People and Culture HR Business Partner

We are an organisation with exciting people ambitions looking to appoint a HR Business Partner on a 12 month appointment, with a view to becoming a permanent role.  This is an exciting opportunity to make a difference and, if you are an experienced Human Resource professional who would enjoy sharing their expertise and leadership across an global Human Resource team, then we would like to hear from you.

About the Role  

As an HR Business Partner, you will work across several areas to facilitate the people agenda in support of the achievement of our strategic business plan. The role will focus on helping to build a strong HR infrastructure through the development of people management practices and will support with policy development and designing new ways of working, which encourage purposeful integration and collaboration across our global organisation.

The role will also have ownership and management of operational activities in delivering an excellent HR service to our UK-based teams, in support of our values and culture, ensuring alignment to our broader organisational strategy, whilst ensuring best practice and legal compliance.

The role will also provide strategic and operational expertise and leadership in partnering, coaching and supporting UK teams in building capabilities that support and facilitate a high-performance culture, in addition to lending support to our emerging Global HR teams to enable good people management, empowering others to lead, and deliver on our strategic objectives relating to People and Culture. 

About You

You will have strong experience of partnering and coaching managers and leaders to add value.  You will need significant experience of managing a range of complex employee relations cases.  First class communication skills as well as the ability to analyse and interpret data are crucial.  Key to the role is your knowledge and application of business partnering skills, employment law and good HR practice. 

Key Accountabilities

HR Management

• Provide operational expertise and management across the full-employee lifecycle, to both the UK office and the wider Global People and Culture Teams, in line with the organisation’s strategy, global principles, HR best practice and local context.
• Partner, coach and support people managers within the UK office on a wide range of day-to-day people matters, developing structures and strategies to support them, and anticipating and planning for the people implications of objectives and plans.
• Develop and maintain strong collaborative relationships with people managers by understanding key business objectives in order to define, create and deliver effective HR solutions.
• Oversee the work of the People and Culture Coordinators providing coaching and support to aid their professional development.
• Proactively build networks within and outside of the sector, in maintaining knowledge and keeping up-to date with developments, utilising insights and ideas to ensure that HR best practice is adopted.
• Identify, develop and implement key HR initiatives aligned to our global culture, and which enable the achievement of our strategic ambitions, and embed these into our operating model.

Recruitment

• Manage the end-to-end recruitment process, advising on international recruitment and ensuring delivery of a positive candidate experience, with a focus on continuous improvement and strengthening Practical Action’s employer branding position.
• Partner with hiring managers on advertising strategies and content, establishing and negotiating with preferred agency suppliers, advising on the selection process and statistical monitoring, and maintaining an awareness of external employment/sector market trends.

Policy Development

• Ongoing development and maintenance of UK policies in line with global policy, UK employment law and best practice. Ensuring that diversity and inclusion is embedded in key policies and frameworks in fulfilment of Practical Action’s Diversity and Inclusion strategy.
• Provide robust and consistent advice on the application and interpretation of employment policies, across the UK office, and participate in the development and delivery of training initiatives to increase capabilities in people management practices.

Business and Process Improvement

• Lead on the development and delivery of internal work systems and processes, proposing innovative ways to improve existing ones, and identify and implement opportunities to improve our people experience. Partner with the Global People and Culture Teams in driving process consistency and efficiency globally.

Performance Management

• Enable people managers to have informed and effective performance management conversations, supported by transparent performance data, and support with facilitating appropriate interventions.
• Partnering with the Learning and Engagement team in informing the development of programmes to support capability building in the achievement of strategic objectives and enable the development of a high-performance culture.
• Maintain and oversee the performance management cycle and the refreshed People providing coaching, orienting and deploying effective employee engagement strategies.

Compensation and Benefits

• Oversee the accurate and timely processing of the monthly payroll, pension and benefits administration, liaising with the Finance Team and outsourced payroll providers as appropriate.
• Support, and assist with the annual remuneration review processes, where required.
• Update and maintain salary, grading and job evaluation structures and processes that will support attraction and retention.

Data and Management Reporting

• Responsible for the preparation and submissions of Management HR reports, as required, collating and analyse people metrics in order to increase business awareness of issues and trends relating to people management.
• Using knowledge and data to identify areas for improvement and translate key data into solutions-focused action plans.
• Act as the HR data lead, in providing advice on the use and management of people data and information in accordance with GDPR requirements.

HR Transactions 

• Work in conjunction with the People and Culture HR Coordinators to ensure the smooth, accurate delivery of HR lifecycle transactions including onboarding, movers, leavers, flexible working requests etc.

