JOB DESCRIPTION 

JOB TITLE: Human Resources Manager (maternity leave cover) 

REPORTS TO: Executive Director: Finance & Administration 

DEPARTMENT: Finance and Administration 

DATE: May 2008 

SALARY SCALE: Principal Officer 

JOB PURPOSE 

To develop and deliver people management strategies which support the Board’s overall strategic aims 

and objectives. The jobholder will be expected to contribute at both a strategic and operational level in 

order to identify HR priorities and recommend appropriate people management solutions which support 

business aims, in addition to providing a customer-focused HR service. The jobholder will provide 

expert professional advice and support to managers and staff on all aspects of people management, 

which fully reflects the Board's desire to be an employer of choice, current employment legislation and 

best practice. 

DIMENSIONS 

Working with approximately 125 staff, the jobholder will help direct a training budget of £75k and a 

recruitment budget of £35k, and will be expected to provide guidance and support to all staff on the full 

range of HR activities including policies and procedures, terms and conditions of employment, absence 

management, restructuring of services, recruitment, retention, performance management, employee 

relations, employee reward, learning and development and internal communications. 

ORGANIZATION 

Chief Executive 

Executive Director: Finance & 

Administration 

Assistant Director 

Finance & 

Administration 

Human Resources 

Manager 

IT Director UK Operations 

Director 

Office Services 

Manager 2

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

1. Strategic HR Management 

1.1. In consultation with the Executive Director: Finance and Administration, prepare and implement 

the annual HR Plan to support the overall strategic aims and objectives of the Board. 

1.2. Identify, design and implement strategic HR projects, as and when required. 

2. Resourcing 

2.1. Provide support to managers in the recruitment of all staff. 

2.2. Participate in the selection of staff, as appropriate. 

3. Employee Relations 

3.1. Work closely with senior and line managers, providing them with expert guidance, coaching and 

support on the full range of HR activities (including policies and procedures, terms and conditions 

of employment, absence management, restructuring of services, performance management, 

redundancy planning etc.), in order to ensure a consistent and fair approach to people 

management throughout the Board. 

3.2. Keep up to date with legal developments and advise management on compliance and risk 

factors. 

3.3. Manage investigations, disciplinary and grievance matters in conjunction with the Executive 

Director: Finance and Administration. 

3.4. Provide advice and guidance on individual employee relations cases, ensuring that these are well 

managed and meet the requirements of the Board’s policies, best practice and employment 

legislation. 

3.5. Develop, implement and maintain HR policies and procedures to ensure effective, fair and 

consistent management of staff throughout the organisation, and ensure that the staff handbook 

is comprehensive and up-to-date. 

3.6. Ensure that managers and staff are aware of the policies and procedures and able to operate 

them effectively. 

3.7. Provide support to staff on HR issues, as and when required. 

3.8. Monitor and review the system of performance appraisal and continually develop as necessary, 

ensuring that annual appraisals are carried out in a timely manner and followed up. 

3.9. Develop and maintain an effective partnership with the Staff Forum ensuring consultation and 

communication practices are routinely adopted to enable management to make effective 

decisions and successfully implement proposals. 

3.10. Ensure that staff are informed and updated on key business and organisational issues. 

4. Learning and Development 

4.1. In consultation with line managers, follow up individual development needs and source external 

training provision as and when required, monitoring training costs against budget. 

4.2. Administer the evaluation of all learning and development activities. 

4.3. Make recommendations on a cost-effective management development programme to support the 

Board’s people management strategies. 3

4.4. Maintain training records for all staff and assist with any training initiatives, as required. 

5. Compensation and Benefits 

5.1. Gather and analyse market data to measure the competitiveness of the Board’s compensation 

and benefits package, and make recommendations as appropriate. 

5.2. Assist with the annual salary review process, as and when required. 

6. Other 

6.1. Monitor sickness and absence levels and provide monthly management reports to the 

Directorate. 

6.2. Chair the Human Resources Committee. 

6.3. Represent HR and participate in various internal groups and committees across the organisation. 

6.4. Review and manage new starter and leaver processes, including conducting exit interviews for all 

staff. 

6.5. Manage maternity leave administration and flexible working requests. 

6.6. Monitor HR trends throughout the organisation and provide management information on Key 

Performance Indicators to the Directorate as appropriate. 

6.7. Plan, co-ordinate and evaluate bi-annual work experience placements, ensuring that these meet 

the needs of the Board as well as those of the student. 

6.8. In consultation with the Executive Director: Finance and Administration, manage the 

implementation of HR systems and develop where necessary. 

6.9. Manage health issues and medical referrals. 

6.10. Manage the information held on the HR database and personnel files to ensure it is updated in a 

timely and accurate manner and complies with any legal or data protection policies. 

6.11. Advise on matters relating to the engagement of the Board’s examiners and Representatives. 

6.12. Act as one of the Board’s Designated Child Protection Officers. 

6.13. To undertake other tasks as agreed with the Executive Director: Finance and Administration 

This is not a complete statement of all duties and responsibilities of this post. The jobholder may be 

required to carry out other duties as directed by the Executive Director: Finance and Administration, the 

responsibility level of which should not exceed those outlined above. 

