We are recruiting for a Senior HR Manager within the Schools HR team for the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Candidate must be available to start at short notice. Hybrid working is available after the first 2 weeks but candidate must be flexible as will be required to attend schools as and when required.

Job Purpose

1. The post holder will provide strategic leadership in the management of an effective and highly professional team (either Corporate & Investigations or Social Care & Schools) within HR Advisory Services to deliver customer-focussed HR services, to support delivery of directorate and school and wider Council aims and objectives.
2. Contribute at a strategic and operational level, working with council departments and schools to identify HR priorities and people management solutions that support business aims and wider organisational values; and help to develop, and implement, the Council’s Workforce Strategy, ensuring the Council ‘gets the best’ from its people.    
3. To provide senior leadership and high-level operational HR intervention and advice to departments in matters relating to strategic/operational Employee Relations (including, engagement, performance management, workplace disputes, conflict resolution, managing attendance, and disciplinary matters), employment contracts, representative groups and consultative processes, organisational change, and HR policy and practice.                       
4. To work collaboratively with HR colleagues and service departments providing strategic and high-level operational HR leadership on the implementation of organisational and cultural change programmes to support Council and departmental improvement goals.                  
5. To ensure the opportunities for income generation are explored and achieved in support of HR & OD’s core functions and the Council’s wider strategies; and provide an effective Investigations Service.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Responsible for leading and managing a larger team to achieve consistently high performance and effective operational delivery; developing and improving the capability of staff within the team, effective attendance management, and motivating and mentoring them to better meet the current and future requirements of HR Advisory Services.                          

1. Lead, as required, on developing and implementing strategic HR projects, workstreams, activities and initiatives in line with the Council’s Workforce Strategy, service development plans and the requirements of HR & OD Audits. Ensure the team contributes effectively to HR policy development and that they are implemented effectively and consistently.
2. Responsible for effective Employee Relations within the designated departments, maintaining good working relations with the Trade Unions (TUs) and as appropriate, conducting consultations and negotiations on a range of complex workforce matters (including policies and local terms and conditions) to achieve operational effectiveness for departments.

1. Translate the vision, plans and values into action for the team members; ensure that they understand their personal contribution to organisational objectives, and that they develop professionally in their roles through the provision of regular one-2-ones, annual appraisals, personal development plans, and effective performance and attendance management as appropriate.

1. Promote equality among all staff and ensure that services are delivered in a non-discriminatory way, that is inclusive and embraces diversity. Contribute to the wider equalities agenda to help ensure the Council has a diverse workforce, and that equality, diversity and inclusion are embedded across policies, practices, and activities.

1. Assist the Deputy Head of HR & OD in relation to wider-council financial planning and management in the context of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy; implement efficiency and cost-saving programmes as appropriate.

1. Deliver, across designated departments (and schools as appropriate), timely, solution-focused, high-quality HR advice, guidance, coaching and information to managers on a wide range of people matters – including, HR policy, terms and conditions of employment, absence and performance management, recruitment/selection, restructuring of services and TUPE transfers, and redundancy planning. 

1. Provide expert, effective, and timely HR advice and support to Directors, DMT’s and senior managers on all aspects of people management which fully reflects, the Council’s desire to be an employer of choice, current employment legislation, and best practice. Attend DMTs as appropriate.                              

1. Support and develop partnership working, maintaining external strategic partnerships with local authorities, Greater London Authority, London Councils, and other government agencies, departments, and professional bodies, acting as an effective ambassador and advocate for HR & OD and the Royal Borough of Greenwich (RBG).                  

1. Ensure all team activities and processes comply with the Council’s internal policies and procedures (including, customer care, financial regulations, and procurement) and relevant employment legislation (including, data protection, health & safety, and equality); and undertake all duties in a way that reflects the RBG Human Resources values.   

1. To ensure that all HR casework is managed in a way to enable service managers complete matters within reasonable timescales, e.g., investigations (grievances and disciplinary), hearings, performance, and absence management cases, in line with HR best practice and employment law.                    

1. Work flexibly and positively; and as a senior member of the Leadership Team, collaborate with colleagues to shape HR Advisory Services, ensuring that services are integrated and co-ordinated, and driving improvement and implementation of HR standards across departments.

1. Effectively deploy the team’s resources to ensure that agreed service outcomes and outputs and personal appraisal targets, as agreed by the Deputy Head of HR & OD, are achieved.

1. Ensure the development of a collaborative and dynamic working relationship with department managers (including Legal) and with other teams/colleagues in HR & OD (including Workforce and Organisational Development; Resourcing; Policy, Inclusion & Wellbeing; and Data Insight & Support) to ensure services are relevant, effective and ‘joined-up’.  

1. Help to reduce risk to RBG; ensure appropriate staff attend proceedings at Employment Tribunals to represent the Council; ensure provision of timely and effective support and intervention whilst preparing Council cases, dealing effectively with issues as they arise; and ensure learning from ‘the journey’ is cascaded within the team and across the Council.

1. To contribute to the overall effectiveness of HR & OD and to the Council’s wider corporate and political priorities, key outcomes, and strategic objectives; and adopt a one-HR & OD / one-Council approach to work, providing effective cover for other managers and colleagues across HR & OD, as appropriate in their absence.  

1. Analyse complex employment issues providing innovative solutions; and support the Deputy Head of HR & OD in providing expert operational HR advice and information to the Head of HR & OD and Director of Legal & HR in all HR Advisory Services matters.                 
2. Effectively assess “people” implications of organisational change e.g., organisation design, job design, structural and cultural aspects of change, recruitment implications, learning & development implications, ER aspects of change, and implications for other services in HR & OD.

1. Ensure, as appropriate, the effective allocation of casework to HR & OD Investigations Officers and ensure that such investigations are conducted and completed in a professional manner in line with council policies, and that outcome reports and decisions are of high standard, specifically fit for purpose and delivered to agreed timescales.

1. To provide guidance for complex, high-risk organisational change projects and ER matters acting as point of reference, a coach, and escalation resource for the wider HR team; undertake investigations, advise at and chair hearings, and advise at and hear appeals as appropriate and when required.

1. To take personal responsibility for ensuring knowledge, skills and on-going continuing professional development is kept up to date to reflect changes in employment law and practice.

1. Ensure that appropriate levels of emergency planning and business continuity management preparedness are in place for the team, and that they are appropriately briefed on their roles in an emergency to reduce any disruption to services.

1. To perform all duties in line with Council’s staff values showing commitment to improving residents lives and opportunities, demonstrating respect and fairness, taking ownership, working towards doing things better and working together across the Council.

1. To deputise for the Deputy Head of HR & OD; and undertake appropriate additional duties, not listed above, but as may be allocated from time to time, and as delegated by the Deputy Head of HR & OD and the Head of HR & OD.