The postholder will work alongside the People & Culture Director HR & Payroll Manager and internal key contacts to deliver HR management activities and support embedding the organisational People Strategy across the Cogent Skills Group. This will include recruitment activities, HR Employee Relations casework, HR associated projects, employee lifecycle tasks, payroll support, administering the HRMI system, policy development and associated L&D duties.

While you're making an impact, you'll also be working towards your CIPD level 5 People Professional qualification

Qualification / Experience Requirements
Required;

5 GCSE's at grade A* - C (9-4) including English and Maths (or equivalent qualifications)
Previous in experience in an HR role (e.g. Level 3 HR apprentice, HR assistant, HR administrator)Experience of notetaking in formal meetings
Experience of supporting recruitment processes and activities

Desired;

Level 3 HR/CIPD qualification
Experience of managing HR Management projects/activities and employee relations casework

Salary - £23,000 per annum

Benefits

Holiday Allowance - 29 Days Holiday Allowance, plus your birthday off and 8 Bank Holidays. Option to buy 5 additional days
Hybrid working with the requirement to be in the Warrington office 1-2 days per week
Pension - Employer contribution 6%
Company Summer away day
Company Christmas party
Company recognition and awards
Perk box
Optional private health care package
Life Assurance
Employee Assistance Programme
Bonus scheme
Aspire Values Award Scheme
Annual Value Awards
Long Service Awards
Gym Discount

Location - Warrington, UK

Working Hours
Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm with 1 hour lunch break.

Duration - 23 months

Start Date -ASAP

Interview Date - February 2025

Closing Date for Applications - 23rd January 2026

To Apply
To apply, please click the Apply Now button and complete the form. If you are having difficulty in completing this, please contact recruitment on recruitment@cogentskills.com for assistance

Next Steps

Successful candidates will be progressed to a one way video interview, invites will be sent via email.

The video interview will be reviewed by the Hiring Manager

Job Description

While you're making an impact, you'll also be working towards your CIPD level 5 People Professional qualification

Key Accountabilities

Monitoring and responding to first level queries though the HR inbox
Coordinating the recruitment process e.g. posting jobs, communicating with candidates, sending out letters and other administrative activities.
Setting up and managing onboarding activities including supporting the delivery of inductions to all new new employees
Assisting HR & Payroll manager with the processing of payroll
Managing internal training activities: including booking trainers, candidate registration, facilitating & coordinating training invitations, distribution of pre-workbooks/training resources, booking rooms and organising catering requests
Maintaining complete and accurate employee data and records on SageHR
Supporting HR meetings, including notetaking
Understanding HR systems, policies, and processes and supporting overall HR activities
Supporting the delivery of key/new HR processes
Analysing engagement results and assisting in supporting action plans to enhance team engagement
Supporting key people projects and activities
Analysing and reporting on people data, including exit interviews
Delivering generalist and specialist HR services to the core business
Playing an integral part in business decision making
Coordinating reward activities on Perkbox

Training To Be Delivered

Qualification to be delivered: The Level 5 apprenticeship is aligned to the CIPD Level 5 Diploma in People Management

Apprenticeship Standard: Level 5 HR People Professional

Training Provider: TBC

Delivery model: TBC

Future Prospects

Upon successful completion for the apprenticeship, there is potential to move to a permanent position within the HR Team.

Things To Be Considered

Please be advised, the successful candidate will be required to complete a DBS check. .

About Cogent Skills

We are a not-for-profit charitable organisation with a family of commercially focused companies committed to supporting the skills, needs and ambitions across the UK science and technology sector.

Skills to better our world

Our Mission: We are here to ensure Science & Technology employers have the skills needed for success. We influence for the good of our sector, harnessing the power of collaboration, and provide industry-specific skills services to create a safe and productive, future-ready workforce

Our values

Our values define who we are, our expectations of ourselves and of each other. They describe how we interact with one another and how we interact with others. In everything we do we are guided by four values that underpin the culture of Cogent Skills:

We are welcoming and inclusive, good things happen when people work for a common goal.

We speak out on the skills issues that matter to our employers. A strong voice is a catalyst for change

We are enterprising delivering services that are continually best in class

We care about our customers, our reputation and our people, operating with integrity

Our Purpose

Giving back is important to us. That’s why at our heart, we’re a not-for profit skills specialist, re-investing surplus from our individual businesses for a positive impact in our communities and in the sectors we serve. When we achieve, UK science and technology benefits.

We’re proud to say that the work we do makes a difference on the availability and quality of skills in science and technology. Here’s how we help raise the bar on skills in our industry:

Through employer collaborations that promote better standards or approaches to training (including apprenticeships)
Using evidence backed research to identify critical skills gaps or barriers to the take up of skills
Lobbying policymakers for better, more relevant training and education policies
Supporting businesses to implement training more effectively
Developing careers information, guidance and ambassadorial support

Our people are our greatest strength, committed to supporting employers and the bright talented people that work right across the science and technology sector. From our staff and associates delivering a diverse range of skills solutions to our customers and members who use them – it’s our people that make Cogent Skills tick.

We are an disability confident employer, and have also been recognised as ne of the best places to work in the UK for the second consecutive year

Level 5 HR People Professional Apprentice

Voted one of the best places to work in the UK for the second consecutive year in the Sunday Times, this is a fantastic opportunity to join our amazing HR Team whilst working towards your CIPD level 5