HR Manager

TES FE News; Bury St Edmunds; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A reputable educational institution in Bury St Edmunds is seeking an HR Manager to oversee the HR function. This role involves managing employee relations, recruitment processes, and ensuring compliance while fostering a positive workplace culture. Ideal candidates should have a CIPD qualification and strong experience in HR management. The position offers a salary of £36,000 - £38,000 plus benefits including extensive holiday entitlement and wellness programs.

Benefits

28 days holiday plus bank holidays

Health Cash Plan

Life assurance

Free lunch

Onsite parking

Gym membership

Counselling and financial support

Support for training and development

Qualifications

• Strong attention to detail and listening skills required.
• Proven expertise in employee relations and understanding of employment law.
• Experience in HR management role with considerable autonomy.

Responsibilities

• Manage complex employee relations cases and ensure compliance with employment legislation.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding and offboarding processes.
• Develop workplace culture that supports employee well-being.

Skills

CIPD qualification (or equivalent)

Attention to detail

Strong communication skills

Problem solving

Employee relations expertise

Proactive and self-motivated

Leadership experience

Strong IT skills

Education

Relevant professional qualification/experience in a people-related position

Tools

Microsoft packages

Google suite

Job description

Job Overview

HR Manager

• Permanent, Full-time, Office Based, 52 weeks per year
• Working hours: 37½ hours per week - 08.30 - 17.00 Monday to Friday
• Salary: £36,000 - £38,000 depending on experience plus benefits
• Holiday entitlement: 28 days per annum plus bank holidays. May Day is a working day
• Start Date: ASAP
  
  

The role

Reporting to the Head of People Operations with responsibility for the line management of the HR administrator, you will lead the day-to-day operations of the HR function, ensuring the delivery of a professional, proactive, and efficient service to the school. You will be responsible for managing all aspects of the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, employee relations, performance management, and compliance. Working closely with senior leadership, you will provide strategic guidance while fostering a positive and inclusive workplace culture that supports both the school’s goals and employee well-being.

Duties And Responsibilities

The list below is not exhaustive and assumes that from time to time other tasks not listed, may be required to ensure the efficient operation of the school.

• Manage and/or advise on complex employee relations cases including dispute resolutions, investigations, grievances, capability, disciplinaries, redundancies, performance, attendance and TUPE transfers, ensuring consistency of decision making within the business to minimise risk or breaches in policy or employment legislation and liaise with specialist external advisers on any specific matters requiring their input in such cases
• Advise managers on the terms and conditions of employment
• Manage occupational health referrals
• Proactively identify and address performance and absence concerns and provide appropriate support and guidance for effective resolution as well as carry out return to work meetings
• Line Manage the HR Administrator, providing advice and direction where needed on work priorities
• Handle HR matters for inspections and compliance
• Maintain the Single Central Register for audit on a regular basis
• Taking notes for meetings as required
• Oversee the recruitment and selection of staff including the onboarding and offboarding process
• Interviewing and ability testing for relevant posts, ensuring that applicants are correctly assessed and matched to the requirements of the job
• Manage the process for all self-employed and contractors ensuring all statutory checks are carried out
• Ensure employment law, HR policy and best practice are applied at all times
• Manage the performance review programme for Operations employees
• Regularly coach, mentor, and support colleagues to identify individual strengths and development needs
• Ensure employee training requirements are well managed and monitored
• Monitor the training and development plans and ensure they are of a high standard
• Manage the diversity, equality, and inclusion values and practices within the company
• Demonstrate a high-performance ethic with a focus on successful outcomes
• Develop and maintain effective relationships to encourage retention
• Bridge management and employee relations by addressing demands, grievances or other issues
  
  

Skills, Experience And Behavioural Competencies

• CIPD qualification (or equivalent) or relevant professional qualification/experience in a people related position
• Strong attention to detail and listening skills
• Confident communicator, both written and verbal
• Strong problem solving and mediation skills
• Prior experience in a generalist or HR management role, with considerable autonomy
• Proven expertise in employee relations and a thorough understanding of employment law
• Proactive and self-motivated with the ability to prioritise own workload
• Understanding of data protection, the Equality Act and health and safety
• A confident leader with experience in leading a team
• The ability to develop strong working relationships and drive collaboration
• The ability to accept and provide feedback, be challenged on your advice and work well under pressure
• The ability to assert your opinion and ideas with confidence
• The capacity to make quick but rational decisions, think innovatively and rationally about decisions and come up with creative solutions
• Strong IT skills including Microsoft packages
• Knowledge of Google suite desirable but not essential
• Experience working in an HR role within an educational establishment desirable but not essential
  
  

Benefits

• 28 days holiday plus bank holidays (excluding May Day)
• Eligible to join the Health Cash Plan after 6 months service
• Life assurance (after 6 months’ service)
• Free lunch
• Onsite parking
• Culford Sports Centre gym membership and use of swimming pool
• Staff wellness sessions during term-time including circuits
• Enhanced employer pension contributions to 5% with the ability to salary sacrifice
• Staff support programme including counselling, financial and legal support
• Staff discount on school fees
• Staff discount on Culford summer activity camps
• Support for training and on-going personal development
• Staff event days - annual Staff BBQ & Picnic in the Park for employees and families
• Entry to the Culford Classic Car show
• Staff discount at Adnams Bury St Edmunds, B&Q and All Saints Hotel
  
  

About Culford School

Culford is a boarding and day school for over 900 children aged 1 to 18, set in 480 acres of beautiful Suffolk parkland, with an 18th century grade II mansion at its centre and three separate schools: the Pre-Prep & Nursery (ages 1 to 7); the Prep (ages 7 to 13); and the Senior School (ages 13 to 18).

We believe in educating the whole person to deliver a well-rounded, fulfilled individual with excellent academic results. Everything we do is informed by our firm belief that learning should be challenging, enriching and fun. Culford is a Christian school with a Methodist tradition. We see education as a transformational process that guides pupils towards academic success, clear moral values, and the development of leadership and a readiness for the world of adulthood.