Find your place in the field of good food

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Roots to Work is a project of Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming.

Job description

Garden Organic is looking for a Fixed Term (Maternity Cover) HR Co-Ordinator to support the day-to-day aspects of people management in our organic gardening Charity.

Role: Garden Organic HR Coordinator

Location: Ryton Head Office

Key Requirements: Garden Organic is looking for a Fixed Term (Maternity Cover) HR Co-Ordinator to support the day-to-day aspects of people management in our organic gardening Charity. The role encompasses all areas of the employment life cycle, from recruitment to induction and off boarding employees.

Hours: Part time (3 days)

Duration: Maternity cover – Fixed term

Salary: Competitive, based on experience

Role subject to DBS Check: No

About us:

At Garden Organic we care about organic growing, composting, seed conservation, research and citizen science. Our small but hugely knowledgeable and committed team is backed by a family of members and volunteers, all dedicated to growing food and flowers in harmony with nature. We are an established, experienced and innovative membership charity, working in communities around the UK and campaigning for organic practice which protects and promotes life above and below the soil. Now in our seventh decade, we are also home to the vitally important Heritage Seed Library a living collection of 800 rare vegetable varieties that otherwise would have died out. Our mission is to show people how to be organic growers and in doing so, we strive to be a great place to work, volunteer or partner with. We care about what we do, how we do it, and the impact we make. We believe that our time is now – when people are actively seeking positive contributions that they can make in the face of biodiversity loss and climate change.

About the role:

Garden Organic is looking for a Fixed Term (Maternity Cover) HR Co-Ordinator to support the day-to-day aspects of people management in our organic gardening Charity. The role encompasses all areas of the employment life cycle, from recruitment to induction and off boarding employees. This position provides administrative support and advice to our managers and their small but highly skilled and dedicated teams. It also has responsibility for the management of our HRIS, to include data input, reporting and managing queries. As part of a small but successful charity, the role will have a broad remit, requiring flexibility and curiosity in all aspects of our people management practices, ethos and goals.

You will be reporting to our ‘Director of Finance and Corporate Resources’ and your core responsibilities and main duties are as follows:

• Provide full recruitment support
• Complete our onboarding processes for new employees, to include right to work checks, reference requests, preparing contracts, job descriptions and other paperwork as required
• Organise, schedule and administer our Induction & Probation processes
• Process leavers and complete exit interviews as required
• Support the charity with its continuous review of policies and procedures
• Support the Finance Director to process monthly payroll and pension updates
• Provide full administrative management of employee records
• To provide administrative support and advice for all employment and SafeHR queries
• Manage incoming and outgoing emails via the HR inbox
• Regularly update the Organogram and internal HR data
• Process employee benefits and platform access (communication, processing)
• Provide Safeguarding support to the Chief Executive and wider charity
• Oversee annual leave entitlement, to include reporting, ad hoc queries and the annual carry over process
• Arrange training for new and existing employees
• IT set up for new and existing employees
• Mobile Phones - record keeping and assigning to employees
• Provide a quarterly review of our HR data to members of the Executive team and HR Associate
• Share HR material and information within our internal newsletter and on staff notice boards
• Process all contractual updates and changes
• Provide Note taking for HR specific meetings
• Support the Executive and Governance Administrator with Driving Licence checks or car hire and business travel
• Complete DBS Checks when required (via Local Authority portal)
• Provide HR support and administration for Work Experience, Associates and Volunteers
• Take a key role in the organisations engagement and wellbeing programme, to include but not limited to; staff updates, surveys and workshops

What we are looking for:

Our ideal candidate will bring lots of positive energy and enthusiasm to the role as well as proven experience in HR administration and support. You will be skilled at building strong and supportive professional relationships, both within the organisation and with external partners and suppliers.

You will ideally have a CIPD level 3 qualification or equivalent or be working towards a recognized HR qualification. You will have a basic understanding of contracts, policies and UK HR legislation. You will also have experience in all areas of the employee life cycle, including recruitment, onboarding, performance and absence management, leavers and employee engagement practices.

You will be IT literate, with some experience of Microsoft applications and HRIS, ideally SafeHR. You will be able to write and communicate professionally and work accurately with high levels of confidentiality and excellent administrative skills.

What we can offer:

• 25 days Holiday plus bank holidays and additional leave at Christmas (pro-rata)
• Additional long service holiday
• Group Pension Scheme with 8% employer contribution
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Salary Extras benefits platform (Instant discount scheme and health, wellbeing and financial support)
• We Care benefits platform (With access to virtual GP consultations, nutritionist support, get fit programmes, smoking cessation and further health and wellbeing support)
• TOIL for additional hours worked
• Life Assurance
• Garden Organic membership 

Application information

We are keen to appoint this role quickly, so encourage prompt and positive applications. All applicants must complete a Garden Organic Application Form along with a covering letter explaining why you think you would be a great fit for the role. We pay close attention to covering letters so please do send us one.

Our application form can be downloaded via our website: www.gardenorganic.org.uk/who-we-are/work-with-us/hr-co-ordinator

We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and we reserve the right to close the vacancy early depending on response levels.

As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion applications will be anonymised before being submitted to our recruitment panel.

Recruitment Timetable:

Application Deadline: Monday 25th May 2026 

Equal Opportunities:

At Garden Organic we embrace diversity and recognise the value it brings to our organisation. As such, we match charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates and welcome candidates from various backgrounds irrespective of age, disability, gender, gender identity or reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief or sexual orientation. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace and take pride in ensuring that everyone feels welcome, respected and empowered. Garden Organic is also a Disability Confident Employer and aims to create opportunities wherever possible. It should be noted that some of our roles require travel and attendance at events where accessibility arrangements will vary.

Safer Recruitment:

Garden Organic is also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects employees, associates and volunteers to share this commitment. We may require some candidates to undertake a DBS check relevant to the requirements of the role.

Please note that we only accept applications from individuals with the right to work in the UK. We are unable to sponsor working visa applications.

Please mention Roots to Work when applying for these jobs