HR Manager / HRBP

Select Recruitment Specialists Ltd; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 117,000; Full time

Job summary

Select Recruitment Specialists Ltd is seeking an Interim HR Manager / HRBP to lead the day-to-day HR function within a governance-heavy higher education/charity environment. The assignment is four months, with a small team of four and reporting to a senior stakeholder, offering hands-on leadership and steady casework management.

The role demands UK employment law expertise, CIPD Level 7 or equivalent, and proven HR systems experience, including a focus on policy updates and systems rollout.

Qualifications

• CIPD Level 7 qualified, or equivalent senior HR generalist experience.
• Sound working knowledge of UK employment law, including grievance, disciplinary, capability and policy compliance.
• Proven experience of running HR casework.
• Experience of keeping HR policies and procedures up to date.
• Experience of HR systems implementation.
• Experience of leading or supervising a small team.
• A calm, practical and discreet approach, suited to a collegiate environment.
• Available to start quickly.

Responsibilities

• Lead, support and develop a team of four HR colleagues, ensuring a consistent, high-quality service.
• Manage employee relations casework, including grievance, disciplinary and capability matters.
• Advise managers on fair, consistent and legally compliant approaches.
• Review and update HR policies and procedures, keeping them current and compliant.
• Lead or support the implementation and embedding of HR systems, ideally IRIS Cascade.
• Build strong relationships with managers, staff and senior leaders.
• Provide a clear handover at the end of the assignment.

Skills

HR generalist experience

Employment law knowledge

Casework management

Policy development

HR systems implementation

Team supervision

Education

CIPD Level 7

Job description

Interim HR Manager / HRBP

Contract: Interim, initially 4 months
Sector: Higher education / charity / not-for-profit

Pay rate: £22 85 per hour according to experience

Start date: ASAP

The opportunity

Our client is looking for an experienced HR professional to lead the day-to-day HR function for an initial period of around four months. You will head a small team of four and report directly to a senior stakeholder, providing steady, hands‑on leadership in a collegiate, governance-focused environment.

This is a hands‑on interim role, ideal for a confident generalist who can step in quickly, keep casework and policy work moving, and support the ongoing HR systems implementation.

Key responsibilities

• Lead, support and develop a team of four HR colleagues, ensuring a consistent, high-quality service
• Manage employee relations casework, including grievance, disciplinary and capability matters
• Advise managers on fair, consistent and legally compliant approaches
• Review and update HR policies and procedures, keeping them current and compliant
• Lead or support the implementation and embedding of HR systems, ideally IRIS Cascade
• Build strong relationships with managers, staff and senior leaders
• Provide a clear handover at the end of the assignment

About you

Essential:

• CIPD Level 7 qualified, or equivalent senior HR generalist experience
• Sound working knowledge of UK employment law, including grievance, disciplinary, capability and policy compliance
• Proven experience of running HR casework
• Experience of keeping HR policies and procedures up to date
• Experience of HR systems implementation
• Experience of leading or supervising a small team
• A calm, practical and discreet approach, suited to a collegiate environment
• Available to start quickly

Desirable:

• Experience of implementing IRIS Cascade
• Background in higher education, charities or another comparable governance-heavy setting
• Previous interim or contract experience