The Post

Reporting to the Executive Director of HR&OD, and working as part of the HR&OD Senior Management Team (SMT), the Head of HR Business Partnering will provide leadership and direction to the HR Business Partner team, playing a key role in driving business performance across all faculties and professional services directorates.

The role holder will work closely with SMT colleagues to lead and embed institutional agendas that support the realisation of the University’s ambitions, as set out in the new and developing People Strategy.

The role holder will be an experienced, influential and enthusiastic HR professional with a strategic outlook and the ability to lead and inform transformational change.

Description of Duties

• Lead, coach and provide direction to the HR Partner team, supporting skills and knowledge development and driving team performance
• Provide business partner support to a number of faculties and/or professional service areas and their leadership teams to help define and develop people plans that support their strategic objectives
• Work in partnership with senior managers to understand business objectives and provide well-judged advice, guidance and support
• Contribute to embedding the University’s People Strategy by directing the provision of professional HR support that is underpinned by the key principles, and by leading on key HR&OD activities that are defined within the enabling plan
• Coach, influence, guide and challenge leaders and line managers to enable them to optimise people performance
• Play a key role in the upholding of a partnership working approach with trade union colleagues, leading on the management of formal (CJNCC) and informal engagement mechanisms
• Lead on the management of complex HR Casework, providing advice, support and guidance to senior managers and providing mentorship to HR Business Partners
• Lead and drive continuous improvement of process, procedure, and policies to enable efficiency, effectiveness, and resilience, , leading on employment related policy review, development and implementation
• Prepare compelling business cases and presentations that support HR&OD initiatives, providing detail of resource implications and strongly evidencing impact and outcome
• Lead the HR Partnering team to develop oversight of people management information to support institutional planning and decision making
• Working closely with SMT colleagues, lead and manage activities associated with business continuity and risk across the directorate and institution, including the operational response to industrial action
• Work closely with SMT colleagues to promote and facilitate collaborative working across all functional teams within the HR&OD directorate
• Contribute and collaborate with others as part of institutional project teams and committees
• Contribute to, and participate in, sectoral and other external bodies and networks
• Manage all contracts that relate to health and wellbeing service provision ; monitoring and addressing matters relating to service delivery and ensuring adequate provision

Essential Criteria

Attainments and Qualifications

• Educated to Degree level or equivalent professional experience

Experience

• Substantial leadership and management experience
• Extensive experience of managing and resolving complex HR casework
• Building and maintaining constructive working relationships with Trade Unions
• Thorough knowledge and experience of the application of UK employment law and Employment Tribunal procedures
• An ability to translate strategic plans into effective operational HR policy and process
• Substantial, senior HR&OD experience leading teams of professional staff
• Experience of developing strategy and driving organisation change
• Demonstrable effective communication and influencing skills at a senior level
• Experience of contract and budget management

Skills, Abilities & Knowledge

• A robust, strategic, proactive approach and the ability to work in partnership with senior decision-makers
• Influential, enthusiastic and proactive, with significant experience as a senior HR generalist with a record of successfully leading HR teams that deliver results
• Highly literate and numerate, with strong analytical skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, collegiality and the ability to lead, coach and develop others

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