Other

• Contribute to the delivery of HR projects and initiatives as relevant to the current and future needs of the organisation, providing responsive support to ensure successful business planning.
• Champion, facilitate and support the process of change with regard to organisational transformation programmes underpinned by robust people-focused approaches.
• To undertake any other duties commensurate with the level and grade as may be reasonably required in fulfilment of the role.

PERSON PROFILE

Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience

• CIPD qualified in part or full.
• Educated to degree level or equivalent qualification or experience.
• Substantial experience in professional HR roles which should include recent experience working as a HR Operations Manager/HR Manager/Senior HR Advisor preferably within a global context.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing HR policies and procedures working in close partnership with senior colleagues/people managers/trade unions.
• Demonstrated experience coaching and advising people managers in dealing with a wide range of issues, including complex employee relations matters.
• Experience of managing recruitment processes using appropriate techniques and approaches and applying current research thinking.
• Experience, knowledge and understanding of job evaluation methodologies and frameworks.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of employment legislation and compliance requirements. Undertakes deliberate and planned actions to ensure continued professional development.
• Authoritative knowledge of HR disciplines and best practices including a broad sector/global awareness.
• Experience in contributing to the development and promotion of a positive organisational culture.
• Experience of preparing reports and actions plans for the purpose of monitoring and reporting on progress for manager level.
• Experience in managing projects and evidencing individual contribution.

Skills, Abilities and Competences

• Strong management skills, with the ability to provide feedback, coaching and appropriate learning opportunities to improve performance and potential.
• Highly focused on attention to detail with the ability to question whether all aspects of actions are accurately clarified to ensure that information provided is completely accurate, up-to-date and relevant.
• Highly organised with the ability to take a planned and structured approach to own work and that of the team. Delivers commitments made so that results are achieved on time and to budget.
• Able to deal with ambiguity and maintain effectiveness during periods of change.
• Ability to develop strong trusting relationships, to maintain impartiality and to offer practical independent counsel.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills; demonstrated influence and diplomacy skills across all levels.
• High standards of personal integrity and ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Strong analytical and numeracy skills to ensure accurate and valid data analysis, management and reporting of key people metrics to influence decision making.
• Ability to understand and apply current research thinking in support of employee attraction, retention, engagement and motivation.
• A collaborative working style, open to direction and a commitment to delivering operational excellence.
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering a values-based culture, focused on diversity and inclusion and positive engagement.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Why Join Us? 

The opportunity to work for an organisation that is making a positive difference to the lives of people worldwide, a friendly and supportive culture, and working with values-driven and highly engaged colleagues are just some of the reasons we think Practical Action is a great place to work.

Our open plan offices are located in the centre of Rugby and near to Rugby train station.

In addition, we offer the following benefits:

• Full time roles are contracted at 35 hours per week.
• Hybrid/flexible working options.
• 27 days’ holiday rising with continuous service, in addition to public holidays.
• Pension scheme - employer contributes 10.5% of salary and the employee contributes a minimum of 5%.
• Enhanced family friendly policies, including maternity, adoption, paternity, and shared parental leave.
• Life assurance (3 x annual salary).
• Bike to Work scheme.

The successful applicant must have the pre-existing right to both live and work in the UK.  This is a hybrid role, and you must live in a commutable distance from our Rugby office, as you will be expected to attend the office on regular occasions.    

Additional Information

Practical Action believes that having a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace culture based on respect will enable us to be an effective organisation. We seek to create an inclusive workplace in which people are accepted as individuals, regardless of their differences and where they feel their contribution is valued.  Practical Action is an equal opportunities employer, and we encourage applications from under-represented groups.

We stay committed to cultivating an inclusive and diverse working environment and believe that people from different backgrounds or cultures give us different perspectives, and the more perspectives we have, the more successful we will be. By building a culture where everyone feels heard, respected, and valued we give everyone working with us the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Practical Action is committed to safeguarding and protecting children and vulnerable adults and as such candidates will be subject to pre-employment checks including criminal checks and terrorist financing.

Closing date for applications:  Sunday 10th November 2024.  Please note that should we recruit a suitable candidate before the closing date, we will close applications earlier than the specified date.

Interviews: It is anticipated that interviews will take place in the week commencing 18th November 2024.

If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has not been successful on this occasion.

HOW TO APPLY

If you want to work for a charity with significant people ambitions, then we would like to hear from you. For more information, please visit our careers page. To apply please submit a copy of your CV and send us a supporting statement that includes the answers to the following questions:

1. Why do you consider yourself a good candidate for the People and Culture HR Business Partner role at Practical Action?
2. What best describes your coaching and supporting style with other members of the team and stakeholders?
3. What do believe is the optimum way to maintain strong collaborative relationships with your team, to deliver effective HR solutions?