Senior People and Development Business Partner

• Business Partnering Activities
• As Senior Business Partner to designated Schools and Services, you will provide a full range of strategic and operational support across key people areas such as recruitment and selection, performance management, Employee Relations, reward and benefits, organisational development and change management that will benefit and influence throughout the entire employee life cycle
• Working across the P&D teams to support, lead and advise colleagues, ensuring the successful implementation and service delivery of the P&D strategy specifically in relation to equality, engagement and wellbeing
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships up to and including a senior level to ensure compliance, manage risks, challenge the status quo and influence change
• Coach, develop and advise managers to enable them to fully undertake their people management role and embed the leadership behaviours
• Regularly monitor, track and evaluate data relating to key employee BP metrics, such as employee relations cases and leaver interviews, identifying trends, providing recommendations for improvements and sharing this information with PDMT and senior leaders
• Promote staff engagement outcomes and associated communications within business partnering areas
• Alongside managers and Finance review workforce planning data to ensure that staffing decisions are within Department /Service planned budget
• Review, challenge, scrutinise and present to senior leader’s appropriate workforce planning and performance reports to inform planning, decision making and talent/succession planning
• In support of the Senior BP – Employee Relations and Policy identify, create, design and introduce any new initiatives, employment policies and procedures ensuring that appropriate and robust engagement with, including those that will assist the university in achieving its financial targets and strategic aims
• Produce good quality, accurately written materials including letters, policies, reports, committee papers etc
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with external partners
• Identifying the need to and challenge advice provided by external partners where required
• Liaise and engage with Trade Unions, influencing decision making on P&D policies and procedures and ways of working to enhance the employee experience and enable the university to achieve its strategic plans
• Network across the university with peer groups and broader workforce particularly in relation to equality and wellbeing, being the main contact whilst sharing good practice
• Identify and attend internal staff networking events
• Manage 3rd party contracts as required, being able to work to budget and hold 3rd party providers to account
• Advise and support the Head of P&D to deliver equality, wellbeing and engagement priorities aligned to the people strategy
• Deliver staff engagement activity, including analysis and communication, and meet Equality Workforce Action Plan commitments
• Lead a proactive, inclusive wellbeing approach covering physical, mental and emotional health, aligned with Health and Safety plans
• Strengthen allyship, inclusive behaviours and understanding across staff, managers and leaders
• Lead occupational health provision and reporting, including health surveillance and eyewear schemes
• Drive cultural change through EDI and wider strategic and operational initiatives

• CIPD qualified to Level 7 essential
• Qualified to degree level (or relevant comparable qualification or work experience)
• Solid and up to date knowledge of employment legislation
• Experience of managing TUPE transfers
• Experience of operating and liaising successfully within a Trade Union environment
• Leading on business planning organisational change projects with the senior management leadership team within specific schools and services resulting in clearly defined outcomes and the successful achievement of financial targets
• Track record of identifying and delivering solution focused practical and effective People and Development solutions within the framework of organisational policies and procedures
• Solid experience of managing, coaching, guiding and concluding complex employee relations casework from investigation to appeals in a timely manner
• Leading people forums, champion groups and networks as required
• Experience of employment tribunals
• Ability to work as part of multiple teams
• Excellent communication with attention to detail
• Empathetic approach
• Ability to work at pace whilst ensuring that accuracy is maintained throughout
• Ability to influence and negotiate
• Problem solving and solution oriented
• Able to work with pace and make sound decisions
• Build and sustain effective relationships with stakeholders
• Proactive and able to challenge and influence at all levels, including with Trade Unions and at senior level
• Able to produce and analyse data to support and inform decision making

Ideally previous experience of working within an academic institution or other similar organisation