Job description and person specification
International HR Assistant
Salary band
EP2C
Job reference
number
TBC
Area / department
International HR
Region / division
People & Learning
Work location
UK Office
Reports to
International HR
Adviser
Contract
Six month fixed term
contract
Last updated
August 2015
Indirect reports
None
Accountability for
other resources
> Accountable for the
delivery of quality
business focussed
HR services to
support
International
Division teams both
in the UK and
Internationally.
> Accountable for
ensuring that all
advice is compliant
with legislation,
regulations, internal
and external
policies, standards
and best practice.
> Accountable for
ensuring that staff
seconded to other
parts of the
Movement are
adequately
prepared and
supported before,
during and after
their assignment.
Scale and scope of role
Direct reports
None
Budgetary
responsibility /
accountability
None
Reach and impact
> Provide an effective and customer focussed HR administration
service to key clients within the organisation.
> Liaise with managers, advising on recruitment methods and
sources, assisting with preparation of job descriptions and
advertisements, placing job advertisements on line and with
Job description and person specification
1
recruitment agencies and other media and ensuring equal
opportunities.
> Assist in the recruitment to the British Red Cross register of
thematic experts and deployment of these experts to other
components of the Movement.
> Provide advice and information to managers and staff on basic HR
issues including terms and conditions of employment, policies and
procedures, seeking advice from HR Adviser where appropriate.
Context
The British Red Cross helps people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. We are part of a
global voluntary network, responding to conflicts, natural disasters and individual emergencies.
We enable vulnerable people in the UK and abroad to prepare for and withstand emergencies in
their own communities. And when the crisis is over, we help them to recover and move on with
their lives. Within the UK, the British Red Cross operates through about 3500 staff and over
30,000 volunteers. Geographically, the UK is organised into 20 areas, which are grouped into
three regions.
The People and Learning Directorate is made up of a number of departments, 3 of which provide
generalist HR services to defined areas of the organisation. The remainder operate as ‘centres
of expertise’ who provide specialist services and, with the input and support of colleagues within
the wider organisation, develop and maintain national people management frameworks. There
are centres of expertise in the following disciplines: volunteering; learning & development;
organisation development; and policy, reward & employee relations. The People and Learning
division additionally receive transactional support (presently data inputting services) from a
shared services centre located in Paisley, Scotland.
The International HR department provides support to the staff of the International Division, made
up of UK based staff, international staff in overseas programmes and national staff in overseas
programmes. The department also provides support to the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (the
Federation) through the provision of and on-going support to suitably qualified personnel on
secondment into these organisations.
Overall purpose of the role
As a member of the International HR team, embedded into International Division, to support the
provision of high quality, business focussed HR services (delivered within a national framework),
to International Division both in the UK and Internationally. This will also require close working
with, and the commissioning of work from, centres of expertise and the Shared Services Centre.
BRC Job Description International HR Assistant
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Main responsibilities and duties
Generic to job type:
1.
Provide an effective and customer focussed HR administration service to key clients within
the organisation.
2.
Develop an overview of the business to support the changing needs.
3.
Proactively support the HR Adviser on all aspects of conduct, performance, capability
issues by ensuring an understanding of associated policies and procedures.
4.
Provide advice and information to managers and staff on basic HR issues including terms
and conditions of employment, policies and procedures, seeking advice from HR Adviser
where appropriate.
5.
Liaise with managers, advising on recruitment methods and sources, assisting with
preparation of job descriptions and advertisements, placing job advertisements on line and
with recruitment agencies and other media and ensuring equal opportunities.
6.
Ensure pre-employment checks are carried out including references, health checks,
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and the right to live and work in the UK.
7.
Progress HR transactions, ensuring offer letters, contracts of employment, variations to
contracts of employment, pay changes are processed accurately in accordance with
agreed timescales.
8.
Provide managers with alerts on review dates including end of probation, end of fixed term
contracts, retirement dates, long service leave, maternity, secondments, acting up and
advise on processes.
9.
