HR Manager

HR Manager (Maternity Cover)

Start Date: Ideally June/July to allow for a thorough handover. A phased or part‑time onboarding period prior to the full start date is possible.
Duration: Expected to be a 12‑month Fixed Term Contract.
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

Essential Skills & Experience

• 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 be aware this advert will remain open until the vacancy has been filled. Interviews will take place throughout this period, therefore we encourage you to apply early to avoid disappointment.

Tate is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy.

Tate is committed to promoting equal opportunities. To ensure that every candidate has the best experience with us, we encourage you to let us know if there are any adjustments we can make during the application or interview process. Your comfort and accessibility are our priority, and we are here to support you every step of the way. Additionally, we value and respect your individuality, and we invite you to share your preferred pronouns in your application.