Salary: Up to £77,000 DOE plus benefits.
Location: London office, hybrid 3 days office, hours of work Mon to Friday 9am-5:30pm
Overview
We are seeking an experienced HR Manager to provide comprehensive, proactive and consistent HR generalist support across the business during a maternity cover period. This role requires strong HR expertise, excellent relationship‑building skills, and the ability to work effectively with senior stakeholders in a professional services environment. HR experience within a law firm; ideally exposure to trainee recruitment, assessment centres or graduate recruitment. Minimum CIPD Level 5 required (Level 7 or working towards preferred).
Key Responsibilities
Firm-wide & HR Support
* Provide consistent HR generalist support across the organisation.
* Support the HR Advisors on employee relations issues, coaching and guiding them through processes.
* Support the Head of HR on more complex ER matters.
* Maintain HR policies, standard documentation and staff manual, ensuring compliance with legislation and business requirements.
* Complete and coordinate salary surveys to support benchmarking activity.
* Act as point of contact for the organisation’s UKVISA account.
* Contribute content for internal HR communications.
Employee Lifecycle & Operational HR
* Work closely with Heads of Department and line managers to support effective people management.
* Advise managers and employees on employee relations queries.
* Monitor absence and sickness trends, manage documentation, and coordinate occupational health referrals.
* Manage leaver processes, including correspondence, exit interviews, data updates and feedback reporting.
* Oversee probation monitoring, reminders, outcomes, and related documentation.
* Support processes related to extended leave (maternity, paternity, adoption), including entitlement guidance, updates to payroll and HR systems, and communication with managers.
* Manage appraisal tracking, monitor outstanding reviews, and report on training needs.
* Assist with the creation of job descriptions, interview participation, offer paperwork, and induction coordination for new joiners.
* Work with managers to identify learning and development needs and ensure opportunities align with business objectives.
HR Systems & Reporting
* Oversee effective use of HR systems and management information.
* Manage relationships with HR systems providers.
* Ensure HR content on the intranet is accurate and up to date.
* Oversee data quality and integrity in HR reporting.
* Support publication and verification of D&I and Gender Pay Gap data.
* Produce and maintain turnover statistics.
Trainee Recruitment & Development
* Work closely with the Training Principal to manage the full training contract lifecycle.
* Act as the main point of contact for trainee solicitor recruitment and development.
* Manage branding and advertising for the Vacation Scheme and Training Contract programmes.
* Lead the Summer Vacation Scheme, including preparation, recruitment, delivery, and feedback.
* Oversee the full Training Contract recruitment process (advertising, shortlisting, assessment centres, interviews).
* Plan and facilitate trainee induction and coordinate learning and development opportunities.
* Manage seat rotations in line with business needs and trainee development goals.
* Oversee qualification processes and compliance with SRA requirements.
* Monitor trainee performance and address emerging concerns promptly.
* Manage trainee appraisals and ongoing engagement with future trainees.
* Oversee PSC course coordination and support trainees completing SQE2 where required.
Professional Qualifications & Compliance
* Manage the practising certificate renewal process (SRA, CILEx and others as applicable).
* Support paralegals pursuing qualification routes such as CILEx.
* Maintain the organisation’s mySRA online account.
* Manage the bi‑annual SRA diversity reporting process.
* Maintain HR‑related compliance accreditations and support audits.
Person Specification
* A‑levels or equivalent; degree desirable.
* CIPD Level 7 qualified or working towards.
* Knowledge of legal sector qualification frameworks (LPC, SQE); understanding of training contract processes
* Experience of working in a legal environment; ideally with Trainees and Vacation Schemes
* Experience of developing and delivering assessment centres
* Experience within a professional services environment (legal sector preferred).
* Strong working knowledge of HR best practice and HR strategy.
* Commercially aware with a focus on delivering results.
* Excellent communication, influencing and interpersonal skills.
* Strong attention to detail and commitment to high standards.
* Ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
* High level of organisation and ability to manage a demanding workload.
* Strong IT skills, including Outlook, Excel and Word.
* A proactive, self‑motivated and team‑oriented approach.
Please note:
Start Date:
Ideally June/July to allow for a thorough handover. A phased or part‑time onboarding period prior to the full start date maybe possible.
Duration:
Expected to be a 12‑month Fixed Term Contract.
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