HR Manager in Cobham

The purpose of the HR (Human Resources) Manager is to align Yehudi Menuhin School's workforce with its overall business goals. To manage the employee lifecycle, shared workplace culture, and ensure compliance with employment laws.

Job Specification / Key Areas of Responsibility

• HR Administration and Employee Relations:
• Support the HR Administrator with maintaining the Single Central Register, ensuring safeguarding compliance and inspection readiness.
• Ensure HR policies and the Staff Handbook are current and legally compliant.
• Maintain accurate staff records, including contracts, FTE data and personnel files.
• Advise on contractual and salary changes, ensuring all amendments are documented.
• Monitor National Minimum Wage changes and assess the impact on staff.
• Support Managers with performance management, absence, disciplinary and grievance matters.
• Support the HR Administrator to manage recruitment, onboarding, induction, probation and exit processes.
• Coordinate right-to-work checks, mandatory training and compliance documentation.
• Administer staff benefit schemes, including Medicash and BUPA.
• Leadership, Wellbeing and Reporting:
• Line manage and support the HR Administrator.
• Collaborate with the Director of Wellbeing on staff engagement and wellbeing initiatives.
• Prepare HR KPI reports for senior leadership.
• Ensure compliance with UK GDPR for employee data.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of employment legislation.

Person Specification

• Essential:
• Comprehensive understanding of UK employment law.
• Excellent attention to detail and organisational skills.
• Professional, confidential and effective communicator.
• Line management experience.
• Desirable:
• CIPD Level 5 qualification.
• Experience within an educational or multi-site organisation.

Interpersonal and Soft Skills:

• Emotional Intelligence (EQ): The ability to read the room, understand employee sentiments, and navigate sensitive situations with empathy.
• Conflict Resolution: Mediating disputes fairly, handling grievances constructively, and facilitating difficult conversations (like performance management or redundancies).
• Active Listening: Genuinely understanding employee perspectives and workplace needs rather than just dictating policies.
• Strategic and Business Acumen:
• Commercial Awareness: Understanding how the HR department's goals directly affect the company's broader operational and financial success.
• Change Management: Leading the organisation smoothly through periods of growth, restructuring, or cultural shifts.
• Workforce Planning: Forecasting future hiring needs and designing strategies for talent acquisition, upskilling, and succession.

Compliance and Administration:

• Employment Law and Regulations: Staying updated on local labour laws, workplace rights and data protection requirements (e.g. GDPR compliance in the UK).
• Policy Formulation: Designing, writing, and updating clear employee handbooks and contracts.

Technical and Analytical Skills:

• HR Tech Savviness: Proficiency with modern HR Information Systems (HRIS), applicant tracking systems, and automated onboarding platforms.
• People Analytics: Interpreting data on turnover rates, employee engagement, and performance metrics to make informed, evidence-based decisions.

The School is registered with the DBS and successful applicants will be required to complete successfully the Disclosure Procedure at Enhanced level. It is an offence for a person barred from working with children to apply for this post. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. The Yehudi Menuhin School is an Equal Opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sectors of the community.

If you would like to apply for the role, please click apply and follow the link to our careers page where you can complete your application.