Role Purpose

To work closely with the Senior People Manager and senior leaders to deliver effective operational support across a range of People activities. Working collaboratively with the wider

People team and Centres of Expertise (CoE's) to deliver regional people plans that address specific functional people challenges, driving a high-performance culture through coaching and influencing leaders, executing and embedding business change initiatives, and fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment.

Principal Accountabilities

• Act as a highly visible internal people support to senior leaders and the wider People team to implement people plans that support business goals and objectives, providing leaders with advice and recommendations on change management and restructuring, employee relations, talent acquisition, and organisational development initiatives.
• Leverage human resources expertise to ensure that the academies have the resource to deliver their objectives through attraction and retention and swift resolution of ER cases.
• Own the resolution of complex employee relations matters (including efficient conflictresolution), disciplinary actions, and performance improvement plans, escalating to and taking advice from the Employee Relations team where appropriate.
• Conduct investigations or disciplinary/grievance meetings as needed and provide guidance to managers on handling sensitive people issues.
• Ensure operational excellence of the employee life cycle and all cyclical people activities.
• Lead the delivery of People projects and change initiatives and act as a role model and influencer for change initiatives within areas of responsibility, partnering with CoE's to access expert advice and implement solutions where appropriate.
• Provide hands on support to HR teams in the Academies as required at busy time especially at payroll cut off.

The ideal person for this role will be qualified to CIPD Level 5+ or have an equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, and experience.

Experience, Skills and Knowledge

• Proven track record as an HR generalist in fast-paced, complex organisations, preferably within a unionised environment and with experience in the Education sector.
• Extensive knowledge of people and employee relations processes, procedures, and best practices, including the management of complex casework and organisational change.
• Ability to analyse and interpret business strategy and to develop and deliver people plans to support it, leading the delivery through cross-functional teams.
• Strong influencing, partnering and relationship building skills, with experience working with senior leaders and stakeholders to build trusted relationships.
• A broad change management skill set, combined with the ability to apply project management principles in delivering and supporting organisational change.
• Solutions driven approach with the ability to work collaboratively to solve problems.