Head of HR

**Who are we?**

First Rail is one of the UK's most experienced rail operators, carrying more than 345m passengers across four franchises (Great Western Railway, South Western Railway, and Avanti West Coast) and our open access operators (Hull Trains and the newly-launched Lumo). We operate all types of passenger railways - intercity, commuter, regional and sleeper services.

We are continually seeking ways in which to improve the experience for our customers. Our newly formed Customer Contact Centre uses industry leading systems to deliver excellent customer service and ensure that requests are speedily and effectively resolved.

Our delivery teams are responsible for a variety of customer support matters which range from processing customer compensation claims to complaints handling, group bookings and assisted/special services, quality assurance and fraud prevention and detection and retails sales to individuals and corporates.

**What is the role?**

This is a ‘hands on' role which will require you to take full responsibility for each stage of the employee lifecycle in a demanding and fast-paced environment. Whilst you will work closely with the senior management team to shape and influence future strategy, you will also need to be heavily involved in day to day activities such as recruitment, overseeing payroll and advising line managers on HR issues.

In order to succeed in this role, you will have significant operational HR experience ideally gained in a contact centre environment. You will have excellent attention to detail, and the ability to organise your work and that of your team to meet operational requirements. You must have the confidence to work independently, and the ability to communicate and build relationships with individuals at all levels of the organisation. Experience of managing and developing a team and dealing with the full range of employee relations issues are also essential.

**What are the key responsibilities?**
- Support the Senior management team with transformation and change projects
- Support and oversee the management of both short and long-term absence, including occupational health referrals and recommendations for resolution.
- Support managers with the full range of employee relations issues including disciplinary cases (up to and including dismissal), grievances, flexible working requests and long-term absence.
- Oversee the monthly payroll process to ensure that all employees are correctly paid
- Manage the recruitment and onboarding process to ensure that the contact centre is always adequately staffed; liaise with recruitment agencies and the internal resourcing team as appropriate
- Ensure that all HR records are accurately maintained in respect of joiners, leavers and any contractual changes and that supporting correspondence is issued in a timely manner.
- Develop and maintain all HR information so that it is user-friendly and accessible, including the HR intranet site, policies, procedures, letter templates and contractual documentation.
- Oversee the performance review cycle including probationary reviews and the annual appraisal process. Provide support and training to managers and implement any training/ development requests.
- Provide regular reports and analysis for the senior management team
- Support a culture of safety in conjunction with the Finance Manager

**What are we looking for?**
- Experience of working as a HR Manager, CIPD qualified or equivalent and managing a small team
- Strong knowledge of UK employment law and ACAS best practices
- Ability to influence and persuade
- Strong attention to detail
- Excellent organisation skills and ability to prioritise own work
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Experience of building internal relationships
- Microsoft Technologies - Office 365, Teams etc

**What is in it for you?**
- A Travel Pass which entitles you to free travel on the FirstGroup Bus.
- Discounted travel for you and your family on our trains (Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway, Hull Trains, Lumo and Southwestern Railway)_after 6 months of service_
- 25 days holiday (plus Public Holidays)
- Contributory pension scheme
- Discounted Gym Membership to help you stay fit for less
- Discounts at over 100 retailers, including well-known high-street shops, cinema tickets, flights, and holiday bookings through our in-house rewards package.
- Discounts on selected local retailers & brands
- Engaging and vibrant environment

First Customer Contact aims to attract high calibre applicants by ensuring that recruitment and selection processes are effective, systematic and fair, and promote equality of opportunity regardless of any protected characteristic as defined by the Equality Act 2010, membership of any trade union, or social class or background.

**Ref**:023367

**Company**:First Customer Contact Ltd

**Website Skillset**:All Other Roles

**Contract Type**:Permanent - Full Time

**Contracted Hours**:37.50

**Location