HR Manager

University of Cambridge; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

41 days annual leave

Generous defined benefit pension

Enhanced family leave and pay

Hybrid and flexible working

Wellbeing programme

Professional networking

Personal & Professional Development

Recognition and progression schemes

Job summary

University of Cambridge in Cambridge seeks an experienced HR Manager to join the Department of Engineering on a temporary secondment until 31 August 2027. You will help shape the team, provide a trusted HR service to colleagues, and lead a local operational team.

The role requires strong HR advisory experience, robust UK employment law knowledge, and the ability to build relationships with senior staff. Hybrid working and a comprehensive benefits package are included.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years' HR generalist experience.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law.
• Experience advising senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert HR guidance to staff and managers.
• Support recruitment and probation processes.
• Manage sickness absence and staff reviews.
• Lead on staff development and continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

HR advisory

UK employment law

Staff management

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced HR Manager to join our HR team within the Department of Engineering on a temporary basis. The role will provide temporary support to cover a secondment until 31 August 2027. The team is evolving and this role will offer the opportunity to help shape the future of the team and ways of working to ensure a continued high quality service to our colleagues across the department. The Department of Engineering is the largest within the University of Cambridge (approx. 800 staff), and the role holder will play a central part in ensuring the delivery of a high quality, effective HR service within a complex and fast paced environment. We are seeking an experienced HR professional, who will provide advice and guidance to staff and managers, coach and develop their team, and liaise with central HR colleagues to ensure consistent delivery. As part of a collaborative HR team, this role will report into the Departmental Head of HR and work in partnership with another HR Manager to lead a local operational team of HR Coordinators & Administrators to provide a trusted and proactive HR service that delivers operational effectiveness and cultivates a culture of continuous improvement. The team is responsible for the administration across the full employee lifecycle and providing a full generalist HR service within the department, including but not limited to supporting recruitment, probation, managing sickness absence, processing cyclical projects such as reward and promotional schemes and staff reviews, as well as proving advice and guidance on non-complex employee relations matters.

The HR Manager will have strong HR advisory experience, excellent UK employment law knowledge and the ability to effectively build strong working relationships. The role holder will be confident and comfortable advising senior colleagues, navigating ambiguity and offering constructive challenge and solutions in line with best practice and University policy and procedure, in order to provide a comprehensive HR support service for staff within the Department. As a HR Manager, you will be expected to support team members learning and development and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement to ensure our processes, documentation and ways of working are both effective and efficient.

• 41 days' annual leave (inclusive of bank holidays and University closure days)
• Generous defined benefit pension scheme
• Enhanced family leave and pay policies
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements
• Access to a comprehensive wellbeing programme, including EAP, Occupational Health & Staff Counselling
• Professional networking and access to Personal & Professional Development team
• Access to recognition and progression schemes
• Staff discount schemes, This is a post to provide secondment cover and will be fixed-term until 31 August 2027 or the return of the post holder, whichever is sooner.