OD & Policy Business Partner

This is a Full Time Permanent Position. We have an exciting permanent opportunity for a HR professional to join our recently reorganised Policy, Projects and Industrial Relations Team. We are a small team responsible for a wide range of the Council’s HR portfolio, supporting an organisation which employs approximately 5,000 people.

We are looking for someone who holds a relevant HR/OD qualification (CIPD Level 7) and/or significant experience at this level. In addition, you must have a thorough knowledge of employment law, policy development, change management and job evaluation. Experience of capturing and analysing HR metrics and of identifying and developing initiatives/strategies to provide solutions to improve the organisation.

If you feel you have the relevant skills and experience to undertake this role and make a difference, we look forward to receiving your application.

ROLE & PURPOSE OF JOB: To deliver a professional OD & HR service ensuring that the framework within which advice is provided to managers is legally compliant through the provision of policy research and support for the development and implementation of policies and procedures which support the effective management of people. Uses professional judgement to explore people issues, predict emerging issues and understand the implications for the Council and provide innovative solutions, working closely with senior OD & HR and Trade Union colleagues through appropriate consultation fora.

Provide support to the OD & HR Advisory Team particularly when dealing with complex policy and industrial relation issues. Maximise IT systems to capture and analyse HR information to support agile decision making and develop new ways of working. Identify and analyse trends to inform decision making about Council policies, processes and people related issues.

Uses well-developed working relationships to create positive influence with senior managers when making decisions which impact on the workforce and business plans.

• Leading on policy development, reviewing, researching and implementing HR policies and processes, ensuring legal compliance and the needs of the business are met;
• Leading on change management, identifying solutions and providing recommendations for improvements to strategies and processes, in line with HR legislation and best practice;
• Leading on specific HR related projects, developments and interventions to support change, facilitating employee engagement groups;
• Leading on the delivery of specific HR briefings and workshops relating to HR policies and procedures, ensuring consistent understanding and application across the Council;
• Leading on analysis of HR metrics, preparing and presentation of reports to senior management team, corporate strategy team and Trade Union meetings;
• Job evaluation using HAY and NJC methodologies;
• Leading on developing initiatives to address identified corporate and service area gaps to support cultural and organisational change and the effective delivery of council services;
• Taking a new or change proposal forward via the Industrial Relations Framework (CJCNC, IRJC as appropriate);
• Leads and plays an active role in corporate discussions to support business planning and influence decisions with people implications; Championing consultative approach and delivering change in partnership with the Trade Unions and Industrial Relations Framework.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