Assist the HR Advisers with the annual appraisal, salary review, process, ensuring
completed appraisals are returned to HR, checking spreadsheets and letters and issuing
notifications to staff.
10. Work alongside the HR Adviser to manage and monitor the sickness absence process and
managing the absence return process.
11. Liaise with the Data Processing Unit and Payroll and ensure that starters, leavers and
changes to contracts are processed accurately in accordance with agreed payroll
deadlines. Deal with pay queries and liaise with payroll and HR Advisers regarding over
and under payments.
12. Produce, maintain in accordance with agreed standards. Assist the HR Manager/Adviser
with collation of information and preparation of employee relations case histories and files.
13. Liaise with Data Processing Unit to ensure that information on SAVI is entered accurately
and is up to date.
14. Raise and check purchasing orders as required.
15. Check post and order stationery as required.
16. Attend hearings and meetings as required to take notes.
17. Contribute to other HR initiatives and projects.
18. Arrange and deliver training for colleagues within their remit on relevant topics such as
online recruitment system and absence reporting.
Specific to International HR:
1.
Provide HR administrative support to the recruitment and deployment of overseas staff
including arranging advertising, shortlisting, briefing meetings, visas, travel plans, medical,
insurance, expenses, contracts, budgets and debrief meetings.
2.
Support the International HR Adviser as required in the event of a deployment of one of
the Emergency Response Units or the Household Economic Security roster. This involves
BRC Job Description International HR Assistant
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3.
4.
5.
6.
coordinating arrangements from confirmation of deployment through to debrief follow up
and includes planning briefing meetings, visas, travel arrangements, expenses, contractual
information and insurance provision.
Deal with insurance claims through liaising with the Insurance Manager to ensure that
claims are forwarded in a timely manager and that the delegate is informed of any relevant
information and the outcome.
On a rotational basis with the other HR Assistant, deal with the weekly/monthly shared HR
administrative/general housekeeping tasks.
Work flexibly within the International HR team to ensure adequate HR support to key
clients in response to emergencies and periods requiring surge capacity.
The International HR team operates an on call phone on a rotational basis. The secondary
on call phone rotates every week between four HR Assistants, in line with when one of the
four managers, HR Advisers, holds the primary on call phone.
You will be responsible for the duties detailed in your job description and may also carry out
such other duties as are reasonably required of you.
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Person specification
Requirements
Skills
> Good knowledge of Microsoft Office packages**
> Effective verbal and written skills with attention to
detail
Knowledge (including education and
training)
> Basic understanding of key differences in HR
support in the international context
> CPP or equivalent desirable (or willing to work
towards) or CIPD qualified or professional field
relevant to HR
> Awareness of international humanitarian issues
Experience
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Competencies
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BRC Job Description International HR Assistant
Experience of providing administrative support,
preferably in an HR environment**
Experience of providing customer support and
advice**
Experience of working with databases and record
keeping systems**
Experience of working to deadlines**
Experience of working in an international
organisation
Experience of providing HR administrative support
to staff and managers located overseas
Experience of handling a very high workload
Customer focussed
Able to build relationships
Collaborative and team worker
Able to prioritise and manage own workload to
meet deadlines
Flexible approach to accommodate needs of the
team and client group
Open and able to adapt to change
Drive and motivated with a ‘can do’ approach
Able to maintain confidentiality and gain the
confidence of others
Attention to detail
Working in Partnership**
Embracing and leading constructive change
Communicating and influencing**
Personal impact and self-management
Problem solving**
Developing yourself and others
5
> Cultural awareness and sensitivity**
Additional requirements
>
Uphold the Fundamental Principles and act with
integrity, in accordance British Red Cross values
(inclusive, compassionate, courageous, dynamic)
>
Able to travel occasionally within the UK
>
Able to work unsocial hours and stay occasionally
overnight away from home
>
Able to be on call for one week out of every four
weeks.
NB All disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria, denoted by **, will be short-listed for
interview in line with our commitment under the two-tick symbol scheme.
BRC Job Description International HR Assistant
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