Job title:Lead Human Resources (HR) Advisor

Post number:P006610

Reports to:Human Resources Manager – Employee Relations

Department:Human Resources

Location:Mithras House

Grade:Grade 8

Purpose of the role

The Lead HR Advisor is responsible for managing the performance of the Employee Relations team ensuring the provision of expert advice. The Lead HR Adviser will support the development of university managers through HR Advisers and Officers along with the wider HR team, ensuring easy access of information and guidance to support self-sufficiency in managing people.

Line management responsibility for:

  1. HR Advisorsx 6
  2. HR Officers x 2

Main areas of responsibility:

  • To be responsible for managing and developing the day to day provision of expert HR advice and guidance across the university, ensuring consistency, professionalism, robustness, and flexible delivery is achieved whilst managing risk to the university.
  • To facilitate good employee relations and advise managers and staff accordingly on good practice.
  • To provide expert advice to managers on the interpretation and implementation of organisational change, including redundancies, contract variations and restructuring, within the context of the legal framework, including highly complex cases involving uncertainties and the absence of precedents.
  • To provide complex HR advice on a range of employee relations issues including terminations and appeals. To support managers in effective implementation of the university’s HR policies up to and including appeals and Employment Tribunals and leading the development of HR Advisors in this work.

  • To support/lead HR or university strategic projects as necessary, engaging with appropriate colleagues.
  • To lead on employee relations policies, maintaining an overview and undertaking regular updates resulting from legislative changes or to ensure best practice.
  • To work in close collaboration with the HR Manager – Operations, to ensure cohesive service provision, effective communication and a joined up approach across different teams.

  • To provide leadership to the team, developing capability of the HR Advisors and HR Officers, to ensure delivery of a high quality and respected employee relations service.
  • To contribute to the training and development of managers and HR staff, supporting the Learning and Development team, or through bespoke provision as appropriate.
  • To maintain consistently high professional standards and act in accordance with the CIPD Code of Professional Conduct, and to be a role model for other members of the department.
  • To oversee the performance management of the Employee Relations team through setting clear performance targets and providing regular feedback in order to ensure staff are high performing, efficient, engaged and highly motivated.

General responsibilities

These are standard to all University of Brighton job descriptions.

  • To undertake other duties appropriate to the grade and character of work as may be reasonably required, including specific duties of a similar or lesser grade.
  • To adhere to the University’s Equality and Diversity Policy in all activities, and to actively promote equality of opportunity wherever possible.
  • To be responsible for your own health and safety and that of your colleagues, in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act.
  • To work in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

The person specification focuses on the knowledge, qualifications, experience and skills (both general and technical) required to undertake the role effectively. Please ensure that your application demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria. You will be assessed by your completed application form (A), at interview (I) and in some instances through an exercise (E).

Essential criteria / A, I, E
Knowledge /
  • Excellent up to date knowledge of employment legislation and best practice
  • Evidence of continuing professional development
  • Proven ability to effectively manage a range of situations that may evoke a strong emotional reaction
  • Interpersonal, negotiating, influencing and facilitation skills to be able to communicate effectively with staff at all levels and to deal with complex and sensitive issues.
  • Able to work effectively autonomously or as part of a team
  • Ability to assess potential problems and commercial implications of complex employee relations cases, risk assessing the impact
  • Ability to cope with unpredictable and intense situations
  • To be confident in making difficult decisions and influencing others as appropriate
/ A, I, E
A
A, I
A, I
A, I
A, I
A, I
A, I
Qualifications /
  • CIPD level 7
  • Chartered membership of the CIPD
  • Relevant degree or professional qualification, or equivalent experience
/ A
A
A
Experience /
  • Senior HR professional with substantial experience of working at a senior level in a large, complex, multi-sited organisation in a highly unionised environment
  • Significant experience of supporting large scale organisational change
  • Evidence and experience of promoting values in equality and diversity
  • Previous experience of managing and developing a team.
/ A, I
A, I
A, I
A
Managing people /
  • The role will require an ability to manage staff effectively, including to conduct appraisals, train and induct new members of their team, together with an ability to motivate others and act as a role model.
/ A, I
Technical/work based skills /
  • The ability to use the Microsoft Office suite of packages (Word, Excel, Outlook, & PowerPoint) effectively.
  • Numerical skills to be able to analyse complex data, report on outcomes and make recommendations as appropriate
  • Excellent understanding of job evaluation and the principals of equal pay
  • Excellent organisational skills and the ability to prioritise effectively
/ A
A, I
A, I
A, I
Other requirements /
  • Not applicable.

Desirable /
  • Trained in Hay Job Evaluation scheme
  • Previous HR experience in the higher education sector
/ A
A, I
  • Any appointment is generally made at the bottom of the salary range for the grade dependent upon experience and previous salary.
  • This is a full time and is permanent.
  • The University of Brighton welcomes job sharers. Job sharing is a way of working where two people share one full-time job, dividing the work, responsibilities, pay, holidays and other benefits between them proportionate to the hours each works, thereby increasing access to a wide range of jobs on a part-time basis. The advert for the post for which you are applying will indicate whether applications from job sharers can be considered (this may not be possible for a post that is already part time for example) and further information can be found on the ‘Balancing Working Life’ section here Benefits and facilities.
  • Annual leave entitlements are shown in the table below and increase after 5 years’ service. In addition, to the eight Bank Holidays, there are university discretionary days between Christmas and New Year. All leave, including bank holidays and discretionary days, is pro-rated for part time employees.

Grades / Basic entitlement per year / Grades / After 5 years’ service
1-3 / 23 days / 1-3 / 28 days
4-7 / 25 days / 4-7 / 30 days
8-9 / 27 days / 8-9 / 30 days
Band 10 and above / 30 days / Band 10 and above / 30 days
  • More information about the department/school can be found hereProfessional Services Departmentsor hereAcademic departments (schools and colleges)
  • Read the University’s 2016 - 2021 Strategy
  • The University has an attractive range of benefits and you can find more information about them on our website.

Date: October 2017