HR Business Partner

Ministry of Justice; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Leave

Pension

Training

Flexible Working

Job summary

Ministry of Justice in Manchester seeks a senior HR leader to drive regional HR strategy for the judiciary. You will influence Senior Regional judicial leaders, lead at least one HR Advisor, and collaborate with the MyHR team to deliver high-quality HR support and consultancy across a dispersed network.

The role requires managing ambiguity, delivering strategic HR outcomes, and shaping the Judicial HR offer through strong relationships and data-driven insight.

Qualifications

• Strong HR partnerships and relationships
• Ability to deliver effective outcomes in an ambiguous environment
• Extract, analyse and present MI/data to back up propositions
• Excellent communication and listening skills at senior level
• Collaborate with internal/external stakeholders
• Understand and support Inclusion and Diversity agenda

Responsibilities

• Gain understanding of Lord Chief Justice and Senior President's priorities and translate into regional plan
• Align activities to JO and HR priorities per Business Plans
• Provide strategic coaching and trusted HR advice to regional leaders
• Advise on health, welfare, conduct and performance issues for judiciary
• Manage regional HR caseload and use data to forecast trends
• Build relationships with stakeholders and support cross-boundary HR services

Skills

HR leadership

Coaching

Consultancy

Data analysis

Stakeholder management

Job description

About the role

This is an opportunity for the successful candidate to work within a unique organisation. Drawing on your existing HR skills and experience you will be working in an ambiguous environment which will develop your influencing, leadership and consultancy skills. Judicial Office is a great place to work with a warm, welcoming and supportive culture of delivery and development. It is a place where your work is valued, recognised and rewarded. You will work at a strategic level and will be responsible for developing and sustaining trusted working relationships with Senior Regional judicial leaders in support of the delivery of justice. Your HR insights will be key in understanding the needs of the judiciary in and will help to shape the Judicial HR offer. You will be part of a team of geographically dispersed HRBPs across England and Wales. You will lead and manage at least one HR Advisor, and potentially the team leader of our MyHR service. You will be fully supported by our in house MyHR team comprising HR Support Officers. If you are proactive, a change agent and able to work with ambiguity this could be an exciting challenge for you to further develop your professional HR skills and add to your portfolio of experience.

About Judicial Office

The Judicial Office (JO) was established in 2006 to provide support the judiciary following the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. JO reports to, and is accountable to the Lady Chief Justice. In addition, we support, and are accountable to, the Senior President of Tribunals, whose responsibilities extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Judicial Office provides training, legal and policy advice, human resources, communications and administrative support. We promote and safeguard judicial independence to maintain confidence in the rule of law. Through our Judicial Office specialist teams, we support some 22,000 judicial office holders in an ever‑evolving justice system, providing policy, legal and handling advice and operational support on a wide range of matters. Judicial Office incorporates the Judicial College and the independent Judicial Conduct Investigations Office. We are proud that our work serves to reinforce the pre‑eminence of the judiciary of England and Wales and maintain the UK’s position as a leader in legal services, a position which allows the UK to thrive and benefits, albeit sometimes invisibly, every part of society.

Human Resources

Judicial Office Human Resources group places Judicial Office Holders at the centre of our service, ensuring we are visible, proactive and responsive. We support the Lady Chief Justice and Senior President of Tribunals in their responsibilities for the welfare and conduct of the judiciary. We also support and advise the advisory committees that carry out key functions on behalf of the Lord Chancellor in relation to the magistracy. We collaborate with colleagues across the Judicial Office and beyond, to ensure we provide judicial office holders with excellent HR support and professional expertise. Whilst we are part of the wider Civil Service HR community, we are not a typical HR team in that everything we do needs to meet the, often complex, needs of around 22,000 members of the judiciary who are office holders and not employees or Civil Servants. This provides us with a unique and interesting set of HR challenges. It also provides us with unique opportunities to work with the judiciary at all levels and gives us ample opportunity to broaden our HR skills sets, use our HR and business insights to be curious and creative about doing things differently within an environment of continuous learning.

Location and Work Pattern

Location and work pattern: The role is based in the Civil Justice Centre, Manchester, M60 9DJ. There is an expectation that the successful candidate will spend a minimum of 60% of their time in the office. Some of this time may be spent out in the Region on Court visits, at face‑to‑face stakeholder meetings or facilitating HR input at Regional conferences. The Region includes Chester, Liverpool, Burnley and Carlisle. The role requires occasional (broadly quarterly) travel to Leeds or London. The role requires occasional (broadly quarterly) travel to other parts of England, primarily Leeds and London. Due to the nature of the role meetings may need to take place outside of core hours. There is an expectation of working flexibly around judicial office holder availability i.e. out‑of‑court hours before 10am, after 4pm and at lunchtimes. We offer flexible working, our focus is on delivery of outcomes.

