HRIS Specialist

Are you passionate about HR technology, systems and data-driven decision-making? Thatcham Research is seeking a HRIS Specialist to lead the operational management of our Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS), including our Applicant Tracking System (ATS), and future platforms such as a Learning Management System (LMS). You'll play a pivotal role in optimising our systems for data integrity, user experience, and organisational insight.

You'll join a collaborative People Team, working closely with IT, Finance, Learning & Development, and senior leadership. You'll also engage with external system vendors, consultants, and auditors, making this a dynamic and influential new role.

As the new HRIS Specialist you'll:

• Manage, configure, and optimise all HR systems, ensuring data accuracy, compliance, and robust reporting.
• Act as the key liaison with system vendors and internal stakeholders.
• Monitor system performance, recommend improvements, and design solutions to enhance user engagement.
• Provide training and support to users across the organisation.
• Collaborate with IT and People teams for seamless integration and user experience.
• Own the governance and content structure of our People Portal SharePoint site.
• Collate data and produce dashboards for key metrics, supporting strategic storytelling.
• Stay informed of external trends and system roadmaps to recommend solutions that align with business needs.
• Manage API links and integrations, including DocuSign.
• Extract and upload pay data to support pay strategy development.
• Produce people-related data for government and official returns.

What systems you'll be working with:

HiBob, Teamtailor, Kudos, DocuSign, SharePoint… and potentially an LMS in the future!, At the cutting edge of automotive research in the UK, Thatcham Research has a unique role in shaping the design of new vehicles and influencing ever higher standards of safety, security and repair. With an on-site Crash Laboratory, Repair Technology Centre and Training Academy, our research expertise is driving some of the very latest automotive developments in technology, materials and standards in this fast moving and highly technical industry.

Our Gamston facility is one of the UK's leading sites for active safety, trialling and assessing the latest crash avoidance and driver assistance technologies.

Our Values

As an organisation that believes a strong set of Values are key to our organisational success and a sense of belonging for all colleagues, we ask that you understand, represent and apply our Values of Fearless, Inquisitive, Resourceful, Supportive and Trusted and demonstrate these Values throughout the recruitment process.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace which values diversity and embraces each individual's authentic self. We are proud to champion a culture where colleagues freely share their diverse perspectives, recognising that these contribute to our innovative spirit. Our journey of growth and understanding is continuous as we actively invest in diversity training, workshops, and partnerships to ensure positive change.

Beyond our partnerships with the Automotive 30% Club and Women in Data (WiD), we collaborate with various organisations to advance equity not only in gender but also across ethnicity, age, disability, social mobility, LGBTQ+ identities, experiences, and thinking. Our aspiration is to create an environment where everyone thrives, achieves, and experiences a genuine sense of belonging.

Recruitment process

We're proud to manage our recruitment in-house and believe this direct approach enables us to give you the best possible Employee Experience we can - which starts right here, your application! We're continuously striving to improve the candidate journey, and transparency (or communication) is a key area of focus - yes, even with salary & benefits.

What can you expect from our recruitment process?

• Regular updates on the progress / outcome of your application
• An initial telephone screening call with our Recruitment Business Partner
• First interview with the hiring manager, usually via Teams
• Second/Final interview, in-person at our office (we may give you a role specific task to present on!)
• Personalised feedback following your interview - because everyone deserves that!
• An opportunity to give us your honest feedback in a short survey on all of the above

We're committed to removing barriers. If there are any adjustments we can make to better support you, please let us know when you apply.

All applicants must have Right to Work in the UK.

If you're experiencing any issues with our career site or application from, please let us know here, Our blended working approach means our colleagues spend time working from their office location in Thatcham or Gamston and from home should they wish to, depending on the requirements of their role. Due to the type of work we do, some roles just can't be done remotely so this varies from team to team.

Unless specifically required, our standard working hours are:

• Monday to Thursday - 8:30 - 16:30
• Friday - 8:30 - 15:45

We're always open to discuss flexible working arrangements, we understand everyone has a different work/life balance and personal commitments.

