Portland is a fully integrated communications consultancy trusted by some of the highest profile organisations, governments and individuals in the world with global offices in Berlin, Paris, Brussels, Washington DC, Singapore, Doha and Nairobi, as well as in London. We advise some of the world’s best-known brands.

We are pioneers in integrated public affairs and communications campaigns, helping clients manage their reputation, improve their visibility and media coverage – and deliver global campaigns across multiple platforms.

Our teams of experienced and multilingual consultants invest time to understand clients from the inside out, work with them to set clear strategic direction, and then bring the whole of Portland’s abilities to bear to deliver their objectives.

At Portland we never rest on our laurels; we constantly strive to improve our work and be at the forefront of the industry.

Expertise Team

Portland is an ever changing business. This presents both challenges and opportunities to The People Team in meeting the needs of a fast growing business.

As a People team of 9, we seek to be pro-active in meeting business deliverables – from recruitment, reward, learning and development, employee relations and succession planning.

We are now seeking an exceptional People Administrator, based in London, to learn new skills, and support the function as we deliver our ambitious People goals. The right candidate would be a fluent French speaker (written and spoken) to support our European offices. 

The Role

The People Administrator (entry level) position at Portland is an exciting opportunity for someone who has a keen interest in gaining generalist operational experience as part of a dynamic People team in a fast-growing agency.

Key responsibilities

• In charge of HR data, employee records and HR administrative tasks
• Coordinating the administration for recruitment advertising, posting of roles across different platforms and arranging candidate tests
• To assist the People Team with administration of employee lifecycle changes, including the preparation of associated documentation and communication of payroll updates to Payroll Team
• Managing the HR inbox and acting as a point of contact for day-to-day operational HR issues

• Preparing documentation relating to employment matters such as promotions, job changes, references, benefits, and pay
• Support People Team with report management, system updates and general employee queries
• Maintain effective, accurate electronic and hardcopy filing systems that are user friendly, intuitive and in line with the principles of the General Data Protection Regulation, and country specific legislation
• Provide administrative support to People project work and other initiatives
• Proactively coordinate the administration of the review process including communicating the timetable with guidelines on how to use the performance review platform, providing advice on process, data collection and processing, production of letters
• Manage and coordinate the new joiner onboarding, induction and working closely with all departments involved to maintain a streamlined process

Providing a quality service

You must:

• Have excellent attention to detail.
• Be driven and proactive with ability to work autonomously.
• Be organised and comfortable juggling multiple work streams.
• Strong verbal and written and communication skills.
• Have the ability to work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
• Be a fluent French speaker (written and spoken)

Personal effectiveness

You must:

• Be logical, quick and flexible with a results orientated approach.
• Have the ability to come up with innovative solutions.
• Be technically astute with experience of Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Have excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Be reliable, flexible and adaptable.

Team working and projects

You must:

• Be able to work with and communicate effectively with others in the team.
• Be able to take direction and report progress on your work with others.
• Willingness and be able to manage tasks independently as required.
• Be a great team player
  
  

Qualifications and experience

You must have:

• Worked in an office environment.
• Good administration skills with ability to multi-task.
• Experience of working as part of a team.

Desirable

• A desire to work with and support people
• Willing to work towards a CIPD qualification.

Other

Portland is a very results-driven business, with an unswerving focus on quality. To achieve this, we need to work collaboratively in a fun environment. We laugh, we strategise, we discuss, but we remember what is most important; advancing the interests of our clients, whilst advancing the careers of our people.

At Portland, we are client-centric but put people first. We have a culture where everyone is trusted and valued in equal measure, whatever your role in the company.

Our aim is to recruit, develop and retain world class people, who come to Portland to do the best work of their careers.

We are committed to employee development and you will have the opportunity to learn from some of the most experienced people in the business.

We regularly reward and promote success, encouraging staff to take on new challenges and responsibilities to aid progression. Personal development and well-being are a key focus; there's regular training, lunch & learn sessions along with well-being workshops and activities.

Our remuneration package includes our competitive pension, private healthcare, life assurance cover, weekly lunch contribution and company contribution to gym membership. In addition, every permanent member of staff that works at Portland is eligible for our annual profit share bonus.

At Portland we take a flexible approach to work and encourage our colleagues to do the same. All of our roles are open to flexible working requests, and we will consider all options during our recruitment process. This includes but is not limited to: hybrid working, flexible hours, compressed hours and job sharing.

We currently work a combination of days in the office and work from home.

Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications we receive it is not possible to respond directly to all applicants, only to those whose candidacy is being pursued. The length of the recruitment process varies based on the vacancy needs. Traditionally, the process takes approximately 3-4 weeks.