Job title: Senior People and Development Business
Partner – Equality, Engagement and
Wellbeing

Reports to:
Head of People and Development Grade:
8
School / Service: People and Development (P&D) Responsible for: No. direct reports (if applicable)
1 OD Coordinator Working hours: 37


• Business Partnering Activities
• As Senior Business Partner to designated Schools and Services, you will provide a
full range of strategic and operational support across key people areas such as
recruitment and selection, performance management, Employee Relations, reward
and benefits, organisational development and change management that will benefit
and influence throughout the entire employee life cycle.
• Working across the P&D teams to support, lead and advise colleagues, ensuring the
successful implementation and service delivery of the P&D strategy specifically in
relation to equality, engagement and wellbeing.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships up to and including a
senior level to ensure compliance, manage risks, challenge the status quo and
influence change.
• Coach, develop and advise managers to enable them to fully undertake their people
management role and embed the leadership behaviours.
• Regularly monitor, track and evaluate data relating to key employee BP metrics,
such as employee relations cases and leaver interviews, identifying trends,
providing recommendations for improvements and sharing this information with
PDMT and senior leaders.
• Promote staff engagement outcomes and associated communications within business
partnering areas.
• Alongside managers and Finance review workforce planning data to ensure that
Qualifications
• CIPD qualified to Level 7 essential
• Qualified to degree level (or relevant comparable qualification or work
experience)

Knowledge
• Solid and up to date knowledge of employment legislation
• Experience of managing TUPE transfers
•
• Ideally previous experience of working within an academic institution or
other similar organisation

Experience
• Experience of operating and liaising successfully within a Trade Union
environment
• Leading on business
planning organisational change projects with the senior management lead
ership team within specific schools and services resulting in clearly
defined outcomes and the successful achievement of financial targets.
• Track record of identifying and delivering solution focused practical and
effective People and Development solutions within the framework of
organisational policies and procedures.
Job Purpose/Job Overview
Working as a strategic partner across a defined portfolio of academic schools and Professional Services, aligning support with their priorities to enable the successful
delivery of strategic plans. Acting as a subject matter expert in Equality, Engagement and Wellbeing, providing high-quality guidance that supports the University in
its strategic and operational equality and wellbeing commitments.
Reporting to the Head of People and Development, the role contributes to the design, scope, delivery, and implementation of key people initiatives, ensuring
effective execution of the People and Development strategic plan while maintaining a consistently high standard of service

staffing decisions are within Department /Service planned budget.
• Review, challenge, scrutinise and present to senior leader’s appropriate workforce
planning and performance reports to inform planning, decision making and
talent/succession planning.
• In support of the Senior BP – Employee Relations and Policy identify, create,
design and introduce any new initiatives, employment policies and procedures
ensuring that appropriate and robust engagement with, including those that
will assist the university in achieving its financial targets and strategic aims.
• Produce good quality, accurately written materials including letters, policies,
reports, committee papers etc.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with external partners. Identifying
the need to and challenge advice provided by external partners where
required.
• Liaise and engage with Trade Unions, influencing decision making on P&D
policies and procedures and ways of working to enhance the employee
experience and enable the university to achieve its strategic plans.
• Network across the university with peer groups and broader workforce
particularly in relation to equality and wellbeing, being the main contact whilst
sharing good practice.
• Identify and attend internal staff networking events
• Manage 3rd party contracts as required, being able to work to budget and hold 3rd
party providers to account.


SME Activties
• Advise and support the Head of P&D to deliver equality, wellbeing and
engagement priorities aligned to the people strategy.
• Deliver staff engagement activity, including analysis and communication,
and meet Equality Workforce Action Plan commitments.
• Lead a proactive, inclusive wellbeing approach covering physical, mental
and emotional health, aligned with Health and Safety plans.
• Strengthen allyship, inclusive behaviours and understanding across staff,
managers and leaders.
• Lead occupational health provision and reporting, including health
surveillance and eyewear schemes.
• Drive cultural change through EDI and wider strategic and operational
initiatives.

• Solid experience of managing, coaching, guiding and concluding
complex employee relations casework from investigation to appeals in a
timely manner.
• Leading people forums, champion groups and networks as required
• Experience of employment tribunals

Skills
• Ability to work as part of multiple teams
• Excellent communication with attention to detail
• Empathetic approach
• Ability to work at pace whilst ensuring that accuracy is maintained
throughout.
• Ability to influence and negotiate
• Problem solving and solution oriented
• Able to work with pace and make sound decisions
• Build and sustain effective relationships with stakeholders
• Proactive and able to challenge and influence at all levels, including with
Trade Unions and at senior level
• Able to produce and analyse data to support and inform decision making