HR Advisor (Executive Officer Grade) (Job Reference: 26002699)
Primary Location : Down-Dundonald-Dundonald Office
Other Locations :Antrim-Belfast-Belfast Office, Armagh-Armagh-Armagh Office, Antrim-Ballymena-Ballee Centre, Tyrone-Omagh-Omagh Office
Contract Type : Various Contract Types Available (e.g. Permanent, Fixed-Term, Casual, Seasonal…)
Duration of Contract/Contract End Date : see additional information
Status : Full-Time
Hours per Week : 36
Working Pattern : Monday - Friday
Grade/Scale : Executive Officer | NJC pt 17- 20 | £31,022 - £32,597 per annum
Additional Allowance(s) : Not Applicable
Anticipated Interview Date(s) : TBC
Additional Information: There are multiple vacancies across the HR Services function of the People Directorate. One permanent post based in Dundonald Office and fixed-term positions with base locations to be determined on appointment. If you are interested in working in any location across HR Services, including those which may not at present have a vacancy, you may still wish to apply, as this list will be used to offer permanent and fixed-term appointments at the discretion of the EA. Suitable applicants who are not appointed to immediate vacancies will be placed on a reserve list which will remain valid for one year.
JOB DESCRIPTION
REPORTS TO: Line Manager within assigned functional area
RESPONSIBLE FOR: May have supervisory responsibilities for up to 5 members of staff or may organise and manage a specialised area of work.
This generic job description is intended to provide an outline of the level of duties that the postholder will be expected to undertake across a number of functional areas within the HR&LS Directorate. Although the postholder may be assigned to a specific functional area on appointment in view of the nature of work the postholder may be required to undertake duties in other functional areas to cover peak periods of work or vacancies.
This job description will be subject to review in light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.
JOB PURPOSE
To organise and manage a team of staff providing a best practice administrative service within a designated functional area or to undertake an advisory role in a specialist area of work within the HR&LS Directorate;
As a team leader the postholder will be accountable for the performance of the team and will co-ordinate a range of well-defined tasks governed by procedures and guided by practice and precedent;
As an advisor in a specialist role the post holder will be required to solve problems within a designated area and will provide a significant level of specialist support and advice involving a functional area of work which may require qualifications and or experience in a professional or technical discipline.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Main Activity Areas:
Supervision of Staff and Service Delivery
Specialist Advice & Support
HR Management Information Systems / Administration
HR Helpdesk
Staff Supervision and Service Delivery
Supervise the work of staff to ensure effective service delivery in an assigned area of HR activity.
Plan, organise and prioritise work to ensure timely completion of tasks and deadlines met.
Allocate work, check quality and quantity of work and monitor performance.
Train or ensure the effective training of staff in the conditions of service, procedures, processes and information systems required for effective administration of assigned human resources functions.
Specialist Advice & Support
Assist in the delivery of human resources services in a specific functional area to include, resourcing, pay and terms of conditions, and employee relations.
General administration, advice and guidance relating to employee life cycle from recruitment to cessation of employment including people services, resourcing and employee relations processes.
Provide general and specific advice, guidance and support to schools, line managers and staff on a range of issues including interpretation of EA policies and procedures, human resources policies and procedures, terms and conditions of service.
Providing advice and support to Hiring Managers as required at each stage of the recruitment and selection process in accordance with HR framework, toolkit and associated policies and procedures.
Review of vacancies against any redeployment or reserve lists and take appropriate follow up action.
Tracking and monitoring the progress of recruitment exercises to ensure that work is progressing in line with agreed key performance indicators and customer needs.
Advising, and where required, supporting the Hiring Manager in making timely reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities.
Liaising with the Hiring Manager on any issues that arise.
Preparing and issuing contracts of employment.
Providing advice and guidance and completing documentation in respect of wider resourcing activity including contract extensions and temporary to permanent transactions.
Participate as a panel member in the selection and interviewing process as and when required.
Attending the delivery of recruitment and selection training in a supportive and developmental capacity.
Contribute to review of administrative systems and procedures to ensure records are accurate and comprehensive and to improve service delivery.
Assist in providing for early preventative intervention and/or informal conciliation of employee relations issues as appropriate and on a timely basis to order to resolve issues early and where possible outside the formal processes.
Participate in ad hoc projects to include collating and analysing information to assist and support the work of senior managers.
Responsible for ensuring computerised information system is maintained in accordance with agreed procedures.
Effective communication with the payroll section and other payroll users regarding timetables, deadlines, access times.
HR Management Information System / Administration
Responsible for the production of standard and non-standard computerised reports and the provision and presentation of human resource information to support management decision making.
