HR Administration Manager

Cabot Learning Federation, Bristol, BS15 4JT

9 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  1 September 2026

• Closing date

  30 July 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  20 July 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Administration, HR, data and finance
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full time equivalent salary: £39,649 - £42,301

HR Administration Manager job summary

Job Title: HR Administration Manager 

Full Time Annual Salary: £39,649 - £42,301 (Grade F)  

Contract Type: Permanent 

Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday / All year-round  

Additional Information: This hybrid role combines home, office and academy-based working, including one day per week at Federation House, Kingswood, and regular travel to academies across the Federation as required. 

Potential Start Date: September 2026 (Subject to completion of pre-employment checks) 

Your opportunity to lead HR operations across a diverse education community 

Are you an experienced HR professional with a strong background in HR administration, payroll and pensions? Do you have the leadership skills to manage a high-performing team while driving continuous improvement across a complex organisation?

Join the Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) as our HR Administration Manager and play a vital role within our Central HR Team. Reporting to the Head of HR Operations, you will lead the delivery of a comprehensive HR administration service, ensuring payroll, pensions, contractual changes, probation processes and broader HR administration activities are delivered accurately, efficiently and in line with legislative and regulatory requirements.

Managing a team of eight HR Administration professionals, you will oversee the delivery of central HR operational services for 37 academies across the Federation, ensuring colleagues receive a professional, responsive and high-quality service that supports our commitment to excellence, equity and opportunity for all.

In this role, you will: 

• Lead and develop a team of eight HR Administration professionals, promoting high standards, accountability and continuous improvement. 
• Oversee the delivery of HR administration services across 37 academies, ensuring a consistent and efficient service. 
• Manage monthly payroll and pension processes, ensuring accuracy, compliance and timely completion. 
• Act as the escalation point for complex payroll, pensions and contractual queries. 
• Build strong relationships with academy leaders, Finance colleagues, external providers and key stakeholders. 
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation, payroll and pension regulations, GDPR and safer recruitment requirements. 
• Drive improvements to systems, processes and ways of working to enhance service delivery. 
• Support key HR operational initiatives, including pay and benefits, workforce reporting and HR systems development. 

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced HR operations professional who enjoys combining people leadership, problem-solving and operational excellence in a large and ambitious organisation. 

About you 

You will be an experienced HR professional with strong knowledge of HR administration, payroll and pensions, alongside a proven track record of leading teams and delivering high-quality operational services. 

You will have: 

• Significant experience leading HR administration, payroll or pensions services and developing high-performing teams. 
• A CIPD qualification (or equivalent HR qualification and experience) and commitment to ongoing professional development. 
• A Level 4 qualification in Business Administration, HR or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience. 
• Strong knowledge of payroll processes, pensions administration, employment legislation and HR best practice. 
• Experience advising on contractual changes, terms and conditions, payroll and pensions matters. 
• Excellent analytical, organisational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines. 
• Experience using HR systems and workforce data to support reporting and continuous improvement. 
• Exceptional attention to detail, accuracy and confidentiality. 
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to influence at all levels. 
• GCSE English and Maths (Grade C/4 or above, or equivalent). 

Experience within the education sector, including knowledge of safer recruitment and Keeping Children Safe in Education, would be advantageous but is not essential. 

Applicants are advised to refer to the full Job Description and Person Specification before submitting an application. 

Why work in CLF's Central HR Team? 

In this role, you'll be part of a collaborative and forward-thinking HR function supporting one of the South West's largest multi-academy trusts.  

You'll have the opportunity to: 

• Lead a critical HR operational service supporting colleagues across 37 schools. 
• Manage and develop a dedicated HR Administration team. 
• Work closely with academy leaders, finance teams and external partners. 
• Drive improvements to HR systems, processes and service delivery. 
• Develop your leadership and HR operations expertise within a supportive and ambitious organisation. 
• Make a real impact on the experience of colleagues and the effectiveness of our schools. 

Why work at CLF? 

We are a diverse and inclusive community of 37 academies across five cluster regions in the South West that is committed to excellence and making a positive impact. Our people bring unique perspectives, but we’re all driven by a shared moral purpose and a passion for making a positive impact, whether in a teaching, leadership or support role. We’re proud to foster a culture where everyone can thrive, feel valued, and make a meaningful difference to the lives of others. 

We are an equal opportunity employer and proud to serve a diverse student population and our communities. We strongly believe that representation matters and so encourage applications from underrepresented and global majority groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.   

We aim to remove any barriers to employment, ensuring everyone can compete on equal terms. Job share, part-time and flexible working opportunities will be considered. 

What we can offer you: 

• Access to a generous pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).  
• Generous annual leave. 
• A comprehensive induction and ongoing commitment to wellbeing and career progression, through a range of training, apprenticeships and in-role/wider-trust development opportunities.  
• Well-being support through an Employee Assistance Programme.  
• Health benefits, including wellness sessions, gym discounts, and flu jabs.  
• A range of generous family leave options, including above industry average occupational maternity pay.  
• Additional benefits like cycle to work scheme, on-site parking plus many more! 

 Recruitment timeline: 

• Closing Date: 30 July 2026 @11.59pm  
• Shortlisting: 31 July 2026 
• Interviews: 06 August 2026 

For an informal discussion about the role/to find out more, please email CLFs Recruitment Team directly (details can be found on the 'Contact Us' page on CLFs main website, or in the 'Application Instructions' section when applying). 

As part of our commitment to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), we do not accept CVs – a full education and employment history must be provided through our application form. 

We also reserve the right to close this vacancy early, should we receive a high level of interest in the role. Therefore, candidates are advised to apply at their earliest convenience to avoid missing out.   

Please note we are not able to offer visa sponsorship for this role. 

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we are dedicated to equity and inclusion and commit to interviewing applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria. We aim to provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, and support employees throughout their employment. If you have a disability, are neurodivergent, or require any adjustments to support you through the application or interview process please let us know how we can assist. 

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

The Cabot Learning Federation are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The successful applicant will, in accordance with statutory guidance, be subject to a comprehensive pre-employment checking process including references from current and previous employers, health, right to work in the UK and a child disqualification check. The checks will also include an enhanced DBS check and a further check against the appropriate barred list.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Cabot Learning Federation

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• Website: Cabot Learning Federation website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/cabot-learning-federation

Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) is a diverse West Country multi-academy trust which is home to 36 schools operating in five clusters in Bristol, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Somerset.

The CLF is unique due to its tight geographical concentration, the diversity of the communities it serves, and the variety of educational provisions it offers. We are one of the largest and most respected trusts in the South West and hold national as well as regional recognition due to the breadth and influence of strong practice in our trust.

Our collaborative culture, driven by a strong moral purpose, is key to our success. We believe strong collaboration can drive school improvement and embed excellence in our academies. Our team is united with the common goal of delivering outstanding educational experiences and promoting the life chances of the young people in our academies now and in the future.

Following a recent period of growth, we are proud to serve circa 18,000 pupils who all attend one of our 10 secondary academies, 17 primary academies, an all-through provision, a studio school, a discrete post-16 provision, three special schools and two alternative provisions spanning the age ranges.

The CLF is an equal opportunity employer and is proud to serve a diverse student population and their communities. We actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion. To ensure our leadership team is fully representative of the people we serve, we are encouraging applications for this role from global majority communities.

We are proud to be part of a diverse region and celebrate the richness of cultures, faiths and backgrounds of our students. We aim to develop a curriculum that is responsive to our pupils’ needs and reflects their diverse interests and backgrounds.

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