Cedar
HR Manager

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Interim HR Manager - Higher Education
Location: London / Hybrid
Rate: £30 - £40 per hour umbrella
Contract: 3 months
Sector: Higher Education
Cedar is currently supporting a prestigious London-based Higher Education organisation with the appointment of an Interim HR Manager for an initial three-month assignment.
This is a broad HR generalist role supporting a busy academic and research-focused environment. The successful candidate will provide comprehensive HR advice and guidance to managers and staff, while overseeing key people processes across the employee lifecycle.
You will also line manage an HR Administrator and work closely with senior operational and departmental stakeholders to identify emerging people issues and ensure HR policies and processes are applied consistently and effectively.
Key responsibilities
- Provide practical advice and guidance to managers on a broad range of HR policies, procedures, and employee relations matters.
- Support managers with absence, attendance, probation, capability, disciplinary, and grievance processes.
- Identify potentially complex or sensitive HR issues and escalate appropriately.
- Support recruitment and resourcing activity, including reviewing job descriptions and ensuring appropriate processes and approvals are followed.
- Oversee recruitment compliance, including Right to Work, visas, and Certificates of Sponsorship.
- Manage complex contractual changes and end-of-contract processes.
- Work closely with senior stakeholders to understand departmental people requirements and support workforce and resourcing plans.
- Coordinate key HR processes including probation, appraisals, promotions, reward, and staff engagement activity.
- Provide advice on flexible working, parental leave, occupational health, and employee wellbeing matters.
- Produce and interpret people data and HR reports to support management decision-making.
- Support learning and development requirements across the department.
- Line manage and provide guidance to an HR Administrator.
- Contribute to HR projects and initiatives, including Equality, Diversity & Inclusion.
- Promote HR best practice and communicate policy changes effectively across the organisation.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
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Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
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Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
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We are looking for an experienced HR professional who can quickly establish themselves within a busy and complex environment. You will ideally have:
- Previous experience within Higher Education, research, the public sector, or another similarly large and complex organisation. Experience supporting academic or clinical environments would also be beneficial.
- Previous experience working in a broad HR generalist/HR Manager role.
- Strong working knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
- Experience advising managers on employee relations matters including absence, capability, disciplinary, and grievance.
- Previous line management experience.
- Experience managing recruitment, contractual changes, and wider employee lifecycle processes.
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the confidence to advise managers at different levels.
- The ability to work autonomously, prioritise a varied workload, and identify potential issues before they escalate.
- A professional HR qualification, or be working towards one.
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