expertise with impactful employee relations support. If you enjoy getting the detail right, building trust with managers, and keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes, this could be the role for you.

About the role

Based in Cinderford, as our HR Specialist you’ll take the lead on monthly payroll preparation and benefits administration, ensuring our data and processes are accurate, timely and consistent across the employee lifecycle.  You’ll also be a trusted first point of contact for managers and employees, delivering pragmatic, legally compliant advice across day-to-day HR queries.

What you’ll be doing

Payroll & benefits

• Preparing monthly payroll for review and approval, partnering with our outsourced payroll provider to resolve queries and ensuring everyone is paid accurately and on time
• Administering employee benefits with external providers, keeping enrolments, changes and leavers processed accurately and within deadlines.
• Maintaining high-quality HR and payroll data, ensuring records and system changes are complete, compliant and audit-ready.

HR governance

• Delivering core HR processes across the employee lifecycle, ensuring accurate and timely documentation and communications
• Providing clear guidance on HR policies, practices and systems to managers and employees
• Supporting the ongoing review, simplification and updating of HR policies and templates to keep us legally compliant and competitive
• Acting as a key user for our HR/payroll systems, helping colleagues get the best from them.

Employee relations

• Being the first point of contact for employee relations queries, providing pragmatic, timely advice aligned to policy and UK employment law.
• Coaching and supporting managers through ER cases including absence management, performance management, disciplinary and grievance investigations, and workplace concerns.

Recruitment & onboarding

• Owning the administration of recruitment and onboarding, including contracts, pre-employment checks and supporting managers with inductions.
• Providing a smooth candidate and new starter experience through great communication and attention to detail.

What we’re looking for

• CIPD qualified (level 3 minimum)
• At least 2 years’ experience preparing and processing monthly payroll (including managing queries with a payroll provider)
• Strong HR data skills and confidence using HR/payroll systems (e.g. ADP) and excel
• At least 12 months of experience of supporting managers with ER topics, providing clear, consistent advice
• A practical, customer-focused approach with excellent communication, strong attention to detail and the confidence to challenge appropriately
• Someone who is able to travel to London on a quarterly basis

Why join us?

• A role with real variety: payroll, benefits, ER and HR operations—ideal if you enjoy both people-facing work and getting the detail right
• Visibility and impact: your work directly supports managers and improves employee experience
• A collaborative HR team with scope to develop your skills and career with us

Our benefits/perks include

• Pension scheme with employer contribution of upto 10%
• Private healthcare insurance
• Employee assistance programme including financial, emotional and physical support
• Income protection scheme
• Employee share scheme
• Regular social events
• Hybrid working with a minimum of 3 days per week on site
• Free access to LinkedIn learning