Senior HR Consultant

Birmingham, Exeter, Manchester, Nottingham, London

Reference number SHC1

Job title Senior HR Consultant

Team HR Services - Education

Vacancy owner Jonah Philpott

At Browne Jacobson, we’ve always worked across business and society, and this expertise sets us apart. Social and environmental impact are at the top of our business agenda. We champion fairness, make the complex simple and forge connections between clients to find creative solutions. This is how we improve outcomes for every person, community and business we serve.

With offices in Birmingham, Cardiff, Dublin, Exeter, London, Manchester and Nottingham, we’re a UK & I based law firm with an international reach. Our sectors include: health; real estate and construction; education; energy and infrastructure; financial services; government; insurance; manufacturing and industrials; and retail, consumer and logistics.

We nurture talent at all levels and from every background and celebrate what makes people individuals. Law needs all voices to reflect the society it serves which is why all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, social economic background or age.

We’re a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who best meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role.

We strive to create meaningful personal and professional development opportunities and offer flexible working in support of a good work-life balance. We focus on wellbeing and individuality, so that all our people can thrive.

Why is this role important and how does it fit into the team, department and wider firm?

This role works alongside three other Senior HR Consultants to line manage the HR consultancy practice. This role also supports the Head of HR Services in the continuous development of the HR service and also actively gets involved in sector wide projects and initiatives.

Our team of legal and HR specialists have a wealth of education knowledge and experience and come highly commended; consistently featured in Band One of the Legal 500 and Chambers UK listings. At the core of our approach is our objective to help our education clients do what is fundamentally right for their pupils and their organisation as a whole.

What does the role actually involve?

• To provide a solution focused, pragmatic HR advisory service to clients on the full range of complex employee relations and wider HR issues
• To deliver exceptional client service at all times, keeping the client at the centre of all that we do
• To keep abreast of sector developments and changes in order to ensure that advice is compliant, and sector focused
• To lead on ad-hoc client projects covering the full scope of generalist HR
• To lead on complex casework as instructed by clients including investigations of all types
• To prepare and attend training for clients/pitches/tender presentations
• To prepare and create new precedent documentation for clients based on changes to legislation and sector direction/initiatives
• To collaboratively undertake reviews of existing precedent documentation ensuring compliance and best practice
• To maximise new business opportunities for the firm, seeing them through to successful completion
• To delegate to and manage HR Consultants and HR Advisers as required
• To support the Head of HR Services with the development of the function through the production of innovative ideas, approaches or insights that further improve internal processes as well as new products and services
• To act as a coach and mentor to the HR Advisers and HR Consultants, supporting them to identify development opportunities so that they can be the best version of themselves
• To undertake public speaking at conferences and other events, demonstrating credibility
• To build and engender trusted advisor relationships with allocated clients, ensuring exceptional client care. Lead on the client conversation regarding annual renewal of HR services
• To manage allocated client matter files, ensuring that fees and time are managed carefully and that support teams are notified of billing requirements. Also, to be involved in any client conversations regarding outstanding invoices yet to be paid
• To support the team with their allocated client matter files, ensuring that fees and time are managed carefully, reviewing management information regularly to ensure profitability and exceptional client service
• To write blog posts and advisory articles on an ad-hoc basis for both Browne Jacobson materials as well as sector publications and websites
• This is a client facing, fee-earning role within a professional services environment, therefore the role holder will need to carry out appropriate recording of all activities, ensuring that time spent on each activity is accurately recorded each day in line with the firm’s time recording policy (a software system is used in support of this)

What technical skills are required for someone to be successful and enjoy the role?

• Up-to-date knowledge and understanding of human resources best practice and a thorough understanding of the practical application of employment law
• Knowledge and understanding of key human resources processes such as payroll and pensions, human resources information systems, DBS and recruitment
• Sound experience of managing and bringing to a successful conclusion complex and contentious human resources casework including discipline, grievance, capability and harassment
• Sound experience of managing and bringing to a successful conclusion HR projects
• Knowledge and experience of working with and negotiating with trade unions

Who would be a good fit for this role?

As part of the HR Services (Education) team, you would be expected to have the following skills and experience:

• Evidence of continual professional development as a HR practitioner, ideally from within the education sector
• Knowledge and understanding of key education sector issues
• Ability to work collaboratively to review, develop and implement effective human resources policies and procedures
• Ability to analyse and interpret complex information and prepare and deliver briefings, articles, papers and/or presentations
• Effective communication, influencing and persuasion skills together with evidence of success in building and forming working relationships, and working flexibly across professional and operational boundaries
• Ability to engender trust and confidence and demonstrate probity and integrity in the provision of advice
• Ability to lead, manage and develop a team
• Ability to manage conflicting priorities and a demanding workload
• Demonstrable experience of working as a trusted advisor to key organisational stakeholders
• Ability to generate and follow up business development leads, seeing them through to pitch presentations and ultimately deliver new business for the organisation
• Ability to produce innovative ideas, approaches or insights in order to continually develop the HR Services practice, be that through internal system development or through new products and services that add value to our clients
• Ability to take on board new projects and instructions with confident self-direction, researching and gathering information in order to support decision making, personal practice and exceptional client service
• Ability to set clear direction to a team, delegating work appropriately and fairly
• As a role model, sets appropriate standards of behaviour, upholding Browne Jacobson’s core values and ethics, promoting and defending equal opportunities and embracing diversity and inclusion