1. Strategy - Work with senior managers and OD & HR colleagues in the development of specific strategies. Participate in Council-wide activities to develop, review and monitor Council policies and processes, the OD & HR strategy and team plans. Support wider Council strategies through the delivery of workforce planning, pay and grading, organisational design and implementing new and innovative HR & OD solutions. Explore and research measures to support the development of strategies at a local, regional, and national level and understand the impact for the Council and its services. Proactive in utilising knowledge gathered from research and benchmarking insights. Have a key role in driving a positive, inclusive and high-performance culture throughout the Council. Contribute to the shaping and implementation of the IR strategy and framework. Undertake the evaluation of job descriptions using the Council’s agreed methodologies as part of a panel, ensuring consistency of grades in comparator posts and escalating issues of concern to the HR Policy, Projects and Industrial Relations Manager. Leads on development of a range of employee benefits available to the Council (including LGPS and Teachers Pensions), including but not limited to promotion to increase participation, contracting and issue resolution.
2. Customer Focus - Establish and maintain effective working relationships with senior OD & HR colleagues and senior managers to influence decisions taken about the workforce from a council wide perspective. Provide solid OD & HR advice in relation to complex policy, projects, industrial relations, benefits strategy, and organisational change to ensure that people are in the right place, in the right job and at the right time to deliver council services in accordance with design principles. Regularly seeking feedback from stakeholders and ensuring any impact is accounted for in consultations and negotiations. Keep abreast of emerging issues at a national, regional, and local level and be proactive in bringing these issues to OD & HR Assistant Director and OD & HR Policy, Projects and Industrial Relation Manager’s attention and consider organisational options/response. Facilitate discussions with Assistant Directors/Heads of Service, OD & HR Advisory Team and Trade Union colleagues to determine the required action/approach when dealing with complex and/or sensitive issues and interventions. Use influence with senior colleagues and stakeholders to safeguard the council’s position and take fair and reasonable action. Attend and play an active role in relevant fora to contribute to and influence decisions made about the workforce, for example CJCNC and associated task and finish groups.
3. Performance Management - Pro-actively plan activities and interventions to identify and lead on appropriate development and improvement interventions, identifying risks and lessons learnt. Research, interpret and analyse data to support the development and implementation of Council policies and processes, regularly review and evaluate to ensure consistent application and best practice. Suggest strategies to tackle areas of concern. Maximise opportunities to share good practice across services and take a council-wide view. Oversees the successful implementation and adoption of allocated policies and procedures, promoting the use of new processes, developing appropriate communication strategies to promote awareness, understanding and support for OD & HR interventions and policies.
4. Leadership - Leads specific projects/tasks allocated from the OD & HR Business Plan, dealing with issues of concern. Leads working groups and projects and allocates action/reviews progress to ensure delivery of the task/project. Works collaboratively with colleagues across service areas developing cross functional relationships and processes to deliver on specific improvements. Develop and present reports to relevant fora, for example, CST, as directed by the Policy, Projects and Industrial Relations Manager.
5. HR Advice - Provide expert and timely advice on all OD & HR matters, ensuring that the issue is fully understood, the implications for the council are clear and all options to resolve the matter are considered to identify the most effective solution. Work closely with senior leaders and trade unions to inform and influence organisational change proposals, utilising the tools available to ensure structures are compliant with agreed principles. Lead discussions with senior colleagues and stakeholders with robust planning to take forward organisational change proposals in accordance with the Industrial Relations Framework to ensure that meaningful consultation takes place with the trade unions and staff. Maximise feedback during consultation to inform the final position. Lead the implementation of the proposal. Work with wider OD & HR teams to ensure the Council maximises their people resource. Lead discussions with senior OD & HR managers and stakeholders to develop Council wide workforce plans, for example, Investor in People, to include succession planning and talent management, among others, and keep abreast of progress/achieving objectives.
6. HR Delivery - Takes the lead as allocated, in the development and review of OD & HR policies and strategies, job design and organisation development and appropriate employee benefit schemes, in line with Council priorities. Research and provide policy development professional input to ensure the development of priorities that support and complement the strategic direction of the Council. Support and champion the principle of self-service and the use of the service desk when appropriate. Actively share knowledge, experience and lessons learned with the service desk to enable its continuous improvement and provide advice and guidance when a resolution cannot be identified by the service desk on complex issues.
7. Personal Development - Build a reputation of professional respect from managers and colleagues and be influential in relation to workforce matters. Work to the competencies of the CIPD Profession Map and ensure that your CPD log is maintained. Actively engage in PGPR discussions and be reflective on objectives, personal performance, and support.

Benefits of Working of Hull City Council:

• A competitive salary
• An excellent pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Initially 23 days annual leave depending on length of service. You will also get eight public holidays per year, and three additional days off, one in May/August and one during the Christmas/New year period
• Career development and learning experiences from a range of training courses and learning methods
• Supportive and forward-thinking culture
• Great career development opportunities

Please ensure that you complete and submit your application by midnight prior to the closing date. Please ensure that your application demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria against the person specification as listed in the job description. We are committed to increasing the diversity, equality, and inclusion within our workforce to represent the people we serve and build an environment in which everyone can feel like they belong. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply. We adopt a ‘name blind’ approach to shortlisting. Recruiting managers will not have access to personal information, including your name and contact details, until a shortlisting decision has been made. Equality monitoring information is not accessible by recruiting managers at any stage.

The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. Online searches, including social media, may be carried out as part of the recruitment process.