Administrator - HR, Policy and Executive Support

About us

The Rivers Trust is a leading environmental charity and the umbrella body of The Rivers Trust movement, comprising over 60 independent local charities. Our vision is for wild, healthy, natural rivers, valued by all. We are at a critical point in our history as we expand to deliver projects to protect and replenish this vital part of the natural environment. Our research and expertise is now needed more than ever as water supply and quality move up the public agenda.

We are looking for a friendly, proactive, and experienced administrator to join our team in a central support role. This is a full time (37.5 hours), home-based, permanent position. You can be based anywhere in mainland UK, with very occasional travel to meetings and conferences mainly in England and Wales. We offer flexibility around working hours, including the option of a 9-day fortnight, with time off in lieu. You’ll also receive 25 days holiday pro rata (rising to 28 days) plus statutory public holidays.

The salary for this role is £32,000 - £36,000 plus benefits including 9% employer pension contribution.

About the role

We’re looking for an experienced administrator to join us in a central support role, working closely with our HR Manager and CEO. This role is ideal for someone who is proactive, enjoys juggling a range of responsibilities, and is interested in developing their knowledge of HR over time.

This is a varied and people-facing role that sits at the heart of the organisation. You’ll provide administrative support across HR, executive support for the CEO, and help keep policies and compliance-related information organised and up to date. A key part of the role is building strong relationships across the organisation and providing friendly, reliable support to colleagues.

You don’t need to have done every part of this role before. We’re particularly keen to hear from people who bring strong core administrative skills, good judgement, the ability to build good working relationships with a wide range of people, and a willingness to learn and adapt.

What you’ll be doing

HR & people administration (70% of the role)

• Supporting recruitment and induction administration, including scheduling and coordination
• Maintaining accurate and confidential HR records and systems
• Helping keep HR policies and procedures up to date and well organised
• Acting as a first point of contact for routine HR queries, signposting where needed
• Taking clear notes in HR-related meetings (this role does not involve managing employee relations casework)
• Building strong internal relationships and providing excellent service to colleagues across the organisation
• Scheduling training sessions and other internal activities to keep colleagues informed and engaged
• Supporting improvements to processes and systems, helping us work more efficiently and effectively

CEO support (25% of the role)

• Managing the CEO’s diary, expense claims and timesheets
• Preparing for and minuting some internal meetings, capturing actions clearly and accurately
• Using sound judgement and discretion when handling sensitive information
• Maintaining positive working relationships with colleagues while supporting the CEO

Policies, compliance & organisation (5% of the role)

• Keeping policy registers, trackers, and documentation accurate and up to date
• Supporting version control, review cycles, and renewals
• Helping ensure information is easy to find, well-maintained, and audit-ready
• Spotting opportunities to improve systems and processes so things work better for everyone

What we’re looking for

We’re more interested in how you work than in a specific career path. This role would suit someone who:

• Has strong administrative experience in a busy or varied environment
• Has strong organisational skills and can juggle multiple workstreams, adapting as priorities change
• Brings good judgement and discretion, particularly with sensitive information
• Communicates clearly and professionally
• Is comfortable working with a wide range of people, including senior colleagues and stakeholders
• Builds positive working relationships and provides excellent service to colleagues
• Is confident using Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Slack, and other digital tools, and can work out how to use software effectively to improve processes
• Is digitally resourceful, comfortable exploring new systems and features, and able to solve problems independently
• Is adaptable and comfortable learning new systems, processes, and ways of working, helping to improve how things are done
• Takes a proactive, practical approach and follows things through

Experience supporting HR or people processes is welcome but not essential.

Why join us

• A varied role with real visibility and impact
• The chance to develop HR knowledge alongside experienced colleagues
• A supportive, collaborative working environment
• Work that genuinely contributes to the organisation’s effectiveness and culture

We want to hear from you

If you meet most of what we’re looking for but not everything, we’d still really encourage you to apply. We know people don’t always tick every box, and we care just as much about potential, attitude, and transferable skills as we do professional experience.

As part of the application, you will be asked to respond to a few short questions. These are designed to give you the opportunity to demonstrate your potential, adaptability, initiative, and ability to work collaboratively in a small, dynamic team. Please aim for no more than 250 words per response.

We are committed to creating a respectful and inclusive working culture, and everyone who works with us is expected to follow our policies, including Health & Safety, EDI, Cybersecurity, and GDPR.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are particularly keen to improve the diversity of our Trust. As part of our commitment to positive action under the Equality Act 2010, we strongly encourage applications from people from ethnically diverse and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you need any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know and we’ll be happy to support you.

Please note that applications can only be submitted through this site; we’re unable to accept applications by email or any other method.

Closing date: 12pm Thursday 12th February 2026
Interviews: W/C 23 February 2026