Summary of role

This is a significant strategic HR leadership role requiring high levels of people and HR/business management skills. The role requires a professional approach and must ensure that delivery is in line with the requirements of Civil Service HR, pro‑actively role modelling activities and behaviours which promote core MoJ/Judicial Office values including diversity and equality of opportunity and supporting and being a positive advocate of the Judicial Office HR Operating Model. Your HR insights will be key in understanding the impact of the changes for the judiciary throughout the region helping to shape the Judicial HR offer. If you are proactive, a change agent and are comfortable working a highly ambiguous environment this could be an exciting challenge for you.

Main responsibilities

• To gain a clear understanding of the priorities of the Lord Chief Justice and Senior President Tribunal and translate these into a regional plan that will add value to the local judiciary.
• Align activities to contribute to organisational priorities (JO and HR) as outlined in Business Plans and strategies.
• Operate at a strategic level, using coaching and consultancy skills to develop and sustain working relationships with Senior Regional judicial leaders and be a source of trusted advice and support on HR matters.
• Provide advice to enable judicial leaders to take proactive steps to deal with or pre‑empt issues relating to judicial health, welfare, conduct and performance. Providing high quality timely advice on specific or generalised HR problems. You will support the management of the regional HR caseload. You will use data to identify relevant existing and likely future trends.
• Engage and support judicial leaders with the Inclusion and Diversity agenda.
• Scan for emerging trends and act as an intelligent customer into the wider HR Team on behalf of judiciary located in your Region/Jurisdiction. Feedback Regional intelligence to support corporate initiatives and direction of travel, including supporting forecasting on workflows and demands.
• Line management of at least one HEO grade.
• Establish professional relationships with a broad range of stakeholders. Collaborate with these to share information, resources and support.
• Connect with HMCTS HRBP colleagues to provide holistic HR advice and support where issues cross boundaries of staff and the judiciary.
• Accountable for record keeping, ensuring compliance with GDPR and data retention policies.
• Demonstrate commitment to you and your direct report/s continuous development, professional expertise and skill.
• Deliver effective outcomes in an ambiguous environment.

Essential criteria

• Build strong and effective HR partnerships and relationships; being recognised as a trusted HR professional.
• Deliver effective outcomes in an ambiguous environment.
• Extract, analyse and present MI and data to the business to back up propositions.
• Demonstrate excellent communication and listening skills, including the confidence to speak with credibility and authority when operating at a senior level.
• Work collaboratively and proactively with stakeholders both internally and externally.
• Align activities to contribute to wider organisational priorities and be alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact on your and the wider HR area.
• Maintain and review systems and service to ensure delivery of professional excellence and establish ways to find and respond to feedback from customers about the service.
• Share information as appropriate and act as an intelligent customer for the wider HR service, communicating in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner.
• Encourage joined up teamwork within own team and across other groups. Establish professional relationships with a range of stakeholders. Collaborate with these to share information, resources and support.
• Consider the impacts of own and team's activities on stakeholders and end users.
• Highly credible HR or operational experience and a sound understanding of employment law and the skills to support and advise key leaders. An ability to use this knowledge and experience in an ambiguous context.

Hybrid Working

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non‑contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone's circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review. For nationally advertised role: all successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale. This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) - See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity). For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location's respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).

Some of MoJ's terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on ‘modernised’ terms in their current post or onto ‘unmodernised’ MoJ terms if they are on ‘unmodernised’ terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made. MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer. All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Flexibility and Working Hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part‑time, flexible and job‑sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part‑time, flexible and job‑sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ's Flexible Working policy.

Security Checks

Level of security checks required: DBS Standard Counter‑Terrorism Check (CTC). High levels of ability to work with data, including analysis, interpretation and presentation. Understanding of the Judiciary. Understanding of HMCTS business and its challenges or willingness to learn about these matters quickly.

Professional Development

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

Benefits and Perks

• Annual Leave: Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years' service. There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part‑time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro‑rated basis.
• Pension: The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
• Training: The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.
• Networks: The opportunity to join employee‑run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed directly to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.
• Support: A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
• Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
• For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
• Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Career Development and Equity

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans: The “Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans” initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces. For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Security Clearance

Security clearance required: Security clearance will include a requirement of CTC and DBS.