Job Description

The King Edward VI Foundation, Birmingham, is a progressive charitable organisation which has supported excellence in education across the City since 1552. Our schools are diverse in nature but have a common purpose and commitment to achieving our mission of "making Birmingham the best place to be educated in the UK".

The King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham ("the Academy Trust") was established in 2017 and currently consists of two independent schools, six selective, and six nonselective academies.

Purpose of the Role:

This role is designed to strengthen the organisation's People systems and process improvement. The postholder will play a pivotal role in supporting the implementation and optimisation of People systems -- including recruitment, learning and development and communication platforms -- and will provide essential administrative support for the iTrent HR and payroll information system. They will also contribute to data quality assurance, user support, and system development, ensuring that People systems are configured, maintained, and used effectively across the central team, Academy Trust schools, and Independent Schools. Their work will directly support the organisation's strategic goals, compliance obligations, and commitment to continuous improvement.

The post holder will be expected to spend at least 60% of their time onsite.

The deadline for applications is 9am on Thursday 3rd July.

Principal responsibilities and duties

HR & Payroll Information System - iTrent

Maintain the organisational structure in iTrent, including creation and updates of posts, positions, and units across all schools and offices.

Manage establishment control and ensure accurate reflection of organisational changes.

Process support requests from People partners (e.g., working patterns, spot salaries, reporting lines).

Manage user access and permissions, including onboarding and offboarding support.

Triage and respond to queries via the general user support inbox, including access issues, payslip delivery queries and establishment control requests. General help desk management duties.

Producing reports for key users.

Support system releases, year-end upgrades, and software updates.

Conduct system testing and contribute to the development of new functionality.

Ensure data quality and integrity through regular audits and controls by supporting Head of People Specialist Services.

Create and maintain system documentation and user guidance, as required.

Deliver training and support to end users, as required.

2.

Recruitment Management System

Configure and maintain the system to meet organisational recruitment needs.

Coordinate with stakeholders to validate requirements and align workflows.

Liaise with the software provider for troubleshooting and updates.

Deliver user training and monitor post-implementation performance.

Support reporting and analytics for recruitment metrics.

Drive continuous improvement based on user feedback.

3.

Staff Learning and Development System

Support the implementation and administration of the staff learning and development platform.

Ensure alignment with organisational training policies and compliance requirements.

4.

Systems Integration

Assist with the integration of iTrent with the Management Information System (Arbor), ensuring data consistency and process alignment. This will be a multi-year project.

Assist with the development and testing and then management of data integration across multiple systems ensuring data consistency and process alignment.

5.

General HR Systems Support

Support the development of end-to-end processes and documentation.

Provide management information and KPI reporting to HR, Finance, and Executive teams.

Liaise with key users to understand where improvements could be made.

Ensure compliance with GDPR and other relevant legislation.

Support pay award, pension updates, and year-end activities.

General responsibilities and duties

To develop a clear understanding of the Foundation's vision, mission and strategic aims and to actively support these.

To remain up to date with the Foundation's policies, procedures and code of conduct and always uphold these.

To remain committed to the safeguarding of all of our students.

To identify and undertake relevant training to enable continuing professional development, where resources allow.

To prepare for and proactively engage in the performance review cycle with your line manager.

To attend appropriate internal and external meetings, as directed by your line manager.

To undertake such other duties as are agreed as being in keeping with the general nature of the job and its grade.

The successful candidate will be required to fulfil an enhanced DBS check.

This job description reflects the current requirements of the post. As duties and responsibilities change and develop due to changes in organisational and other circumstances, so the actual duties and responsibilities will vary from the particulars of this job description. Job descriptions will be updated or amended from time to time to reflect such changes.

Person Specification

Knowledge and experience

Essential

Experience in HR and Payroll team within a similar setting. Strong working knowledge of HR systems, particularly iTrent. Experience managing system support inboxes and triaging support requests. Excellent organisational, communication, and problem-solving skills. High proficiency in IT, especially Excel and MS applications. Strong attention to detail and commitment to data quality. Ability to manage multiple priorities and collaborate across teams. High degree of discretion in dealing with confidential information. High level of initiative and independent working. Ability to prioritise and proactively manage a demanding workload whilst working to deadlines. Uses initiative to investigate queries and propose suitable solutions.

Desirable

Experience with system implementation or digital transformation projects. Familiarity with applicant tracking systems and other dedicated HR platforms/intranets and SharePoint. Experience working in a large, complex organization. Experience in an education environment or with education clients. CIPD or digital or data qualification (or willingness to work towards one).

Qualifications

Competencies

Proactive and flexible approach to work.

Strong customer service ethos.

Ability to influence and drive change.

Team-focused and reliable.

Committed to continuous improvement and professional development.

The Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham is an educational charity supporting twelve academies and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

A full job description and an application pack for this post, can be found at: https://kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk/jobs/

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 30,000.00-35,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Company pension Cycle to work scheme Free parking On-site gym On-site parking Work from home
Schedule:

Monday to Friday
Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 03/07/2025