Job Description

The People Officer is a key role within the wider People Partnering Team. The role is accountable for providing a customer focussed, rapid response advisory service on people procedure, policy and cyclical people process. The role holder supports line managers with process and policy implementation through the promotion of self service and through supporting and coaching leaders.
Key Accountabilities

• To provide rapid advice, support and guidance to people leaders on people related matters, in line with the University's policy, process and procedure, including signposting to self-serve sources of information and support and where appropriate People Services and Centres of Excellence.
• To manage assigned caseload related to sickness absence, health, welfare and performance management as required and in line with University policy and procedures and through support, advice and coaching to people leaders. Where necessary to liaise with the Employee Relations Team for the transfer of casework and documentation to the team in readiness for formal disciplinary, grievance, and dignity at work processes.
• Using various reports, dashboards, KPI metrics and survey insights, to create regular and ad hoc people data packs for the wider People Partnering team to use at faculty and Professional Service leadership team people discussions, including summary analysis and narrative from the data, highlighting key issues, trends or opportunities.
• To co-ordinate employee lifecycle processes, including Academic Promotions, Professorial Salary Review (PSR) and Rewarding Exceptional Performance (REP), including overseeing the consolidation of paper work and data insight to enable People Partners and Lead People Partners to facilitate informed and constructive discussions on the recognition and development of high performance.
• To support the delivery of People Directorate initiatives (e.g. talent framework and talent development, quarterly people discussion, engagement analytics, workforce planning, performance culture or change management initiatives), either by providing process support, or coaching support to people leaders
• To actively contribute to the continuous improvement of employee lifecycle processes and procedures as well as sources of line manager and employee information and guidance. This includes liaising with colleagues within internal communications and marketing to maintain up-to-date information and materials on the People pages of faculty intranets.

This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated individual looking to advance their career in a collaborative and forward-thinking environment.
Person Specification

• A current, sound knowledge and awareness of the key challenges and issues affecting People / Human Resources.
• Associate CIPD qualification and/or demonstrable professional skills and knowledge to the requirements of the post gained through relevant industry experience is essential.
• Experience of providing advice and guidance to managers on People / HR policies, processes and procedures across the employee lifecycle and contributing to policy and process development.
• Must have experience of contributing to policy and process development, continuous improvement and implementation through stakeholder engagement.
• Analytical Thinking - Has the ability to use operational and transaction data sets to identify the source of people issues. Is able to articulate the connection between data and issues to inform discussion and decision-making.
• Service Excellence - Demonstrates the ability to plan and deliver cyclical and known people related activities, policy and process in line with organisational expectations, in time and to high standards.
• Change Management - Has sound understanding of people change process and legislation and is able to provide specialist administrative support to the wider People Partnering Team regarding change management projects.
• Continuous Improvement - Draws on own expertise in process, policy and procedure and data and insight sources to identify opportunities for continuous improvement (CI). Is confidence in promoting CI opportunities to the right people and willingness to explore new ideas suggested by others, applying own knowledge to critique and support new ideas.
• People Advocacy and Culture - Demonstrates the ability to provide advice, guidance and coaching through the lens of the employee experience. Champions and role-models' ways of working within immediate network and stakeholder groups that aligns to a people centred and inclusive culture.
• Collaboration - Is able to build strong and long-lasting working relationships and can identify common goals and actively involves key stakeholders in delivery or creation of people solutions.
• Influencing - Keeps up-to date on areas of specialist knowledge and uses evidence- based arguments to present new ideas related to the accountabilities and deliverables of own role. Is able to influence through excellent verbal, written and digital/ IT communication skills.
• Commercial Awareness - Demonstrates a foundational knowledge of the commercial and financial drivers of the University and factors that influence goals and objectives. Can identify the connection between these factors and impacted people priorities.

Desirable skills

• Some working knowledge of People / HR delivery within the Higher Education Sector is preferred but not essential.
• Experience working within People / HR function in a higher education or similar setting is preferred.
• Degree and / or Chartered Membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development is preferred but not essential.
• ILM 5 Qualification in Coaching and Mentoring is preferred.

As one of the leading Universities our employees enjoy exclusive access to excellent benefits and schemes including:

• Generous annual leave allowance, including Christmas/New Year closure
• Pension scheme membership to provide benefits for you and your family
• Well-being programme with counselling, fitness and leading sports facilities
• Learning and development opportunities
• Season ticket loans for public transport
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Workplace nursery scheme
• Staff recognition schemes
• Staff discounts on a range of products and services including travel and high street savings

The University of Manchester is part of the prestigious Russell Group of universities and highly respected across the globe as a centre of teaching excellence and research innovation and discovery.
With 25 Nobel Prize winners among our current and former staff and students, we have a history of world firsts, with our impact ranging from splitting the atom to giving the world graphene.
Our purpose is to advance education, knowledge and wisdom for the good of society, putting our three core goals of research and discovery, teaching and learning, and social responsibility at the heart of everything we do.
As an equal opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status. All appointments will be made on merit.
We reserve to right to close the advert early in the instance that we receive a high volume of suitable applicants.
Any CV's submitted by recruitment agencies will be treated as a gift.
Enquiries about the vacancy, shortlisting and interviews:
Name: Jen Pass, Talent Acquisition Business Partner
Email: Jennifer.pass@manchester.ac.uk
General enquiries:
Email:
Technical support:
This vacancy will close for applications at midnight on the closing date. We reserve to right to close the advert early in the instance that we receive a high volume of suitable applicants.