People & Engagement Coodinator

Location: Reading, Hybrid (once a week)
Hours: 30 hours per week (0.8 FTE)
Salary: £23,165.81 (pro rata)
Contract Type: Permanent

Make-A-Wish UK is looking for a passionate and organised People & Engagement Coordinator to help shape a magical, inclusive, and inspiring workplace culture. You will be the first point of contact to support recruitment, onboarding, internal communications, and engagement initiatives, working closely with the People Team and line managers.

This is a varied and rewarding role where you can take ownership of key activities across the employee lifecycle, contribute to policy development, and help embed our values and behaviours across the organisation. If you are proactive, people-focused, and excited to make a difference in a values-led charity, we would love to hear from you!

Core Purpose
As the People & Engagement Coordinator, you will play a key role in shaping and supporting Make-A-Wish UK's workplace culture. Working closely with the People Team and line managers, you will help create a magical, inclusive, and inspiring environment where employees feel empowered to do their best for wish children, volunteers, and supporters.

You will take ownership of key activities across the employee lifecycle from recruitment and onboarding to engagement and internal communications, while also supporting broader HR operations, policy development, and value led initiatives. Through your work, you will contribute directly to the delivery of Goal 3 of Make-A-Wish UK's strategy, helping embed our values and behaviours to strengthen our organisational culture.

To be successful in this role you will need:
Essential
• A CIPD Level 3 qualification or equivalent HR certification.
• A minimum of 2 years experience working in a People/HR function.
• A basic understanding of UK employment law, GDPR, and safeguarding practices.
• Experience using HR systems (e.g. Hi Bob or similar) and general IT platforms (e.g. Microsoft Office).
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
• Clear and professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience supporting internal communications or coordinating team events.
• Familiarity with employee engagement tools (e.g. Culture Amp, Survey Monkey, Microsoft Forms).
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• A proactive approach to work, with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• A genuine interest in contributing to a positive, inclusive, and engaging workplace culture.
• Confidence in coordinating organisation-wide events or supporting cross-functional initiatives.
• Experience managing multiple recruitment campaigns or supporting hiring across different departments.
• Ability to work flexibly and support cross-team collaboration when needed.

General Duties

• Act as the first point of contact for general People queries, responding to emails and direct messages in line with SLA s with advice aligned to employment legislation and internal policies.
• Participate in organisational meetings and contribute to cross-functional collaboration.
• Support wider organisational initiatives, including answering phones and assisting other teams as needed.
• Undertake any other duties reasonably expected at this level.
• Contribute to and engage with People Team meetings to ensure smooth communication within the team.

Internal Policies

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of Make-A-Wish UK s internal policies, including conduct, leave, wellbeing, and performance.
• Assist the Head of People and People Business Partner in reviewing and updating policies.
• Ensure consistent application of policies across the organisation, escalating complex queries appropriately.

Human Resources Information System

• Maintain and update the HRIS (Hi Bob) and personnel files in compliance with GDPR and Right to Work legislation.
• Accurately process leave and absence records, collecting relevant documentation such as fit notes.
• Generate reports for the People Team and SLT as required.
• Support monthly payroll updates and documentation.
• Answer any system-based queries that employees have or escalate where appropriate.

MAW Values and Behaviours

• Challenge behaviours that do not align with Make-A-Wish values and behaviour framework.
• Actively promote and role-model MAW values and behaviours.
• Support initiatives that embed values and drive cultural change.

Employee Lifecycle

• Own onboarding and offboarding processes including DBS checks, IT setup, and referencing.
• Ensure timely delivery of birthday and work anniversary gifts.
• Draft and send people-related letters including those for ER cases.
• Support with adding new occupational health referrals to the provider
• Update all inhouse trackers daily to ensure they are always up to date.

Internal Engagement & Communications

• Plan and deliver internal events focused on wellbeing, EDI, learning & development, and social engagement.
• Contribute to the bi-weekly employee newsletter and other internal communications.
• Maintain and promote resources and platforms supporting employee wellbeing and learning.
• Support engagement surveys and feedback initiatives.
• Lead logistics and planning for internal events such as town halls, symposiums, and team socials.
• Collaborate with teams to ensure events reflect organisational values and strategic goals.
• Manage event calendars and communications to maximise engagement.
• Ensure letters sent to the Hub are dealt with in a timely manner and filled appropriately.

Payroll

• Assist the People Business Partner in ensuring accurate documentation for payroll changes are submitted and tracked each month.
• Produce Letters for key payroll changes on an organisation level as well as confirmations for matters that affect payroll such as parental leave etc.

Recruitment

• Lead end-to-end recruitment campaigns, including posting roles, liaising with managers, and coordinating interviews.
• Take ownership on recruitment campaigns and ensure that managers follow the correct processes consistently.
• Provide managers with recruitment documentation and guidance aligned with best practices.
• Communicate outcomes to candidates promptly and professionally.
• Ensure all recruitment documentation is complete and stored appropriately.
• Respond to queries from the jobs inbox related to recruitment campaigns.