HR Manager – HR Business Partners
Role Description
August 2014
The Student Loans Company Vision for Human Resources
Our HR Vision:
To be regarded by our customers, stakeholders and peers as providing a high
quality, strategic and collaborative HR service, which is aligned to the SLC Vision
and Mission, based on robust foundations, including up-to-date, fit for purpose
policies and processes.
Our service will be delivered through a well established, consistent and effective HR
Business Partnering model.
HR Manager – HR Business Partners
Responsible to:
Purpose of the role:
Head of Human Resources
To establish and lead a comprehensive HR
service across all SLC business areas, through
an effective and integrated and customer
focused Business Partnering model, ensuring
the effective implementation of SLC’s HR Plan.
Directorate:
Finance, Strategy & Corporate Services
HR Manager – HR Business Partners
As an HR Manager (HR Business Partners) you will be measured by:
Corporate Responsibilities:
HR Responsibilities:
•Contribute towards, the company’s vision and mission to
guide and set the pace for current operations and future
development.
•To support SLC to achieve our Vision and deliver our
Mission through appropriate development and delivery of
strategically aligned HR policies, practices and services.
•Put the customer at the heart of decision making,
resource allocation and delivery.
•Support SLC to achieve its vision, by delivering on the
mission, including business objectives.
•Live and promote SLC’s values and behaviours.
•Encourage staff groups to work towards the SLC mission,
supporting and enabling them to deliver it.
•Delivering a quality service in support of all aspects of the
employee life cycle, in particular:
• Workforce planning and resourcing (including
recruitment and organisational change)
• Regular management information to support effective
planning and decision making
• Administrative services
• Implementing policy, process and system changes
which whilst legally compliant are supportive of
organisational/transformational change
• Employee relations support
•Enhancing people management skills and capabilities
through an HR Business Partner approach (ensuring
consistency of service; strengthening relationships between
HR, the business and key stakeholders; ensuring our service
is relevant and aligned to business objectives.
Responsibilities & Objectives
Key Accountabilities:
•Alongside HR Manager counterparts, provide leadership and support the implementation of SLC’s HR Plan, policy
and procedures, as required, adopting an appropriate balance of flexibility and consistency, relative to business need
•Provide leadership and management support for areas of functional responsibility
•Lead the further development and effective ongoing management of SLC’s HR Business Partnering model, moving
HR to establish a more in depth and customer focused Directorate relationship
•Develop a strong HR Business Partner and HR Adviser team with cross skilled capability, i.e. able to support across
multiple directorates and locations, and provide a breadth of HR generalist knowledge and experience making best
use of available HR resources
•Provide Business Partner services directly as required during peak periods of activity and/ or to cover periods of
absence or other short term capacity issues
•Support the effective completion of the performance management/ development cycle, with particular focus on
facilitating decisions on performance ratings
•Work with the Resourcing, MI & Support Manager to establish and implement an effective resourcing approach and
plan, aligned to Corporate and Directorate needs
•Act as a primary source of specialist knowledge for HR Business Partners on current employment law to support
and address issues arising across the Directorates, and act as escalation point as required to achieve appropriate
resolution
•Contribute to HR policy, procedure and practice development, which aligns to and addresses business and
Directorate needs, taking an active role (with the HR Manager, Policy & Practice) in leading effective implementation
across the organisation
•Contribute to Corporate and Business planning activity
Responsibilities & Objectives
Key Accountabilities:
•Support the Head of Human Resources in developing and implementing an HR Strategy and Plan, including
Transformation elements as appropriate, in line with solid understanding of Business and Directorate objectives
•Providing guidance and mentoring support to managers to improve people management capability
•Working with key stakeholders including senior managers and unions/employee representatives to effect and
promote a positive employee relations environment
•Responsible, with the support of the HR Manager, Policy & Practice for the effective management of employee
relations activity
•Support L&D and Organisation Design activities, with particular focus on ensuring appropriate practices and
processes, from an HR perspective (and specifically your functional responsibility) are deployed consistently and
impacts on people are managed effectively
•Work with OD colleagues to understand the impact of organisational change/restructure, based on HR functional
responsibility, to inform best approach to implementation, aligned to organisation goals and capacity
•Actively participate in relevant benchmarking activity eg HR Metrics and employee surveys, interpreting the
corporate level results, identifying consistent issues/positives across the organisation and supporting the articulation
of a corporate action plan which delivers positive outcomes
•Engage with HR management colleagues on HR governance and communication to determine, challenge where
appropriate and deliver appropriate HR governance and communications
•Undertake Continuous Improvement with a view to progressing own professional growth, alongside introducing and
maintaining good practice in SLC. Actively encouraging your reports and wider HR team.
Skills, Knowledge & Experience
Essential Skills, Knowledge and Experience:
• Chartered CIPD Membership or equivalent eg preferred degree qualification
• Robust analytical and organisational skills, demonstrating ability to provide a systematic review of
policy/process/practice and develop logical implementation plans which secure the buy in of key stakeholders,
including HR and management
• Significant experience at a management level within a progressive HR department
• Well organised, able to lead, manage and deliver on varying tasks and deadlines across multiple locations
• Ability to challenge and exercise good judgement, as appropriate
• Experience of providing advice and guidance to line managers/staff on a wide range of complex matters
• Knowledge and experience of the HR implications of large scale organisational change
• Ability to demonstrate a positive, pragmatic and solutions focused approach
• Experience of facilitating disciplinary, performance, attendance and grievance hearings; coaching line managers and
managing complex cases
• Strong relationship management skills, able to positively influence all levels of staff up to senior management level and
work effectively in partnership with, for example trade union representatives and/ or staff forum
• Excellent engagement, communication and presentation skills
• IT literate, ideally with experience in Oracle HR and MS Office
Desirable Skills, Knowledge and Experience
• Experience of working with external partners and providers
• Experience of public sector, Non Departmental Public Bodies