HR Assistant

The HR and L&D department comprises of 50+ people globally and is responsible for the effective management of all matters concerning the employment and development of people within Stephenson Harwood. This involves carrying out appropriate initiatives, providing guidance and support to partners, managers and all employees alike, as well as supporting the creation of an environment which enables people to make the best use of their capabilities and realise their potential to the benefit of the firm and themselves.

This means that we are involved in a wide range of activities including:

• Implementing our people and talent strategy in line with business objectives


• Recruitment of all partners and employees, including graduate 'trainee' recruitment


• Talent and career management


• Reward strategy and salary review


• Supporting the appraisal and performance management process


• Employment and personnel administration, including payroll and benefits


• Policy and procedures setting and the practical application of these across the business., A key member of the team, this role will support the wider HR team in the provision of a consistent high level, seamless service to our internal clients. Reporting to one of the HR Advisers, the HR Assistant will be involved in HR operational activities and project work, primarily assigned to client groups which will be a mix of fee earner and business services groups, as well as assisting with queries from international offices. The role will involve working closely with the wider HR, Recruitment, Payroll and benefits, HR systems and L&D teams and other support departments as and when required, as well as providing cover for the other Assistant when necessary.


The HR Assistant role is varied and acts as the first point of contact for general HR queries and support across the whole employee lifecycle. Main responsibilities include:

Generalist HR administration

Ensure all end-to-end processes are completed accurately and escalating any issues as appropriate with regard to administrative processes (including the following):

• Changes to terms and conditions (flexible working, extension of fixed term contracts)


• Maternity leave


• Immigration


• Intra-company and client secondments


• Absence monitoring and reporting


• Employee relations (e.g. grievances, disciplinaries etc.)


• End of year summary and salary review administration


• Accurately inputting and maintaining all HR data in the HR Information System


• Ad-hoc support on cyclical HR projects


• Creating spreadsheets and using Excel formulas to manipulate data


Onboarding and offboarding

• Process pre-employment background security screening


• Coordinating induction programmes for all levels of employees, as well as partners


• Assisting the resourcing team with arranging interviews, drafting offer paperwork and contracts as and when needed


• Joiner administration and managing the on-boarding and off-boarding process


• Scheduling exit interviews


• Being the first person of contact for new joiners


Payroll and benefits:

• Producing timely and accurate information to the Payroll and Benefits team


• Regular liaison with the Payroll and Benefits team in relation to joiners, leavers and other ad-hoc changes


• Efficient and accurate use of the HR and payroll system changes


• Escalating payroll and benefits queries to the reward team


HR Systems:

• Proactive and accurate use of HR Information System to log and report on all headcount, absence, holiday, diversity information and other employee data


• Production of regular and ad-hoc reports


Policies, know-how and developing the HR function:

• Documenting and proactively maintaining records of HR processes and procedures


• Drafting changes to terms and conditions and updating policies with the support of the HR Advisers and HR Managers


• Proactively suggest, promote and implement improvements on processes, templates and guidance


• Updating the HR pages of the firm's intranet


• Keeping up to date with regulations and practices


• Participating in the firm and department projects to support strategy


Most of our roles are hybrid, meaning that colleagues benefit from working in our office and remotely. We are happy to discuss this and other flexible working arrangements with you as part of the application and interview process.


• Relevant experience in a similar role, strong administration and/or assistant experience preferable


• Analytical with the ability to interpret management information and data


• Accuracy and a strong eye for detail are essential


• Able to handle sensitive situations and information confidentially and discreetly


• Partnership experience is not essential but experience working in professional services environment would be an advantage


• Excellent organisational skills; planning and prioritisation; time management of self and others and the ability to manage high volume of work


• Experience of an HR Information System/database, such as Workday


• Excellent verbal/written communication skills


• Strong IT skills, mainly Excel and PowerPoint


• Commercial understanding and approach


• Awareness and understanding of core Employee Legislation and policies


• Willingness to take on new challenges


Attributes

• Pro-active and self-starter


• Can-do, client focus and positive attitude


• Can think quickly and on their feet


• Adaptable and amendable to changing deadlines and demands from multiple work streams


• Proactive with strong prioritisation skills


• Empathetic and people-centric in approach


• Ability to work as a part of a team


• Approachable and able to build rapport quickly with stakeholders at all levels


• Resilient with the ability to deal effectively with set-backs and challenging situations


• Motivated by and interested in people and the HR agenda


• Credible and professional


• Ability to effectively and professionally communicate with all levels of Stephenson Harwood partners, staff and management - quickly builds credibility


• Eager to learn and develop within the role


• Ability to manage multiple and competing demands


• Open to change and able to contribute new ideas


• Commercial approach to increase efficiency
  
  With 8 offices worldwide and with our headquarters based in London, Stephenson Harwood is a law firm where our people are committed to achieving the goals of our clients - listed and private companies, institutions and individuals across the globe. Our mix of expertise and culture results in a combination of deep local insight and the capability to provide a seamless international service.


Our experience encompasses corporate, commercial litigation and arbitration, employment, pensions and private wealth, finance, marine and international trade, and real estate and projects.

We assemble teams of bright thinkers to match our clients' needs and give the right advice from the right person at the right time. Dedicating the highest calibre of legal talent to overcome the most complex issues, we deliver pragmatic, expert advice that is set squarely in the real world.
We understand the power of diversity in delivering that high calibre advice to our clients. We want to attract diverse talent and we particularly encourage applications from underrepresented demographics.

Our values

Individuality
We encourage creativity and develop talent.

Commitment
To be the best and deliver the highest standard.

Teamwork
We work together to build close, long-term relationships

Straight talking
We say what we mean and do what we say.

These values express the personality of the individuals within our firm. They are the behaviours we encourage in our people and the standards which inform our decisions and actions.

Our vision into 2026
To be a successful firm where talented people work together in an entrepreneurial environment, building long term client relationships.

This vision is about who we want to be, as well as who we are. It is as much about our values as about our character - the attributes we want to see from all of our people. That's how we unlock our entrepreneurial spirit, advising our clients with top performing teams.

A key part of the 2026 strategy is to focus on five core sectors: decarbonisation, life sciences, private capital & funds, technology, and transportation & trade. These have been identified as crucial in the drive for accelerated profitable growth.

We are an equal opportunity organisation, committed to having a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, culture, or any other protected characteristics. We aim to create a culture where everyone can be themselves and is valued for their strengths and unique perspectives.

We will offer you a place where you can be yourself and where there are no limits on what you can achieve. With us, you can take ownership of your career and have honest conversations throughout. You would join an ambitious firm with a clear strategy for profitable growth where you can get early responsibility and early involvement in growing the business. Here you can expect a competitive and fair reward as well as recognition based on all round performance. This forms part of our internal promise to you, The Deal, between the firm and its employees.

You can expect:


• A competitive salary and a host of family friendly policies


• Life assurance, private health and dental care for you and your family


• A range of flexible benefits including gym discount and retail vouchers


• Tech, cycle and electric car schemes


• The opportunity to support the firm's charity through volunteering leave


• A wellbeing strategy that focuses on preventative measures to maintain overall health, and tools and support for when our people experience physical or mental difficulties. The strategy focuses on four pillars: physical, emotional, financial and social aspects