Senior HR Advisor

Licensed sponsor Leeds Full-time Posted 6 hours ago

Job title: Senior HR Adviser

Salary: PO2 £41,177 - £44,253

Hours: 37

Contract: Permanent

Location: Leeds

We’re recruiting for a number of roles across our HR service at Leeds City Council, offering opportunities for HR practitioners at different stages of their careers to make a real difference to our organisation and workforce. Whether you’re an experienced HR leader or looking to take the next step in your career, we have a range of opportunities to explore.

Working across a large and diverse organisation, our HR team plays an important role in supporting our people, helping managers navigate workforce challenges and creating an environment where employees can thrive.

The HR service is made up of around 110 colleagues who work together to support over 14,000 council employees and 11,500 colleagues working across our schools. Our Directorate Support team works together with our specialist HR teams across the organisation, providing employment advice, strategic direction and support on everything from recruitment and employee relations to wellbeing, equality, diversity and inclusion and organisational development. We play a vital role in developing our people, strengthening our organisation and ensuring we have the workforce needed to deliver high-quality services. Everything we do is underpinned by our People and Culture Framework.

Joining us is an opportunity to contribute to work that has a real impact on our employees, our services and the people of Leeds. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions . If this is you, we’d love to hear from you.

We are hiring a Senior HR Adviser to provide specialist support within the pay and employee relations team.

Apply Below Or Explore Our Other HR Opportunities

Head of HR (£72,526 - £79,561)
HR Service Manager (£53,051- £56,293)
HR Business Partner (£47,665 - £50,908) or temporary position
HR Business Partner - Wellbeing (£47,665 - £50,908)
HR Adviser (£38,510 - £40,444)

About You

As a Senior HR Adviser, you will bring to the role:

HR experience and a good understanding of HR practice and employment legislation.
Experience of providing advice and guidance to managers on a range of employment and workforce issues.
Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to explain complex information clearly.
The ability to assess issues, identify appropriate solutions and manage competing priorities effectively.
A collaborative approach and a commitment to delivering high-quality HR support and improving ways of working.

What We Offer You

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How To Apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice on completing your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the roles please contact Jess Dolphin. Call 0113 37 89277 / 07712216314 or email Jess.dolphin@leeds.gov.uk.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Leeds City Council

Job Description

Job Purpose

Assist the HR Leadership Team and HR Business Partners by taking responsibility for Delivery of the Council’s People Strategy, Supporting specific Directorate service areas on a wide range of employment activities, HR service performance management, improvement and development and/or support the delivery of specialist HR services, including pay, reward, OD and resourcing.

Responsibilities

Responsible for completing tasks and activities set directly or indirectly by senior officers or Elected Members. Deliver the required outcomes on time by managing resources to overcome setbacks and by balancing against many other key responsibilities.
Work with colleagues, specialists, and other council services (including those unrelated to your own) to support service improvement.
Use information from managers and employees, internal and external sources to identify emerging issues or the need for change. Identify workable solutions or practical plans that will ensure a successful outcome.
Design and deliver cost effective workforce solutions and strategies that contribute to effective management of service budgets. Analyse, forecast and prepare information to ensure developing issues are flagged up appropriately.
Interpret policies, procedures, data, and customer feedback in relation to their implications for the organisation. Use the information to provide appropriate advice and guidance and manage your area to meet the needs of the organisation. Provide appropriate advice and work with others to develop policy.
Directly and or matrix manage others, taking responsibility for their coordination, development, and input to appraisal. Monitor and support performance improvement and use a coaching approach to develop team members and maximise their contribution.
Support staff to achieve their full potential, adapting your approach according to individual needs, whilst complying with the council’s people management principles and policies.
Coordinate activities involving your team or others across the organisation (where required), keeping track of all the elements even where the complexity means it takes several weeks or more to organise. Include contingencies that reduce the risk to people, budgets, or the council’s reputation.
Improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and development programmes.
Work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.
Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.
The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications Chartered Membership of the CIPD, any relevant post graduate qualification or applied experience within an HR or relevant setting is essential

Essential requirements Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

Able to work flexibly across different work locations and areas as appropriate.
Able to carefully analyse and apply judgement to the variety of complex situations that arise. Solve difficult problems, develop new ideas and produce long term plans and solutions.
Able to produce accurate work to meet the demands for precision in your role, so that those who rely on your work know that they can trust its accuracy.
Able to exchange wide ranging, contentious or complex information. Select the most fitting method from a very wide range of options depending on the audience. Seek and listen to customer feedback to represent their views to others. Interact confidently, influence and negotiate persuasively, convincing others, when needed, to adopt policies and courses of action they might not otherwise take.
Able to maintain concentration, despite interruptions and conflicting demands. Give tasks and people your full attention at all times of your working day.
Able to directly and matrix manage others, taking responsibility for their coordination, development, and appraisal. Monitor and support performance improvement and use a coaching approach to develop team members and maximise their contribution.
Support staff to achieve their full potential, adapting your approach according to individual needs, whilst complying with the council’s people management principles and policies.
Able to work with colleagues, specialists, and other council services (including those unrelated to your own) to support service improvement for the benefit of customers.
Able to deal with varied situations including serious issues from start to finish, escalating and alerting them to a more senior manager where appropriate.
Able to use your initiative to make frequent decisions, thinking creatively within the guidelines that govern your service and make recommendations.
Demonstrate an understanding of people culture and inclusion strategies and outcomes.
Experience of working with senior management to shape and influence the delivery of service level priorities ensuring people are kept at the forefront.
Experience of building credible and effective collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders including Directors, elected members, trade unions, colleagues, and partner organisations to understand future challenges and to deliver effective workforce solutions.

Essential Behavioural & Other Characteristics

Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct
Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Leeds Ambitions of health and wellbeing, inclusive growth, thriving strong communities and a resilient sustainable city
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
Carry out duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills.
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding equality & diversity of Leeds City Council.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol, and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements Candidates are not required to meet all the following desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates

Knowledge of key employment legislation including primary legislation, regulations, and relevant case law.
Knowledge of employment related change in the workplace.
Of the broad organisational development agenda, particularly as regards to wellbeing, employee experience, diversity, and inclusion.