HR Assistant/HR Coordinator (Maternity cover, 12 month contract)

We are looking for a highly motivated and organised individual to join our HR team for a 12 month contract. You will be covering maternity leave supporting the HR Manager with duties such as HR administration, recruitment support, supporting the employee lifecycle, coordinating the onboarding process, payroll and benefit administration and compliance and policy support. The successful candidate will be self-motivated and have the ability to carry out tasks in an efficient, pro-active and effective manner. You will act as the first point of contact for employee queries, guidance and support, and escalating to the HR Manager as appropriate.

The Firm

At Thompson Smith and Puxon (TSP), we believe in fostering talent, nurturing ambition, and creating a supportive environment where our people can thrive. As one of the leading law firms in Essex, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional legal services while maintaining a collaborative and inclusive workplace culture.

The Role

We are seeking a proactive and detail-oriented HR Assistant/ HR coordinator to join our team on a fixed-term maternity cover basis. Based within a busy and dynamic law firm (headcount of around 80) you will provide essential administrative and operational support to the HR Manager. This role is ideal for someone with strong organisational skills, attention to detail, and an interest in supporting HR processes in a professional services environment. This role would suit an experienced HR Administrator/ Assistant that is keen to progress into a role with more scope and responsibility.

Key Responsibilities

HR Administration

• Provide comprehensive administration of all HR related processes, including preparing contracts, offer letters, and other employment-related documents.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date employee records, ensuring compliance with policy, legal requirements and GDPR.
• Manage HR inbox queries, responding promptly or escalating where appropriate.
• Provide administrative support to the HR Manager.

Recruitment Support

• Coordinate recruitment activities, including preparing job advertising, shortlisting, and candidate correspondence, scheduling and assisting with interviews for support vacancies.
• Liaise with recruitment agencies and job boards as required.
• Coordinate the Graduate recruitment processes, including Vacation scheme and Trainee Assessment Days.

Employee Lifecycle Support

• Manage the employee on-boarding processes, including sending job offers, preparing new joiner documentation and arranging induction schedules.
• Carry out pre-employment checks, including references, right-to-work verification, and background screening.
• Coordinate HR processes such as probation reviews and absence management.
• Manage the performance review process, ensuring completion.
• Update HR systems with employee changes, including promotions, salary adjustments, and contract amendments.
• Managing the training and membership request processes.
• Manage the off-boarding process including scheduling and conducting exit interviews (when appropriate).

Employee Relations

• Act as a point of contact for general HR queries, providing guidance on various HR matters, or escalating to the HR Manager as appropriate.
• Assist in drafting letters and documentation related to employee relations issues, including disciplinary and grievance matters.
• Support well-being and engagement initiatives across the firm.

Payroll and Benefits Administration

• Provide accurate payroll-related data to the Accounts team.
• Administering employee benefits, including pension schemes, health scheme, and other firm-specific benefits.
• Be first point of contact for employee queries related to payroll and benefits.

Compliance and Policy Support

• Support the implementation and maintenance of HR policies and procedures ensuring that they are aligned with relevant laws, regulations and best practices.
• Support the compliance team with compliance audits and reporting requirements.

Requirements

• Minimum CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate (or already enrolled and working towards this).
• Proven experience as HR Assistant or Administrator or other HR position.
• Previous experience in the legal industry would be preferred, or another professional service industry.

About you

• You will need to be self-motivated, flexible and well-organised to manage conflicting demands and varied workloads. The role requires resilience and a ‘can do’ attitude.
• You will have strong interpersonal skills enabling you to deal sensitively and constructively with difficult situations and to work well with a range of different people.
• Above all you will be interested, self-motivated and flexible enough to turn your hand happily to a wide range of tasks.
• An eye for detail
• A good level of computer literacy, including Outlook, Word and Excel.
• Ability to meet tight deadlines under pressure with good organisational and planning skills
• Able to work independently and as part of a team
• To carry out the above tasks in an efficient, pro-active and effective manner.
• To act as ambassador for TSP.

The package

We offer a competitive salary, depending on level of experience and ability.

Benefits include;

• Full time annual holiday entitlement of 22 days, plus Bank Holidays, with an additional 3 days for the Christmas to New Year closure. The annual holiday entitlement is pro-rated for part time staff.
• Death in service from day 1 of employment.
• Group income protection from day 1 of employment.
• Workplace pension scheme with Scottish Widows after you have completed 3 months service.
• Medical benefits scheme and Employee Assistance Programme upon successful completion of probation period.
• Firm sick pay policy.
• Opportunity for additional holiday for long service.
• A friendly and social environment enhanced with regular social events provided by the firm.
• We offer a staff pension scheme with Scottish Widows that you will be auto-enrolled after you have completed 3 months service.

Additional Information

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