HR Officer

Job Advert: HR Officer

Summary

Join Wonderseekers at a pivotal moment in our journey 🚀 and play a defining role in shaping how we support, engage and empower our people.

We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible and supportive as possible. If you need this application pack in an alternative format, or would prefer to apply in a different way, we’re here to help. Please contact Laura on 07483 371391 or 01962 863791, or email hr@wonderseekers.charity to discuss your needs.

Job Details 

Working Hours: Up to 30 hours per week (4 full days, or 5 shorter days) 

Work Pattern: Flexible, with hours to be worked across either 4 or 5 days per week (weekdays, office hours). Work pattern to be discussed at interview.

Location: Working between both sites – Winchester Science Centre and The Point, Eastleigh, working 1 day from home per week.

Salary: £32,000 per annum (pro-rata). Actual salary based on 0.8 FTE: £25,600 per annum.

Contract: Permanent

Start date: ASAP

Line Manager: Director of People and Culture

Holiday: 25 days per annum plus bank holidays (full time, pro-rata for part-time hours). Option to buy/sell some leave and gain additional days for continuous service after four years.

Benefits: Cash health scheme, life assurance, buy/sell annual leave, long service holiday bonus, café and shop discount, electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme, free tickets to WSC and partner attractions, family friendly leave, wellbeing policy, mental health first aiders, cycle to work scheme, financial loans, flexible IT, casual dress, staff events, enhanced pension contribution, inflationary pay rise subject to charity performance and more.

Closing Date: 22nd June 9am

Please note, we’ll accept applications until the closing date, but we may start interviewing earlier - so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Interview Process: Our recruitment process will be a two‑stage process. The first stage will be an initial Teams call. Candidates who progress will then be invited to a second and final stage in‑person at Winchester Science Centre, which will include a tour, a short task, and a panel interview.

Our interview process is designed to be relaxed, welcoming, and informative. We see it as a two‑way conversation, giving us the opportunity to get to know you, while also allowing you to learn more about Wonderseekers, our culture, and what it’s like to work with us.

About our Charity

Wonderseekers (the Charity behind Winchester Science Centre) strives to engage all children with science so they can live happier, healthier and more sustainable lives and contribute to improving life on Earth. The Charity runs Winchester Science Centre - a vibrant, hands-on experience for young children.  Promising an exciting day out for families, with curriculum-linked trips for schools and an evening events programme, the Science Centre welcomes over 170,000 visitors every year. The Charity also delivers a free and impactful community programme for our priority audiences who may not have the opportunity to come to the Science Centre reaching over 10,000 people every year. Through our magnificent planetarium and live science experiences, as well as our out in communities work, science is brought to life in imaginative, fun and accessible ways that means everyone is included.

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing charity in a newly created role, supporting the Director of People and Culture at a pivotal point in Wonderseekers’ development. The HR Officer will play a central role in shaping and embedding a people‑focused function that reflects and strengthens our mission, culture, and values.

You will be responsible for delivering a comprehensive, high‑quality HR service across the organisation, ensuring our people practices are inclusive, accessible, and aligned with our charitable purpose values. Acting as a trusted advisor, you will support managers and colleagues across the full employee lifecycle, providing pragmatic, thoughtful advice and guidance while ensuring alignment with our values.

Championing wellbeing, engagement, and collaboration will be core to this role. As a proudly family‑friendly and flexible employer, Wonderseekers is committed to supporting wellbeing, work–life balance, and a culture where people can thrive. The HR Officer will help embed this approach in everything we do - from policy and practice to everyday behaviours - ensuring our people feel supported, valued, and empowered to do their best work.

This role requires a practical, hands‑on HR professional who understands the realities of working within a mission‑driven, resource‑conscious organisation. You will help us balance robust people practices with compassion, flexibility and proportionality, ensuring our approach always reflects our charitable values.

The People & Culture function at Wonderseekers is made up of the Director of People & Culture and this newly created HR Officer role, with some additional administrative support. As such, excellent communication, collaboration, and relationship‑building skills are essential. The post holder will work closely with the Director on a daily basis, sharing information, priorities, and insights to ensure a seamless, effective, and responsive People & Culture service for the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

HR Operations and Administration

• Deliver all day-to-day HR Operations and administration across the employee lifecycle
• Manage and maintain accurate employee data, including new starters, changes, leavers, induction, probation, and annual leave
• Administer employee benefits
• Liaise with Finance regarding payroll changes and support with annual audit requirements
• Work alongside the Office Manager to deliver an effective work experience and volunteering programme
• Develop automation within processes to streamline and strengthen the people function
• Purchase card administration and occasional ordering of supplies
• Track and monitor HR-related budgets
• Manage uniform stocks and ordering

