HR Services Manager; Maternity Cover

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Location: Rhodes House, Central Oxford (hybrid working)

Contract: Fixed-term – 14 months

Hours: Full time – 37.5 hours per week

Salary: £48,000 – £52,000

Reports to: HR Director

We are looking for an experienced HR professional to join the Rhodes Trust on a 14‑month maternity cover. This is a central operational role within our HR function, leading the delivery of payroll, benefits and core people processes to ensure they run accurately, efficiently and on time. You will lead on key operational areas, provide practical advice to managers and staff, and maintain high standards across payroll, employee relations and data management.

This role is about keeping things running smoothly and reliably, delivering a strong HR service in a busy international environment while making thoughtful improvements where they add real value. Working as part of a small, collaborative team, you will bring sound judgement, attention to detail and a balanced and thoughtful approach to complex situations. The role does not include line‑management responsibility and works in close partnership with the HR Director as part of the wider HR team.

We are looking for the successful candidate to start with us as soon as possible.

The HR Services Manager role will be focused on continuity of critical HR operations. The role will be responsible for the following:

• Lead the day‑to‑day delivery of HR operations, ensuring payroll, benefits and employee lifecycle processes run accurately, efficiently and on time.
• Oversee UK, US and South Africa payroll inputs, working closely with Finance and external providers to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Provide practical, trusted advice to managers and staff on a range of employee relations matters, including family leave, performance management, change, grievances and disciplinaries.
• Own and manage the annual HR calendar, coordinating payroll cycles, benefits renewals, reporting requirements and key people processes.
• Maintain and develop the HR system (People
  
  HR), ensuring data accuracy, effective workflows and meaningful management information.
• Ensure HR data is managed securely and in line with data protection requirements.
• Contribute to HR projects and continuous improvement initiatives, supporting the delivery of the People plan.
• Build strong working relationships across the Trust, working collaboratively within a small, supportive HR team.
• Role‑model and promote the Trust's values of commitment, inclusion, belonging, growth and innovation.

To be successful in this role, you will be an experienced HR Generalist with strong operational expertise across payroll, benefits, HR systems and employee relations. You will be confident managing UK payroll, including statutory requirements, and handling employee relations matters independently and with sound judgement.

You will be highly organised and resilient, able to manage competing priorities while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail. Discreet and professional, you will handle sensitive information with care and integrity.

A clear and approachable communicator, you will build trusted relationships with managers and colleagues, offering practical advice and identifying sensible improvements where they add value.

You will hold (or be working towards) CIPD Level 5 or 7 qualification or bring equivalent experience.

Experience of People

HR (Access), working in a complex or regulated environment, or exposure to US or South Africa payroll would be advantageous.

The Rhodes Trust is an educational charity which offers Rhodes Scholarships to exceptional students from around the world to come and study at the University of Oxford. Our mission is to build a better world through global fellowship programmes that develop and connect compassionate, innovative, and public‑spirited people committed to solving humanity's challenges.

In recent years, we have also partnered with several other remarkable organisations to create the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, Atlantic Institute, Schmidt Science Fellows, RISE…