Purpose of Role
1. Lead on Employee Relations matters including engagement with trade unions and the management of the formal consultation (and negotiation where appropriate).
2. Take lead responsibility for assessing current and future employment legislation, keeping updated on best practice and Higher Education sector trends, providing guidance and recommendations as a subject matter expert.
3. Be a subject matter expert in employee relations cases such as Discipline, Grievance and Performance Management.
4. Providing overarching guidance and assurance of policy development work, ensuring that all policies are in line with good practice and employment legislation.
Summary of Key Duties and Responsibilities:
5. Actively develop the relationship with the Trade Unions in the UK promoting positive partnership working and a culture of open, timely and meaningful consultation
6. In times of Industrial Action, specifically leading on related processes including but not limited to accurate recording of strike activity /ASOS and management of related processes
7. In any large scale organisational change programmes, lead on the administration and technical requirements of such programmes
8. Provide advice on complex individual cases ensuring that University policies are followed and managers and impacted staff are supported throughout.
9. Support cases that could, or do, result in Employment Tribunal proceedings, providing a strategic approach to the management of claims, with guidance/support of the Head of HR Operations.
10. Line manage and/or manage project work which may include project teams from across the University
11. Be an integral part of a review of how ER case work is managed, seeking to deliver an effective and efficient service and way of working.
12. Collaborating within HR and with the Trade Unions (and other stakeholders) to improve the quality and coverage of HR policies, ensuring they are fit for purpose
13. Collaborating with the Employee Engagement team and other stakeholders around improving the staff experience
14. Assist in the devising and implementing of in house training for managers on relevant subjects
15. Assist in the devising and implementing of in house training for HR colleagues in specialist knowledge
16. Draft reports and prepare project updates
17. Aid in further developing key statistics and reports on ER activity.
18. Manage Joint Union and Management Meetings agendas, notes and actions.
19. Manage Joint Policy Trade Union meeting agenda, notes and actions Lead on key ER projects
20. Managing the policy review plan, providing advice and guidance to policy owners.
Education, Qualifications & Experience:
These are the criteria on which the short-listing and recruitment selection will be made
Essential
21. Educated to first degree level or equivalent or equivalent practical experience in the workplace.
22. Experience of working in a unionised environment with a track record of building effective partnership style relationships.
23. Ability to persuade, motivate and lead others, Competent in the use of relevant IT packages – particularly being data confident in both producing, manipulating and interpreting data
24. Demonstrable substantial professional expertise in employee relations and relevant employment legislation and best practice
25. People management experience, setting goals and standards, guiding and coaching colleagues including ideally experience of operating in a matrix structure.
26. Strong written communication skills – ability to prepare papers and presentations.
27. Demonstrable excellent customer service
28. Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment
29. High level project management, planning and organisational skills with the ability to prioritise major developments and to function effectively in a pressured environment
30. Employment law subject matter expertise, knowledge and practical experience.
Desirable
31. Experience of working on major organisational change programmes as either a senior Business Partner or ER lead
32. Professional Qualification or membership of Professional body (CIPD)
33. Experience of working in Higher Education or similar public sector unionised environment