Responsible for preparing reports to enable a response to Parliamentary Questions, Assembly Questions, Minister’s cases, FOI requests and other correspondence cases within set deadlines. Assist with maintaining computerised information systems to facilitate e.g. school amalgamations, restructuring, changes in terms and conditions and jobs.
Process all employee engagement data and contractual changes on HR systems.
Administration associated with disciplinary, grievance, dignity at work and performance management procedures, tribunals and other legal proceedings.
All general administration in support of work undertaken including preparation of draft letters, minutes, notes, reports, documentation.
HR Helpdesk
Provide first-line support to helpdesk addressing HR related queries, providing accurate and timely responses.
Customer support triage i.e. assess the query, log query and answer query or direct to appropriate person for response within set guidelines and protocols.
Collaborating with other HR team members to ensure efficient and effective support/responses to Helpdesk users.
Log and maintain accurate system for call logging.
Escalate complex queries to appropriate Senior Helpdesk Operator or HR function/colleagues.
Assist in HR-related administrative tasks e.g. support to the People Services Team.
Staying informed about service needs whilst staying updated on HR polices and procedures to provide accurate and consistent information to helpdesk users.
Report system and equipment faults to the appropriate personnel.
Other Responsibilities
Comply with the Authority’s policy on Data Protection (in particular processing sensitive personal information) and EA’s Candidate Privacy Notice for those seeking employment is properly complied with.
Comply with the Authority’s Equal Opportunities Policy, relevant Codes of Employment and Practice and other relevant legislation. In accordance with relevant equality legislation and EA policies on diversity in the workplace the post-holder is expected to promote good relations and pay due regard to equality of opportunity in carrying out their duties.
Undertake other related duties within the grade and competence of the post-holder as required.
The post holder may also be required to work outside normal office hours on occasions.
To view the summary of terms and conditions for this post, click here.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
1. You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how, and to what extent you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria, where relevant.
2. You must demonstrate how you meet the criteria by the closing date for applications, unless the criteria state otherwise.
3. The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is outlined in the table below.
4. Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form.
5. Please note that the Selection Panel reserves the right to shortlist only those applicants that it believes most strongly meet the criteria for the role.
6. In the event of an excessive number of applications, the Selection Panel also reserves the right to apply any desirable criteria as outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting, in which case these will be applied in the order listed. It is important therefore that you also clearly demonstrate on your application form on how you meet any desirable criteria.
Section 1 - Essential Criteria
The following are essential criteria which will initially be measured at the shortlisting stage and which may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.
Factor
Essential Criteria
Method of Assessment
Qualifications/
Experience
Hold a minimum of five GCSE passes (Grades A* - C) or equivalent or higher examination qualifications and have a minimum of one year’s demonstrable experience in an administrative or customer service role;
OR
Have a minimum of three years’ demonstrable experience in an administrative or customer service role.
Shortlisting by Application Form
Knowledge
Knowledge of Information Technology systems for example Microsoft Office Suite, MS SharePoint or Taleo (or similar on-line recruitment system), Oracle (or similar HR system).
Shortlisting by Application Form
Section 2 - Essential Criteria
The following are additional essential criteria which will be measured during the interview/selection stage in line with EA’s Game Changing People Model.
Factor
Essential Criteria
Method of Assessment
Skills/
Abilities
In line with EA’s Game Changing People Model we will look for evidence of:
Ability to organise a busy workload to deliver effective results on time.
Flexibility to meet changing demands as required and to prioritise and delegate as required.
Ability to communicate and work effectively with others as part of a team.
Ability to lead and direct a team or provide specialist advice and guidance where required.
Ability to use own initiative to solve problems and respond to others.
Ability to take a responsive and customer focused approach to work.
Values Orientation
Evidence of how your experience and approach to work reflect EA’s ethos and values. You will find information about our Values here.
Section 3 - Desirable Criteria
Some or all of the desirable criteria may be applied by the Selection Panel in order to determine a manageable pool of candidates. Desirable criteria will be applied in the order listed. You should make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet the desirable criteria, as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.
Factor
Desirable Criteria
Method of Assessment
Qualifications/
Experience
Hold further relevant qualifications or have experience in the supervision of staff.
Shortlisting by Application Form
Our Values
Through the selection process we will also seek evidence that the personal values of candidates align with those of the EA. This will include evidence of commitment to equality and excellence in service delivery. These reflect our aim which is to meet the needs of all our children and young people equally, removing barriers to learning and ensuring equality of access to excellent education services so that every child can develop to his or her full potential.
DISCLOSURE OF CRIMINAL BACKGROUND
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’.
In the event that you are recommended for appointed to a post that involves ‘regulated activity’, the Education Authority will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure of Criminal Background. Please note that you WILL be expected to meet the cost of an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate. Details of how to make payment will be sent to you at the pre-employment stage.
Further information can be accessed at NI Direct or the Department of Justice.
