HR Advisor

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HR Advisor (Part time)
College of Biomedical and Life Sciences

The College of Biomedical and Life Sciences are looking to appoint a HR Advisor to work as part of a team to deliver and contribute to the provision of a customer-focused, professional Human Resources service.  

As an HR Advisor you will provide day-to-day generalist advice and support across the full employee life cycle to employees and managers within the School of Psychology and the College of Biomedical & Life Sciences.  

Applicants should be customer focused, have a thorough understanding of employment related policies and procedures, and be able to demonstrate sound judgement in their application.

Cardiff University offers many excellent benefits, including 45 days annual leave (incl bank holidays), local flexible pension scheme, a cycle to work scheme and other travel initiatives, annual increments within the pay scale, and more. It is an exciting and vibrant place to work, with many different challenges and is a proud Living Wage supporter.

This role is eligible to be offered on a blended working basis, meaning that as well as spending time working in the School of Psychology you can also choose to spend some time working from another location, e.g. your home. The University is committed to offering this flexibility, wherever the role and business need allows, supporting work-life balance. Discussions around these arrangements can take place after the successful candidate has been appointed.

The position is permanent, part-time and 21 hours per week. (Work pattern to be agreed with the successful candidate across a minimum of 4 days per week). In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working.

For informal enquiries please contact Sarah Riby, HR Manager - [email protected]

Salary: £32,332- £34,980 per annum, pro rata (Grade 5).

Appointments to roles at Cardiff University are usually made at bottom of scale unless in exceptional circumstances.

Date advert posted: Wednesday, 3 April 2024

Closing Date: Wednesday, 24 April 2024

Please be aware that Cardiff University reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds.  We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age.  In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

Job Description

Job Purpose

To provide professional HR support to managers and staff on all aspects of University HR policy and procedures and current employment law.

Main Duties
•    Proactively provide professional HR support to managers and staff on all aspects of University HR policy and procedures and current employment law, using judgement and creativity to suggest the most appropriate course of action.
•    Establish and develop relationships with managers and key contacts in Schools, to understand and advise on people management issues and structures in their areas.
•    Provide first level advice and support in relation to employee probation, grievance and disciplinary cases through internal procedures, assessing the risks including legal and financial impact as well and other implications.
•    Provide professional advice and support on performance management, contract management, job evaluation and recruitment queries.
•    Guiding line managers through all aspects of University absence management policies and procedures. This will include advising on staff wellbeing in additional to the management of frequent short term and long term absence cases.
•    Act as the point of contact to staff and managers in relation to work life balance matters including maternity leave, shared parental leave and flexible working requests.
•    Contribute to the development and delivery of specific HR projects and initiatives for the College / School as identified.
•    Contribute to the design and delivery of relevant training activities.
•    Work with the HR Manager to oversee the schools' recruitment activity to identify and implement best practice, consistency, and opportunities for improvement.
•    Manage the performance, induction and development of HR Administrator/s, setting key objectives, supporting and guiding in welfare issues, escalating as necessary to specialist support areas.
•    Support the continuous improvement of HR practices in collaboration with the HR Manager.
•    Establish working relationships with key contacts, developing appropriate communication links with the University’s Schools and Professional Services with the aim of enhancing the School’s HR provision.

General Duties
•    Ensure that confidentiality is maintained when undertaking duties.
•    Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements in respect of equality and diversity, data protection, copyright and licensing, security, financial and other University policies, procedures and codes.
•    Perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role.

Person Specification

How we will support you in performing in this role –

There are some things that you must have before you can start this role (see ‘Essential Criteria’ below), but other things can be developed either through training, or just by general on-the-job experience. We want to support and develop you once you have started in the role using a combination of the following to get the best out of you:

1.    Regular one-to-ones with your manager
2.    An experienced and supportive team around you
3.    Supporting you through job-relevant training and development that you may require.
4.    A mentoring scheme

Essential Criteria

1. Degree / NVQ 4 / Graduate CIPD or equivalent relevant HR experience
2. Relevant experience of providing first-line HR advice (in a multi-functional organisation, supporting all levels of staff) using personal judgement and taking a risk based approach, from initial advisory stages through to more formal case support.
3. Professional knowledge of current UK employment law and HR ‘best practice’ and the ability to apply this in case management support.
4. Experience of supporting the design and integration of office systems with a demonstrable attitude for ‘continuous improvement’.
5. Demonstrable ability to communicate detailed and sensitive information confidently, effectively and professionally to a wide range of people in a variety of settings
6. Demonstrable commitment to customer-focus and an ability to build and maintain effective working relationships.
7. IT literate with experience of using appropriate packages (MS Office), databases and data reporting tools.
8. Demonstrable ability to apply critical thinking to explore practical solutions to potentially complex issues including experience of analysing and using data to support case work and business change proposals.
9. Demonstrable ability to work autonomously to meet customer needs, planning and setting priorities to ensure deadlines are met.
10. Evidence of maintaining and updating personal and professional knowledge through continuous professional development and keeping up to date with employment law and HR best practice.

Desirable Criteria

1. Experience of supervising HR administrative staff.
2. Experience of working in a Higher Education environment.
3. The ability to communicate in Welsh (written and oral) to an intermediate level.

Additional Information

IMPORTANT: Evidencing Criteria

It is Cardiff University's policy to use the person specification as a key tool for shortlisting. Therefore, candidates must evidence they meet ALL the essential criteria and, where relevant, the desirable.
As part of the application process, you are asked to provide this evidence via a supporting statement. Please ensure that the evidence you are providing corresponds with the numbered criteria outlined in the person specification. Your application will be considered based on the information you provide for each criterion.

When attaching the supporting statement to your application profile, please ensure you name it with the vacancy reference number: 18408BR

Your application will be at risk of not being progressed if you do not evidence you have met all essential criteria. The College welcomes the submission of CVs to accompany evidence of the job-based criteria.

Job Category

Business / Strategic Management, Human Resources