Human Resources Manager

South Thames Colleges Group; Greater London; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

37 days annual leave + extra days

Wellbeing leave

Pension scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Job summary

South Thames Colleges Group seeks an experienced Human Resources Manager to deliver high-quality HR services across the group. You will advise managers, support service plans, and help achieve operational targets while handling employee relations and safeguarding matters.

You will lead HR policy development, support induction, monitor costs, and travel to all sites. CIPD Level 7 or in progress is preferred; strong leadership and change-management skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in an operational HR role, including leading an HR team and policy implementation.
• Experience handling employee relations casework, grievances, disciplinaries, capability and sickness management.
• Knowledge of UK employment law and related case law; experience with ACAS conciliators and Employment Tribunals.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice and guidance to managers across the group on HR matters.
• Lead on HR policy development, procedures, and service improvement alongside the Head of HR (Operations).
• Monitor costs and budgets for HR functions and ensure delivery within allocated resources.
• Support induction sessions for new staff and coordinate as necessary.

Skills

People management

Employee relations

Policy development

Analytical skills

Education

CIPD Level 7

Job description

We are seeking a Human Resources Manager to contribute to the provision of a comprehensive and high-quality HR service to managers and staff across the group. You will provide advice and guidance to managers, whilst supporting the delivery of service plans and assisting with the achievement of operational targets and objectives. Assisting the Head of HR (Operations), you will provide support with employee relations, including handling grievances, disciplinaries, capability and absence management, ensuring processes are delivered in a supportive and consistent manner, with specific regard to matters that relate to statutory safeguarding.

Undertaking job evaluations, ensuring adherence with the Group’s job evaluation arrangements, you will support the HR Advisors in conducting induction sessions for new members of staff and co-ordinating the arrangements as necessary. Keeping abreast of changes in legislation, working practices and other external initiatives that may affect the Group, you will assist with the monitoring and review of costs associated with HR functions to ensure that services are provided within the allocated budgets.

This role would suit someone who has significant experience in an operational HR role, leading an HR team, developing and implementing HR Policies and procedures, and experience of Employee relation casework, including negotiating with ACAS Conciliators and preparing Employment Tribunals. We would like you to ideally have UK and relevant European legislation and associated case law experience. You will hold CIPD or will be working towards gaining your CIPD Level 7.

With a person-centred approach leading to successful leadership and management of change, you will have an overview of organisation systems and procedures and able to act as adviser to managers and assist them with resolving staffing issues/conduct, absence and sickness management. Able to solve problems and make decisions, you will understand numerical information relating to staff and calculate key statistics and salary costs.

This post is predominantly based at Merton College but the successful candidate will be required to travel to and work from all South Thames Colleges Group’s sites.

Closing date for the return of completed applications is 19th October 2026.

The benefits package includes generous annual leave of 37 days plus up to 8 additional days over Christmas/New Year as well as an additional 5 days Wellbeing leave to enhance employees’ physical and mental health. There is an excellent pension scheme that receives a significant financial contribution from the employer (Teachers Pensions or Local Government Pension Scheme), subsidised sports facilities and professional development and training plus a salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme.

As part of our due diligence checks on prospective employees, successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references, an online search and proof of eligibility to work in the UK.

As outlined in the Public Sector Equality Duty of the Equality Act 2010, we are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.

The South Thames Colleges Group is made up of Carshalton College, Kingston College, Merton College and South Thames College, which merged on 1 August 2017. South Thames Colleges Group is one of London’s largest providers of post-16 education and training and is an ongoing and significant contributor to its local communities. We aim to put students’ success at the heart of everything we do.

We are looking for hard-working and collaborative people who can join our team and help challenge our students to achieve and progress