Business Partner – Organisational Development in Kingston upon Thames

Job Category: Human Resources

Location: Royal Borough of Kingston

Hours Per Week: 28.80

Start Date: Immediate start

Start Time: 09:00

End Time: 17:00

Salary: £346.36

Permanent role, based in Kingston and Sutton. Grade J.

We are a shared service between Kingston and Sutton Councils providing HR and Organisational Development services to both Councils as well as a number of arm's length companies and traded services to schools. These companies are all different – in size, their customer groups and their aims. HR & OD needs to ensure that it is able to deliver against all their organisational priorities through the use of a flexible service delivery model.

To operate in this model we will all be:

• Easy to do business with and responsive
• Commercially astute
• Flexible, creative problem solvers
• Professionals with collaborative and participative working styles
• Well trained, technically competent and knowledgeable in our fields
• Engaged in life long learning
• Advocates of a culture that fosters performance excellence, full participation and personal and organisational growth
• Accountable at individual, team, service and organisation level

As a service we will:

• Continually assess our effectiveness
• Review our practices to enable simplicity and timeliness
• Exploit digital technological opportunities
• Take a pragmatic approach
• Focus on the customer not the process
• Recognise that we are part of a wider system and operate as a key part of this

Role purpose:

The Council is focused on delivering the best possible outcomes for its communities. To do this the Council needs managers who thrive in a networked organisation and who can provide strong operational leadership.

Responsibilities include:

• Be focused on either Kingston or Sutton and will work across the directorates within that borough although there is an expectation you will support the other borough if priority demands it.
• Take a lead responsibility for one or more Directorates of Kingston and Sutton Councils, as directed, acting as a strategic relationship manager and interface between HR/OD and the business.
• Identify the need for OD and/or HR interventions and to provide or commission advice, support and enhanced solutions, as appropriate.
• Provide challenge and support to the lead area, to actively contribute in achieving objectives within the service plan and those of the wider agenda.
• Lead on organisational development projects, both Directorate and Council wide, including identification of need through to design, development and implementation.
• Be an active member of the respective service area DMTs etc (where applicable). To actively participate in Directorate DMTs and groups e.g. Health and Safety group, Corporate Equality & Diversity group where required.
• All OD Business Partners will be flexible to work in any area of the OD Services as required by the needs of the service to ensure best use of resources.
• Responsibility for the overseeing of HR & OD objectives will be a requirement.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Substantial HR & OD experience of working in a large and complex shared services environment.
• Demonstrate post qualifying experience of providing a range of HR and OD Services at strategic and operational levels.
• Experience of working within a commercial environment.
• An understanding of the strategic objectives of an organisation and how this relates to the OD function.
• Significant experience of advising and supporting all levels of management and staff on all disciplines relating to Organisational Development.
• Influencing, building and sustaining relationships in order to achieve results.
• Proven experience of delivering successful OD and Council wide projects and supporting organisational change.
• Experience of assisting and advising managers through change and service redesign with an understanding of the business and implications involved.
• Thorough knowledge of employment legislation and experience of interpreting this to support the business.
• Experience of benchmarking and analysis of information including data trends to make informed decisions and support investigations and the development of organisational policy.
• Experience of working in a highly unionised environment.
• Excellent working knowledge of relevant legislation and statutory guidance.
• Line management experience.

Qualifications/Training:

• Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel & Development (MCIPD) or with the necessary criteria and prepared to apply for chartered membership.
• An OD qualification equivalent professional knowledge gained through experience of working as an OD Specialist or as a HR Generalist with an OD focus.
• Evidence of continuous professional development and keeping up to date with employment law and best practice across all sectors.

Practical Skills:

• Good facilitation skills.
• Detailed knowledge and understanding of employment legislation and policies and procedures with the ability to translate this understanding into HR policy.
• Ability to build strong relationships.
• Commercial awareness.
• Design of OD and Learning and Development interventions.
• Ability to understand the meaning of diversity and promote equality.
• Exceptional analytical skills – ability to not only accurately analyse and interpret data but to identify trends and translate this to effectively provide advice and make decisions on all OD related issues.
• Strong verbal, written and reasoning skills including the ability to produce clear and concise documents, to present reports and brief/train stakeholders at all levels.
• Highly developed negotiation and influencing skills.
• A broad understanding of the Public Sector and the challenges faced by local authorities.
• Ability to work quickly, accurately and to tight deadlines, managing various casework and projects across a range of related subjects.

Personal Qualities and Attributes:

• A knowledge of Equality, Inclusion & Diversity issues.
• Ability to anticipate and understand challenges and opportunities.
• The desire to drive change to support the transformation of the councils.
• Ability to understand, interpret and apply employment legislation for use in the councils.
• High level problem solving with the ability to balance risks and make decisions.
• Highly developed organisational skills with the ability to identify and manage workloads and deadlines including those whose output you may have responsibility for.
• Flexible and adaptable to work across the Directorates as required.
• High level customer service skills with a business solution focus.
• Excellent inter-personal skills and in particular the ability to negotiate and influence by expressing ideas and views effectively at all levels.
• Forward thinking, innovative and creative, prepared to consider different approaches; solution focused.
• Willing to be accountable – for own achievements and the delivery of objectives.
• IT literate in line with the requirements of the role and understanding of maximising digital technology to benefit organisations.
• Political sensitivity and awareness of local government and political issues.