Job Description

People & Culture Generalist (Maternity Cover)

Application Deadline: 5 October 2026

Department: Support Services

Employment Type: Contract / Temp

Location: Compassion UK

Compensation: £30,040 / year

Description

Are you an experienced HR professional who enjoys helping people, bringing order to busy processes and creating a positive employee experience?

We have an exciting opportunity for a People & Culture Generalist to join our People & Culture team on a maternity cover contract.

Working across all aspects of the employee lifecycle, you will help ensure our core people processes run smoothly while providing trusted, professional and people-focused support to colleagues across Compassion UK & Ireland.

From responding to employee enquiries and maintaining accurate people data to supporting payroll, benefits, recruitment, learning and employee engagement, this is a varied role where no two days will look quite the same.

You will work closely with our People & Culture Business Partner and the wider People & Culture team, helping turn organisational priorities into practical people solutions and contributing to a workplace where colleagues can thrive.

How you’ll make an impact

• Act as a first point of contact for general HR enquiries, offering clear guidance and bringing enquiries to a timely conclusion
• Prepare employee correspondence, including contracts, variations and family leave documentation
• Support monthly payroll processes, pay changes and employee benefits
• Maintain accurate and confidential employee records and HR systems
• Produce people data and reports to help inform decision-making
• Support recruitment campaigns, interview coordination and candidate communications
• Coordinate learning activities and maintain employee training records
• Support employee lifecycle processes, including onboarding, contractual changes and offboarding
• Assist with employee relations administration, documentation and case tracking
• Support employee engagement, wellbeing and culture initiatives
• Help maintain helpful and accessible People & Culture resources on SharePoint
• Identify opportunities to improve People & Culture processes and the employee experience

In this role, you’ll get the opportunity to draw on the following strengths, experiences and competencies to thrive

• Knowledge of HR processes and concepts, with the ability to recognise and resolve typical problems using established options
• Experience in providing HR function support and administration
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills
• Strong administrative, written and numerical skills
• Confidence using Microsoft Office and HR information systems
• Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy and confidentiality
• The ability to prioritise effectively when situations and demands change
• A positive and flexible approach to learning new processes and initiatives
• A CIPD Level 3 qualification, an equivalent HR qualification, or active progress towards one
• GCSEs in Maths and English, or equivalent qualifications
• Personally committed to the Christian faith. You can read more about this in our Policy on Posts to be Held by Christians.

It would be beneficial (although not mandatory) to possess:

• Basic understanding of employment law, regulations, guidelines and policies, with a strong desire to continuously learn, develop and improve as an HR professional
• Experience of supporting engagement, wellbeing or learning initiatives
• Experience of using an Applicant Tracking System

Location, hours and key dates

📍 Office-based at Compassion House, Fleet

35 hours per week

Key dates

Apply by 10 am on 5 October 2026

Interviews are expected to take place on 13 October 2026 and will be in-person at Compassion House

*Please note these timings are intended to help with planning and may be subject to change.

Please submit your application as early as possible, as Compassion UK & Ireland reserves the right to close this vacancy early. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, prior to the closing date. We also reserve the right to interview and appoint a suitable applicant before the closing date.Recruitment process

It’s not uncommon for us to hold multiple rounds of interviews, depending on the role and the stage of the process. We value authenticity, so please use your own voice in your application and ensure that any examples and achievements you describe are genuinely your own.

Assessment tasks

As part of our recruitment process, you may be asked to complete an assessment task.

If you progress beyond the shortlisting stage, we’ll provide details of the task, which may be completed either ahead of your interview or on the day itself. This helps our panel gain a fuller understanding of your approach and suitability for the role.

What we offer in return

Please explore our candidate pack to learn more about Compassion UK's benefits and what it means to live and work in accordance with Compassion UK’s Statement of Faith, Core Values, Ethos Statement, and other policies, including our commitment to Child Protection.

Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences. If you require any reasonable adjustments, please contact the People & Culture Recruitment team.

Contact us

Please reach out to the People & Culture Recruitment team for any additional information or questions at careers@compassionuk.org

Compassion UK & Ireland isn't able to offer visa sponsorship for this role, applicants must have the right to work in the UK without the need for sponsorship.