Location
London Borough of Islington

Hours
Full Time - Hybrid working arrangement, currently requiring at least three days a week in the main office, with flexibility depending on work and interactions required.

Salary
£61,542 per annum

About the Role
Our HR function is evolving into a confident, proactive partnership model. We work alongside leaders to deliver high quality, efficient and compliant HR services, supporting a positive, values-led colleague and candidate experience across the organisation.

The HR and Onboarding Manager plays a critical role in this. As a key leader within the HR service, you will shape how we deliver frontline HR support, onboarding and core people processes - ensuring consistency, quality and a strong focus on customer experience.

You do not need housing sector experience to succeed. What matters most is your ability to coach and lead a high-performing team, deliver service excellence and continuously improve how HR supports the organisation.

As HR and Onboarding Manager, you will lead a team delivering a responsive, high-quality HR service across onboarding, first-line advice and core HR processes. Working closely with colleagues across the People Directorate, you will ensure that HR services are efficient, compliant and aligned to organisational priorities - while creating a seamless and positive experience for candidates, colleagues and managers.

You will strengthen service quality, efficiency and experience by:
- Leading a high-performing HR and onboarding team delivering a responsive, professional service
- Ensuring clear, accurate and consistent HR advice and support to managers and colleagues
- Building team confidence to resolve queries at the first point of contact and reduce escalation
- Delivering a smooth, high-quality onboarding experience that sets colleagues up for success
- Driving continuous improvement through simplified processes, digital solutions and better ways of working
- Using insight and data to identify trends, improve service delivery and support decision-making

Your impact will be seen through improved employee and candidate experience, stronger manager confidence, reduced risk and a more efficient and effective HR service.

How you'll do it:
- Lead, coach and develop the HR and onboarding team, setting clear standards for quality and service
- Deliver a first-class onboarding experience, working closely with recruitment to meet business needs
- Ensure compliance with key requirements, including right to work, DBS, visa sponsorship and other regulatory standards
- Oversee delivery of first-line HR advice and support, including low-level casework and query resolution
- Use data and insight to monitor performance, identify opportunities and improve service outcomes
- Work collaboratively across HR and the wider organisation to align service delivery with business priorities

Experience
- Proven experience of leading and developing a team within an HR service environment
- Strong track record of delivering high-quality HR advice and support across a broad range of HR activities
- Demonstrated ability to improve processes, driving efficiency, accuracy and service quality
- Good knowledge of employment law and the ability to apply it in day-to-day HR practice and casework
- Experience using data and insight to inform decisions and improve services

About you
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining quality and compliance
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with a wide range of stakeholders
- Passionate, enthusiastic and committed to delivering great service and continuous improvement

Qualifications
CIPD Level 5 qualification (or equivalent experience)