HR Officer

Location: Blavatnik School of Government, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG

About the Blavatnik School of Government

Our vision is of a world better led, a world better served and a world better governed. We are a global school committed to improving the quality of government and public policymaking worldwide, through three routes: teaching current and future leaders; generating research with impact; and engaging with governments and practitioners.

What we offer

The School is a collaborative, friendly, and dynamic department based in an award-winning building in Oxford. We host regular events and talks with well-known guest speakers – all of which are open to staff. On the social side, we have a regular events calendar that are designed to appeal to all, including our Christmas and summer parties.

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
• 38 days’ annual leave
• Family leave schemes and a comprehensive range of childcare services
• Cycle loan scheme and discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans
• Membership to a variety of social and sports clubs
• Opportunities for hybrid working

About the role

As HR Officer, you will help deliver an effective and responsive HR service across the full employee lifecycle at the Blavatnik School of Government, with a particular focus on ensuring new colleagues are effectively inducted and integrated into the School. You will manage recruitment processes from initial staffing requirements through to appointment, while supporting visa administration and providing well-organised induction, contract and onboarding support.

You will provide clear advice to managers and staff on HR policies and procedures, using judgement to resolve routine and more complex queries and seeking guidance where appropriate. Your work will support probation, leave, fixed-term contract processes, leavers and casual engagements.

Alongside this, you will contribute to accurate payroll and HR records, maintain high standards of data quality and confidentiality, and support improvements to HR processes and the wider employee experience.

About you 

You will hold, or be working towards, a CIPD qualification, or have equivalent HR experience, alongside previous experience in an HR role. You will communicate effectively, build positive working relationships and handle sensitive matters with tact, discretion and sound judgement.

As part of a team of six HR professionals supporting the School’s mission, you will be a collaborative and flexible team member, working effectively with colleagues and contributing positively to shared priorities and the wider work of the team.

You will be organised, accurate and able to manage competing priorities and deadlines. You will also have good knowledge of relevant employment, visa and data protection requirements, strong Microsoft Office skills and the ability to adapt to and learn new systems quickly.

Application process

Please upload a supporting statement that outlines how you meet the selection criteria in your own words, along with your CV and the details of two referees as part of your online application (via the 'Apply' button above).

The closing date for applications is at 12 noon (UK time) on Monday 5 October 2026

Interviews will take place during week commencing 19 October 2026 and will be face to face.

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