Recruitment, Onboarding and Offboarding

• Deliver end‑to‑end recruitment that reflects our values, supports inclusive hiring, and attracts people who are motivated by Wonderseekers’ mission and charitable purpose
• Work collaboratively with hiring managers to support recruitment
• Support onboarding processes, including contracts, offer letters, references, and right-to-work checks
• Ensure all pre-employment checks are completed, including DBS checks
• Support the offboarding processes

People and Culture

• Champion Wonderseekers’ values, ensuring they are lived and reflected in everyday behaviours, decisions and people practices
• Act as a positive mental health champion, promoting wellbeing across the charity
• Embed accessibility and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) into all HR processes and initiatives with support from Head of Equity, Community Engagement and Outreach
• Use a collaborative approach to deliver mission-focused improvements, engagement with all relevant stakeholders including staff, managers and our young steering group
• Support staff engagement initiatives, including surveys, wellbeing activities, and staff events / socials
• Work with the Director of People and Culture to implement organisational projects and improvements
• Encourage collaboration across multiple-sites through continuous improvement to our ways of working
• Work closely and collaboratively with the Director of People & Culture as part of a small, highly connected HR team, ensuring clear communication, shared understanding, and effective teamwork across all people‑related activity.

Employee Relations and Line Manager Support

• Advise and support managers on policies, procedures, and best practice
• Support employee relations matters including absence, probation, disciplinary, grievance, capability, conduct, and wellbeing
• Attend meetings to advise, support, and take minutes where required
• Monitor sickness absence, conduct wellbeing meetings, and ensure return-to-work processes are completed
• Support successful probation processes and ongoing employee development

Performance and Development

• Manage and continuously improve the organisation’s performance management system
• Support the design and delivery of manager training and development
• Coach and guide managers through people-related challenges and change

Systems and Compliance

• Act as a super user for the HR system, ensuring effective and consistent use across the charity
• Support project management of future changes to HRIS
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation and internal policies
• Support the updating and development of HR policies and procedures
• Support a strong culture of safeguarding and a safe working environment, compliance and accountability, recognising Wonderseekers’ responsibility to children, families, funders and partners

 General

• Complete mandatory training
• Stay up to date with HR best practice and sector trends
• Develop a strong understanding of the charity’s work and mission
• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the role
• Respond flexibly to changing organisational priorities

Person Specification

Essential

• Experience of delivering a broad HR generalist/coordinator role
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work closely and effectively as part of a small People & Culture team, and build trusted and professional working relationships more widely
• Self-motivated and proactive, with the ability to take initiative and manage competing priorities effectively
• Sound knowledge of HR processes and employment practices
• Ability to advise and support managers confidently and pragmatically
• A passion for creating purpose-driven employee experience, where people feel connected to our mission, supported to do their best work, and inspired by the impact they make
• Strong organisational and administrative skills, with good attention to detail
• Flexible and adaptable, with the ability to reprioritise effectively and respond to changing organisational needs without compromising quality, ethical standards or integrity.
• Commitment to working in a mission‑driven or values‑led organisation
• Empathy and sound judgement when handling sensitive or complex people matters
• Commitment to EDI, accessibility, and wellbeing
• High level of IT literacy, with advanced applied knowledge of Microsoft 365 environments, including Teams, SharePoint, Outlook, to support efficient and secure ways of working.
• Commitment to confidentiality and discretion
• Willingness to undergo a Basic DBS check

Desirable

• CIPD Level 3 or Level 5 qualification (or working towards)
• Experience working in the charity or not-for-profit sector
• Experience using HR systems and data analysis tools
• Knowledge of HR regulations, law and best practice
• Experience implementing new initiatives and change to support organisational growth 
• Experience handling sensitive employee relations matters

Ready to Apply?

Click here to visit our recruitment webpage. When you’re ready, please submit your application through our recruitment portal here for this vacancy.

You’ll be asked to share your contact details and answer a few short questions so we can get to know you better. Keep your responses clear and concise - this is your chance to really shine! After that, you’ll upload your cover letter and CV.

We’re always happy to chat about the role before you apply - just reach out using the details below.

Please contact us if you’d like to arrange an informal chat, have any questions about the role before applying or would like to discuss support during the application process – contact details below.

Contact us:
Laura Ollis, Director of People and Culture & HR Ninja! 
Email: hr@wonderseekers.charity

Telephone: 07483 371391

(No recruitment agencies, thank you.)

Salary: £32,000 per annum (pro-rata). Actual salary based on 0.8 FTE: £25,600 per annum

+ fantastic benefits!

Holiday: 25 days + bank holidays + buy/sell leave + long service benefit 🌞

Cash health scheme 🩺

Life assurance

Electric vehicle scheme 🚗

Free tickets 🎟️

Family-friendly leave 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Wellbeing policy 🌿

Mental health first aiders 💭

Cycle to work 🚲

Flexible working ⏰

Staff events 🎉

And more!