NATURE AND PURPOSE OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CONTACTS 

Internal 

The jobholder will be expected to maintain close and effective personal working relationships at all 

levels of the organisation. The communication skills required include the ability to communicate 

complex, sensitive and contentious information. 

External 

ƒ External agencies, including recruitment agencies, recruitment advertising agencies, trainers and 

suppliers of other HR products and services. 4

ƒ Employment lawyers, occupational health professionals and medical practitioners, Criminal Records 

Bureau. 

ƒ Advisory organisations and Public Bodies such as ACAS, CIPD, NCVO, Business Link etc. 

ƒ Associated Board Representatives and Examiners. 

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIRED 

ƒ Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development together with evidence 

of continuing professional development 

ƒ Degree (or equivalent) 

ƒ Proven generalist experience including the ability to work at both strategic and operational levels 

ƒ Fully conversant and up-to-date with all aspects of employment law and HR best practice 

ƒ Experience in the development and implementation of employment policies and procedures 

ƒ Experience at recruitment interviewing and assessment at a senior level 

ƒ Ability to work autonomously and flexibly 

ƒ Influencing, persuading, coaching and negotiating skills 

ƒ Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills 

ƒ Ability to prepare and present reports to director level 

ƒ Pro-active and self-motivated 

ƒ Excellent planning and organisation skills to meet deadlines 

ƒ Proficient in the use of MS Office applications, email and the Internet 

ƒ Excellent attention to detail 

ƒ Co-operative and supportive team player 

ƒ A good working knowledge of HR systems 

ƒ Ability to create HR communications appropriate for the audience 

JOB CONTEXT 

The jobholder reports to the Executive Director: Finance and Administration who has overall 

responsibility for Human Resources matters within the Board. 

An additional organisation-wide perspective will be provided in the jobholder’s work as Chair of the 

Human Resources Committee, which meets monthly and its membership drawn from across all 

operational areas of the Board, as well as attending fortnightly Directors’ Committee meetings. 

LIMITS OF AUTHORITY 

The jobholder’s day-to-day delivery of HR services will be autonomous, within the context of the 

priorities agreed with the Executive Director: Finance and Administration and Human Resources 

Committee and as set out in the Corporate Plan. 

TYPICAL PROBLEMS REFERRED TO SUPERIOR 

Complex disciplinary, grievance and long-term sickness absence cases and changes to staff 

remuneration are examples of issues which would normally be discussed with the Executive Director: 

Finance and Administration. 5

NATURE AND RANGE OF IMPACT 

The job impacts on all areas of the Board. 

ALLOCATION, REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF WORK 

The jobholder will determine the day to day activities to be undertaken in regular consultation with the 

Executive Director: Finance and Administration. The priorities for the work will be determined in 

agreement with the Executive Director: Finance and Administration and in consultation with the Human 

Resources Committee. 

EQUIPMENT OPERATION 

ƒ Windows based PC and printer including the use of Microsoft Office applications, HR database, 

email and the Internet 

ƒ Photocopier 

ƒ Telephone/voicemail/fax machine 

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 

Salary: 

Starting salary circa £35,000 dependent on the knowledge and skills of the successful candidate. 

Salaries are reviewed annually. 

Contract period: 

This is a fixed term contract for up to twelve months to cover maternity leave. The contract will 

commence in mid-May 2008. 

Place of work: 

Portland Place, London, W1B 

Payment of salary: 

Payment is made by the 23rd day of the month to a nominated bank or building society account. 

Probationary period: 

If you have not been employed by the Associated Board in a similar capacity previously, your 

employment shall be subject to a probationary period of three months. The completion of your 

probationary period will, however, be subject to a formal review and you will not have completed your 

probationary period until that review has taken place. 

Termination of employment: 6

This is a fixed term contract for a period of up to twelve months. The contract will automatically 

terminate on the completion of the current jobholder’s maternity leave. The period of notice to terminate 

the appointment (other than by completion) will be three calendar months by either party (one week 

during the probationary period). 

Pension provision: 

The Associated Board operates an Occupational Pension Scheme, whereby the employee and 

employer pay contributions to the scheme based on the employee’s pensionable salary. Unless 

otherwise stated in your letter of appointment, membership begins on attaining 18 years of age, subject 

to completion of a satisfactory probationary period. 

Interest free season ticket loan: 

Interest free season tickets loans are available on request after three months’ service. 

Hours of work: 

Using a flexible working system, full-time staff work thirty-five hours per week (seven hours per day 

excluding a lunch break). This allows some choice over starting and finishing times of work and also 

when lunch breaks are taken. Core hours, when employees must be at work, are in operation between 

10.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. (excluding a lunch break). Lunch-breaks must be taken between 12.30 and 

2.30 p.m. and employees are required to take a break of one hour for lunch. ‘Flexitime’ should, 

however, be operated in such a way that departments are adequately staffed throughout normal office 

hours (8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. Monday to Friday). 

Annual Leave: 

The annual leave entitlement is 25 days plus all statutory bank holidays. In addition, the Board normally 

has a winter closure between the 27 and 31 December each year. 

Appointment: 

The Human Resources Manager will request references following the interview for the successful 

candidate only. Offers will be made subject to satisfactory references, proof of eligibility to work in the 

UK and completion of a satisfactory probationary period.