HR Advisor

Purpose

To provide specialist, professional HR advice across all directorates. The role will provide expert advice on employment legislation and on policies and procedures.
To lead on specific service plan and work programmed areas and projects as allocated. Working collaboratively across the HR Community to deliver common service plan objectives, including the provision of advice and support across directorates as required.
To support and maintain the improvement of the quality of people management across the Directorates, by ensuring that managers know how to access HR services and support in a timely way and that they are well informed and equipped to fulfil the expectations of them in relation to people management practice and policies

Duties and Responsibilities

Support the delivery of services' priorities in all aspects of people management, by delivering a first class HR service and providing expert HR advice, guidance and support to all managers across the Directorates on complex issues and cases, including organisational change, and employee relations case work, ensuring the delivery of a customer focused and professional service that improves people management practice across the organisation.

Act as the human resource advisory expert on employment legislation; policies and procedures; conditions of service and best practice. This will include, advising and coaching managers at all levels to improve people management practice and performance across the Directorate; undertake mediation/negotiation to resolve employee relations matters; and represent HR as required at cross directorate and corporate meetings and working groups.

Maintain constructive working relationships with trade union representatives and other staff representatives. Undertake consultation and negotiation participating as necessary in Directorate consultative forums.

Lead and manage a diverse and complex caseload advising managers at all levels, ensuring cases are managed and progressed in a timely manner. To maintain accurate case management records to provide qualitative and quantitative feedback to identify people management trends.

Provide advice and support to managers on complex management of change issues including reorganisation/restructuring, redundancy/redeployment, outsourcing/TUPE, job evaluation and consultation processes. This will include providing advice on financial and equality implications; and establishment control and reconciliation.

Provide feedback on the effectiveness of HR policies and protocols across the Directorates, identifying areas for improvement and development ensuring this informs the development of HR policy to support the smooth running of the. This will include supporting (and where appropriate drafting) HR policy development as allocated.

Design and deliver HR related people management practice training and play an active role in the delivery of induction events, employee engagement activities, and diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Analyse and produce briefing notes, management information reports, and HR related correspondence for senior managers on a range of HR issues.
Advise on content of Job Descriptions and Person Specifications and undertake job evaluations for appropriate jobs.
Work and collaborate with legal services on the legal implications of case work. Prepare witness statements for Employment Tribunals and attend as witness or to instruct lawyers as required.
Actively participate and contribute to the continuous review, development and implementation of the People Management Strategy to ensure a suitable workforce to meet changing service needs and policy changes.

Support the development of a working environment where every individual's unique contribution is valued and respected, enabling all employees to thrive and achieve their full potential.
Undertake research and project work as required including preparing and presenting reports.

Required Skills and Knowledge

Chartered membership of the Institute of Personnel and Development or demonstrable equivalent experience.
Able to attend meetings in the evenings; to work outside normal office hours; and to work beyond minimum hours as and when required to achieve deadlines.
Successful track record as an HR practitioner in a complex environment/organisation.
Up to date knowledge of corporate and business challenges facing local authorities and public bodies and how to deliver people management solutions that address those
Sound knowledge of employee engagement, employment law, best practice and employee relations to deliver key outcomes that support the organisation's priorities and objectives.
Experience of successfully developing and implementing people management solutions to deliver agreed organisational outcomes
Good track record in leading and delivering people management initiatives and interventions to improve talent management, resourcing, performance management and the employee experience.
Good understanding and experience of the political interface in a local authority and the role and needs of elected members.
Experience of successfully managing relationships and stakeholders within a complex organisation and working in a unionised environment.
Strong communication skills - able to speak confidently, persuasively and articulately and to write clearly and effectively.
Highly organised, able to prioritise and handle change, and to lead a team to work calmly and effectively under pressure and to meet deadlines
Ability to use information technology including MS Office and financial and human resources management systems.
Good project management and financial management knowledge.

If interested, please submit CV and call Varsha on (phone number removed) between 9am to 5pm (Mon to Fri)