HR Officer (part-time)

Oxford’s School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA) is one of the largest communities of Area Studies scholars anywhere in the world. This vibrant and dynamic University department has research and teaching programmes dedicated to Africa, China, Latin America, the Middle East, Japan, Russia and Eastern Europe, South Asia and Comparative Area Studies. The School welcomes students from all around the globe and offers seven MSc Degrees, six MPhil degrees, a DPhil in Area Studies, as well as the Oxford 1+1 MBA with Saïd Business School.

Applications are invited for a motivated and proactive HR Officer to join our busy HR Team on a part-time (0.5 FTE) and 3-year fixed term contract basis.

About the Role:

This post is an excellent development opportunity to progress in the field of Human Resources within the University. 

The successful applicant will develop practical HR knowledge, including all aspects of the administration of HR processes, employment life cycle and recruitment exercises. 

Reporting to the Head of Administration and Finance (HAF) and supervised by the Senior HR Officer (SHRO), she/he will be a key point of contact for general HR administrative enquiries from OSGA employees, line managers, casual staff and the general public. They will work within the HR Team on improving OSGA HR policies and procedures, providing quality HR advice and support in accordance with University HR guidance and policies. Further duties will  include updating HR intranet pages, implementing recruitment exercises for professional services and academic-related staff, preparing and submitting documents for recruitment, staff and visitors’ visa applications, staff retention, and end of fixed-term contracts, communicating with the HAF, HoS, Finance Manager and the Staff Immigration Team, when applicable. 

As part of an HR team of three, the post holder will also be required to cover for colleagues as appropriate and provide administrative support as required.

About You:

The role will suit a professional who can prioritise workload to meet deadlines; and to work on own initiative with minimal supervision. 

Applications are particularly welcome from HR professionals who enjoy being part of a busy HR team in an environment of competing priorities and a department comprising diverse community. The successful applicant must be able to understand, interpret and accurately communicate HR processes and procedures verbally and in writing and to demonstrate up-to-date knowledge of employment law essentials. 

Experience of working in Higher Education sector and/or with HRIS systems such as People XD will be beneficial.

Application Process: 

When applying to this position, you will be required to upload a CV and a supporting statement of no more than two pages addressing how you meet each of the selection criteria, as listed in the job description. Further details regarding the selection criteria and details on how to apply can be found in the document attached. Informal enquiries are welcome, please email [email protected]. Any queries or matters that are not referred to in the job description/further particulars will be passed to Dr Elizabeth Hodges, the Head of Administration & Finance. Please quote the vacancy reference 170362 in all your correspondence.

The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on 19th February 2024. Applications received after the closing date cannot be considered.

The interviews will be held in-person as soon as possible after the closing date.

What We Offer:

As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees’ wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• Generous annual leave
• A comprehensive range of childcare services
• Family leave schemes
• Cycle loan scheme and electric or ultra-low emission vehicle loan scheme
• Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans
• Membership to a variety of social and sports clubs

This role also offers the opportunity for hybrid working, with a current expectation of at least 50% on-site work. 

The OSGA Professional Services offices are located in Oxford city centre, surrounded by its unique architecture, history and culture.

The University of Oxford holds an institutional Silver Athena Swan award, acknowledging the progress made in addressing a number of gender gaps across the University. 

Applications are particularly welcome from men and black and minority ethnic candidates who are under-represented in professional services in Oxford.