HR Policy Specialist

JNCC Support Co; Peterborough; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A public sector HR team is seeking an HR Policy Specialist to lead the development and modernization of HR policies, ensuring alignment with best practices. Responsibilities include conducting assessments, training staff, and providing support for employee relations cases. Ideal candidates will have a strong understanding of UK employment law and a commitment to inclusivity.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of UK employment legislation and HR best practice.
• Experience in drafting and implementing HR policies.
• Background in civil service or public sector is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead review of HR policies for clarity and compliance.
• Conduct Equality and Data Protection Impact Assessments.
• Train managers and employees on policy implementation.

Skills

Understanding of UK employment legislation

Drafting and reviewing HR policies

Commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion

Coaching and mentoring in policy writing

Education

CIPD qualification

Job description

Overview

This is an exciting opportunity to join JNCC’s HR team as we deliver our new People Strategy. We’re looking for a skilled and detail-oriented HR Policy Specialist to lead the development and modernisation of our HR policies—ensuring they are clear, inclusive, and aligned with best practice and organisational values. This vacancy is open for all applicants, and we would particularly welcome applications from employees in other public or civil service bodies who would like to take the role on a secondment basis.

In this role, you’ll take ownership of the full policy lifecycle, from drafting and consultation through to approval and implementation. You’ll work closely with trade union representatives and senior stakeholders and will collaborate with our Learning and Development team to embed policies through targeted training for managers and employees.

You will also play a key role in building internal capability by coaching and mentoring junior HR colleagues in policy writing and interpretation, helping to grow confidence and consistency across the team.

As part of a small, supportive HR team providing full lifecycle support to around 300 employees, you will also contribute collaboratively to wider HR priorities—including supporting employee relations casework when additional capacity is needed.

Post Duties

• Lead a comprehensive review of our HR policies and procedures, using your technical expertise to ensure clarity, legal compliance and alignment with organisational values.
• Contribute to horizon scanning and benchmarking activities to ensure emerging developments in employment law, Civil Service HR frameworks, and inclusive policy practice inform the development of new or revised policies.
• Conduct and document Equality Impact Assessments and Data Protection Impact Assessments for all new and revised policies.
• Support the policy sign-off process, including the preparation of documentation for the relevant governance committees and tracking approvals.
• Work with the Learning and Development team to design and deliver training sessions for managers and employees following policy implementation.
• Liaise with Trade Union representatives to support meaningful engagement with policy changes.
• Build effective working relationships with colleagues across HR, Learning & Development, and the wider organisation.
• Provide additional capacity to HR Business Partners in managing complex employee relations (ER) cases, supporting line managers and employees with policy application and supporting formal documentation where necessary.
• Coach and mentor junior HR colleagues, particularly in policy writing and interpretation, helping to ensure consistency of application across the team.
• Contribute to a collaborative, inclusive and supportive HR team culture.

Technical and Experience Requirements

• A strong understanding of UK employment legislation and HR best practice, ideally CIPD qualified.
• An understanding of Civil Service protocols and HR policies, ideally gained through previous experience in a civil service or public sector environment.
• Proven experience in drafting, reviewing and implementing a wide range of HR policies, demonstrating the ability to produce clear and concise policy documents and training materials.
• Experience managing employee relations casework, supporting line managers and employees in the application of relevant policies.
• Commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion, with a track record of embedding inclusive practices into HR policies and procedures.

Behaviours

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Developing Self and Others
• Changing and Improving