Job Description

This is a key role in the School, responsible for providing operational leadership and support across finance and human resources. You will support the School Manager in monitoring the School’s management accounts and managing the annual financial processes. HR responsibilities will include supporting performance management, professional development and promotions/recognition awards of School staff, maintaining equality and diversity data for both School staff and postgraduate research students.

Key responsibilities

• Assist the School Manager in the delivery of operational objectives in relation to staffing requirements for the School, aligning these with the Faculty’s objectives
• Support the School Manager in the development and implementation of the School’s forward plan, and associated initiatives and programmes, and regularly assessing the establishment, i.e. staff funded from endowment funds
• Support the School Manager and School Executive on changes to the School’s staffing, alerting them to risks in relation to the School’s staff identifying ways these can be managed and mitigated 
• Working with the Faculty and other university colleagues, promote the contribution of the School to the wider university objectives including Future Vision 
• Oversee and manage the School’s staff support, taking an active role in the coordination of recruitment, probation and performance management, recognition, capability development and succession planning liaising closely with colleagues from the Faculty and central Professional Services teams to ensure the use of effective processes and the supporting IT systems
• Leading Human Resource operations for the School, creating an inclusive, supportive and empowering environment for staff to reach their potential, embedding a culture of excellence 
• Coordinate the recruitment of postgraduate research students to the School, working with the Faculty Communications and Marketing team and the Faculty Education Support Services
• Work with the core HR data team to maintain effective systems for monitoring staff data held on the human resource management system, ensuring data are accurate, and supporting the completion of data returns and equality and diversity initiatives  
• Monitor and analyze non-pay and establishment expenditure on a monthly basis
• Facilitate the harmonization and development of systems, processes and training across the School, capitalizing on the significant investment in new IT systems; contribute to the formulation and subsequent implementation of the Faculty policies that underpin them 
• Ensure the School is compliant with university and external regulations and policies, seeking expert advice from colleagues in the Human Resources and Finance teams, interpreting and explaining this to staff as required
• Create an ethos of collaboration and collegiality, establishing effective communications and relationships, and encouraging staff to work in partnership with academic and Professional Services colleagues across the university, to join professional networks and working groups, and to make a wider contribution to the School, Faculty and university 
• Forge relationships with key partners and stakeholders including company’s partnering Trusts and acting as the primary School contact for internal and external partners in relation to human resource/staffing matters, working closely with the company’s Human Resource
• Maintain a working knowledge of good practice and changes in human resource management, seeking the expert advice of Human Resources and Finance for more complex matters and for up-to-date knowledge of legislation, communicating information to School staff as appropriate 
• Facilitate an inclusive culture and ethos across the School teams, ensuring that Professional Services staff work in partnership with academic staff in departments/institutes and Professional Services colleagues in the Faculty team and functional networks
• Deputies for the School Manager as appropriate, and represent the School, Faculty and university at meetings and events

Other duties

• Lead or contribute to cross-Faculty/university initiatives 
• Undertake any other reasonable duties and projects as requested by the School Manager or academic lead.
• These will include School-specific duties, for example supporting specialist Center’s, liaising with external bodies etc to underpin the School’s core activity.

Whilst working within the framework agreed with the post holder’s line manager/s, the post holder is expected to manage their own workload and is expected to be flexible in anticipating and responding to shifting and competing demands on their and the wider team’s time. It is expected that the post will work with minimum regular supervision but will refer to their line managers for advice on issues which fall outside existing regulatory or policy frameworks.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Educated to degree level or relevant experience
• Proven excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills at all levels
• Good numeracy and analytical skills to inform strategic decisions and procedure
• Proven Professional Services skills gained within the Higher Education sector and a detailed knowledge the regulatory, policy and procedural context along with the challenges and opportunities faced by the sector
• Experience of preparing budgets, business cases and plans, and monitoring key performance indicators, budgets and risks
• Experience of servicing committees, writing reports and formal correspondence
• Experience of using complex databases and management information systems
• Ability to work under pressure in a busy environment
• A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, actively addressing areas of potential bias
• Solutions and quality focused
• Excellent task management skills both for self and others, meeting tight deadlines
• Relevant postgraduate or professional qualification
• Good practical understanding of the UK employment law and the underlying principles
• Experience of building an effective network across a complex organization and with external stakeholders