HR Coordinator, (£26,163 pro rata)

Location: Craven Street with opportunity for hybrid working
Salary: Starting £26,163 per annum (£32,704 FTE), plus competitive benefits
Band/Job Level: Band H, Coordinator
Contract: Permanent, part-time 
Working hours: 28 hours per week, worked over 4 full days or spread across 5 shorter days.

The College of Optometrists is the professional body for optometry. It qualifies the profession and delivers the guidance and development to ensure optometrists provide the best possible care. We promote excellence through the College’s affixes, by building the evidence base for optometry, and raising awareness of the profession with the public, commissioners, and healthcare professionals.

A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a talented HR Coordinator to join our People team at the College of Optometrists. 

Working closely with the HR Manager and Director of People, you’ll help deliver a friendly, accurate and efficient HR service, supporting staff and managers across the College. This varied role covers all stages of the employee journey, from recruitment and onboarding to payroll, benefits and everyday HR queries.

Key responsibilities:

• coordinating recruitment, including publishing adverts, arranging interviews and tests, communicating with candidates, obtaining references and completing right-to-work checks
• coordinating induction and onboarding, helping new colleagues feel welcomed and supported
• preparing employment documents, including offer letters, contracts and contract variations, and maintaining accurate, confidential records in our HR system
• processing payroll, pension and benefits information, working closely with Finance and our external providers, and responding to staff queries
• providing guidance on leave, probation, family leave and related policies and procedures
• supporting performance reviews, staff awards, staff surveys and HR reporting
• keeping our People Hub and HR documents up to date, coordinating all-staff meetings and helping streamline administrative processes

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• excellent attention to detail, with the ability to maintain accurate records and check information thoroughly
• experience of managing a high volume of administration, prioritising tasks and meeting deadlines
• strong organisational skills and the ability to work proactively and independently
• experience of improving, streamlining or automating processes
• excellent customer service and communication skills, including the ability to explain policies and procedures clearly
• strong Microsoft Office skills, including Excel formulas and mail merge, and experience of using systems to produce reports
• understanding of data protection requirements, alongside a high level of confidentiality and integrity
• keen interest in HR, a willingness to learn and a commitment to continuing professional development

Preferred skills and experience (not essential):

• HR administration or a relevant qualification, such as CIPD
• payroll and pensions processing
• annual leave calculations for different working patterns
• coordinating induction and onboarding. Knowledge of right-to-work requirements, maternity-related benefits or probation processes
• Microsoft Teams and calendar management, including scheduling meetings and coordinating availability
• working within a membership organisation, charity or not-for-profit setting

In return, we offer a variety of benefits including a generous pension plan (10% employer contribution), life assurance and a health care cash plan. The College has a TOIL policy and provides time off for events taking place during the evening and weekends. There is also potential to progress to a range maximum of £27,407 under our performance based/market driven incremental scheme.

Interviews will take place on 

• Monday 19 October between 2.30pm and 4.30pm (in-person)
• Wednesday 21 October between 2.30pm and 4.30pm (in-person)

The College is committed to providing equal opportunities in employment and to avoiding unlawful discrimination. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, valuing the differences that a diverse workforce brings to the organisation. In support of this we follow a fair recruitment process in which shortlisting and other recruitment decisions are made on the basis of skills, competencies and experience demonstrated in the application and interview process.

If you require a reasonable adjustment to be made to support your application due to a disability or other condition, please let us know.

• Typical working hours at the College are 9 am to 5 pm (7 hours, excluding lunch) working five days a week. We operate a flexible working window from 8 am to 6 pm where you can vary your start and end time (working a 7-hour day). This role is flexible and can be worked over a variety of working patterns.
• We also offer hybrid working (a mixture of home and office working). Typically, College staff will work around 20 - 40% of their time at the workplace with Wednesdays required on-site (whether this is the office at Craven St, or a face-to-face meeting, exam or event at another business-related site or organisation) per week.

• We act with integrity and transparency
• We listen and we learn
• We demonstrate respect and professionalism
• We achieve high quality
• We champion diversity and inclusion