Growing and developing our colleagues is important to us, that's why we have a well-established Learning & Development team to drive our internal 'learning culture'.

Internal mobility is not only supported, but encouraged and everyone has a personal development plan (PDP) - yes even Jonathan, our Chief Exec!

Perks & Benefits

We're constantly reviewing our colleague benefits to ensure we are providing a broad range of benefits that people actually want, and use!

• Experience with HRIS platforms (e.g. HiBob, Cezanne, Workday), including record maintenance and reporting.
• Familiarity with ATS and/or LMS platforms.
• Strong understanding of data governance and reporting.
• Proficiency in mapping business processes and identifying improvements.
• Experience managing SharePoint sites and content planning.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Analytical thinking, problem-solving, and a drive for continuous improvement.
• Ability to train and support system users.
• Demonstrable understanding of confidentiality and attention to detail.
• Experience in a HR environment and knowledge of HR best practice and legislation (desirable).

Salary - Circa £45,800 negotiable dependent on skills & experience.

• 10% non-contributory pension
• 29 days holiday (inclusive of Christmas shutdown) + public holidays
• Group Life Assurance (equal to 4 x basic salary)
• Group Income Protection (after 6 months' service)
• Salary Sacrifice schemes (cycle to work, home & tech scheme)
• Enhanced and competitive parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender or family structure
• Moneyhealth's Financial Coaching & Wellbeing Platform
• Health Cash Plan (cash back on eligible medical treatments)
• Benenden Health Care (opt-in benefit)
• Reward & Recognition Programme
• Discounted gym membership
• Sports & Social club
• Payroll charitable giving
• Subsidised on-site restaurant
• Free on-site parking

When we work

Our standard working hours are 8:30 - 16:30 Monday - Thursday, early finish on Friday - 8:30 - 15:45 (Talk to us about flexible working if this doesn't quite suit you - we take work-life balance seriously!), Our generous pension scheme offers every employee 10% company paid contributions from day 1, without any employee contribution needed - of course you can add this if you choose.

• 10% non-contributory pension
• 29 days holiday (inclusive of Christmas shutdown) + public holidays
• Group Life Assurance
• Group Income Protection
• Salary Sacrifice schemes (cycle to work & tech scheme)
• Money Health Financial Wellbeing Platform
• HealthShield Cash Plan (cash-back on eligible medical treatments)
• Discounted gym membership
• Sports & Social club
• Payroll charitable giving
• On-site parking with EV charging
• Subsidised restaurant on-site

Additional role specific benefits also include annual bonus schemes, car (cash) allowance or company car.

At the cutting edge of automotive research in the UK, Thatcham Research has a unique role in shaping the design of new vehicles and influencing ever higher standards of safety, security and repair. At our head office in Thatcham, Berkshire we have an on-site Crash Laboratory, Repair Technology Centre, Training Academy and Crime Lab, our research expertise is driving some of the very latest automotive developments in technology, materials and standards in this fast moving and highly technical industry. Our active safety track site in Gamston is one of the leading accredited Euro NCAP testing facilities, trialling and assessing the very latest developments in vehicle safety and assistance technologies. The Gamston site is also home to Gamston Aviation Limited (GAL) which is a fully operational private Airport with onsite restaurant facilities open to the public, owned by Thatcham Research Group. Our Values We believe that strong values are critical to our organisational success and for achieving a sense of belonging for all colleagues. Fearless, Inquisitive, Resourceful, Supportive and Trusted (FIRST) is the motto which underpins our shared business ethos. We believe this reflects how we go about our work and acts as a common philosophy that helps us to work better, together. We prioritise building strong long-term relationships; we believe that fostering a culture of inclusivity, collaboration, and respect is key to building those relationships; and we work hard to make sure that all members of our team feel heard, supported, and valued. We encourage open communication, feedback, and ideas from all colleagues, and we strive to create an environment where everyone feels empowered to do their best work., Thatcham Research is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants from all sections of the community. We are committed to ensuring we have a fair and inclusive recruitment process. We are proud members of the Automotive 30% Club, a voluntary network of CEOs with a shared objective of achieving a better gender balance within the automotive industry.