HR Administrator

About DFT Operator

Join Our Team at DFTO

DFTO is the government’s public sector rail owning group. Its purpose is to bring all currently privately-owned train operators into public ownership in advance of the creation of Great British Railways in 2027 - and deliver improvements in the here and now by unifying and integrating train operations under common public ownership.

DFTO has over 30,000 employees, runs over 8,500 services a day and delivers over 640 million customer journeys across its networks every year. 7,000people joined the railway family in the last year

Major improvements are being delivered by DFTO train operators (TOCs) that are already under public ownership - these are LNER, Northern, Trans Pennine Express (TPE), southeastern, South Western Railway (SWR), c2c, Greater Anglia and WM Trains.

We work closely with the DfT but operate independently with our own governance and leadership teams. Our priority is ensuring efficient, dependable rail services for everyone.

The Human Resources Administrator will provide comprehensive administrative support to the HR department, ensuring smooth and efficient HR operations. This role involves managing HR-related documentation, assisting with recruitment administration processes, and maintaining employee records. The ideal candidate will be highly organised, detail-oriented, and have strong communication skills, with a passion for supporting HR functions and self-development.

• Provide day-to-day administrative support to the HR team, including scheduling meetings, preparing documents, and handling general inquiries.
• Maintain and update employee records, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality of information.
• Coordinate HR programs and activities, such as onboarding, training sessions, employee recognition, and wellness initiatives.
• Assist in the preparation of HR communications, policies, and other related materials.
• Liaise with business managers to ensure that HR Activity takes place, for examples probation reviews, performance management cycle.

• Assist with the recruitment process, including coordinating interviews, and communicating with candidates.
• Prepare offer letters, employment contracts, and other documentation for new hires.

• Facilitate the onboarding process, ensuring new hires have a smooth start, including performing compliant right to work checks, arranging induction schedules and conducting basic orientation.

• Maintain the HR information system (HRIS) and ensure all employee data is up-to-date.
• Handle employee documentation, such as contracts, probationary and performance reviews, and training records.
• Generate HR reports and metrics as needed (e.g., turnover, headcount, employee demographics).
• Assist in managing leave requests and tracking employee absences.

• Assist in drafting, updating and communicating HR policies and procedures to employees.
• Help ensure compliance with policies and procedures.
• Support the HRBP with audits and compliance-related documentation.
• Maintain accurate and compliant personnel files.

• Coordinate HR-related events, such as training workshops, company events, and employee celebrations as required. Support the Internal Comms team with any events as requested.
• Support payroll administration by collecting and verifying timesheets, supplying starter, leaver and change notifications or other pay-related information.
• Assist with employee inquiries via the HR Inbox and redirect them to the appropriate HR team members if needed.
• Note taking in HR People meetings where required.
• Perform other administrative duties as required to support the HR team and office operations.

• Hold a CIPD Qualification or a willingness and ability to complete CIPD to level 3 and/or level 5 under an Apprenticeship
• 2+ years of experience in an administrative or HR-related role.
• Strong organisational and multitasking skills, with attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritise in a demanding environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft…