Worcester College, Oxford
Human Resources Manager
Job description, September 2015
Job Title
Human Resources Manager
Grade
Equivalent to the University of Oxford Salary Grade 8
Reports to
Finance & Estates Bursar
(the post-holder will also attend various College Committees)
Manages
HR Administrator (part-time)
Preamble
Worcester College is a college within Oxford University. We have a fine and enviable reputation for
academic excellence, for our welcoming and friendly atmosphere and for a degree of sporting
prowess. Whilst we are fortunate to have wonderful and historic buildings and enjoy stunning
gardens and grounds, our College is primarily about its people; its undergraduate and graduate
students, its academic and its non-academic staff.
We employ 100 non-academic staff in a variety of operations roles – in catering, maintenance,
security, gardens and grounds, IT provision and support, the Library, finance and accounts
processing, the accommodation office and in conferencing. The College has recently embarked on a
series of productivity improvements that in some ways affect all its operations. As examples, we are
improving the estate so our premises continue to be places of inspiration, we are improving the
effectiveness of our accommodation team so our students and guests can enjoy a higher and
consistent standard of room presentation, and we are growing our conferencing business so more
students and other visitors can enjoy our special learning environment. Analogous improvements are
being seen in most other areas of our operations.
Job Purpose
Our operations and improvements to them are all delivered by our people. The HR Manager’s job is
to help us ensure our people are up to this challenge – that they are motivated, trained, wellmanaged and appropriately and equitably rewarded. This is a highly visible role within the College in
support of the College’s strategy.
In addition to providing a full spectrum of HR services for the various operations departments as
they go through a period of quite radical change, the HR Department also supports the Academic
Office team who administer the employment of Academic staff. This support includes HR
administration in relation to recruitment, pensions and retirement.
Worcester College, HR Manager
Page 1 of 7
Across all these roles the HR Manager provides expert professional advice to the Official Fellowship
(who are the College’s trustees), College Officers, departmental managers and staff on all aspects of
people management, which fully reflects employment legislation and best practice. The post-holder
has access to employment law advice from the College’s solicitors.
Our College is a community devoted to academic enquiry, whether through research that advances
knowledge or through education that challenges and develops critical thinking. Both of these
pursuits are enriched through the College’s multi-disciplinary environment but both are also
immeasurably enriched through having Members and staff drawn from richly diverse backgrounds. It
follows we are committed to diversity and to equality of opportunity in our student body and in our
staff. Achieving this richness requires us to take active steps to ensure we admit students based on
academic merit, considering both their academic achievement and their potential for future
academic growth. Similarly, we aim to make staff appointments (academic and non-academic) solely
on criteria which are related to the duties of a particular post; to support career development and
progression; and to encourage diverse representation and participation at all levels. We strive to
achieve this regardless of individual circumstances. Our belief is this approach is socially just and will
be effective in ensuring our community continues to be academically robust, progressive and
demonstrably inclusive. Alongside the work of the Admissions Office and the Academic Office who
collectively manage our outreach and student admissions, the HR Manager will take the lead role in
monitoring and reporting on our progress in this area and will also directly manage equality and
diversity for our non-academic staff.
Job Context
The HR Manager reports into the Bursary. The Bursary team is accountable for the line management
of most of the non-academic staff in the College and controls the associated expenditures. The HR
function provides an essential core capacity assisting the Bursars and the departmental managers
with all human resources issues.
In addition to setting the Financial Strategy and administering all the College’s non-academic
operations, the Bursary has a student-oriented role. We help ensure junior members (our students)
have an enjoyable as well as an intellectually challenging experience during their brief Oxford years,
in a comfortable and friendly environment. In this way the non-academic staff contributes directly to
the quality of the students’ experience and so it is a priority for the Bursary to ensure all members of
the College community are supported by all we do. To achieve this with limited resources the
Bursary seeks to promote and support a progressive, motivated and skilled group of managers and
their teams (of cleaners, lodge porters, hall-staff, grounds-staff and others).
The Postholder will help develop this supportive environment and will help maintain a continual
drive: to improve how the College supports its Members, to ensure non-academic staff have fulfilling
working lives and to ensure we are cost-effective in all we do.
The HR Manager is assisted by an HR Administrator who also has accountabilities for some payroll
processing functions, in which capacity he/she works for the College Accountant.
Worcester College, HR Manager
Page 2 of 7
Accountabilities
1. Strategy. Formulate and, following approval, implement a costed and phased HR strategy
(encompassing policy, practice and standards), and input into the College’s overall strategy
(especially in support of change management and organisational design requirements
whether at departmental or whole-institution level).
2. Equality/diversity. Lead an initiative to develop and implement an Equality and Diversity
Strategy for the College in relation to both students and staff, with the aims of removing
barriers, real or perceived, that might deter people of the highest ability from applying to the
College, either as staff or students; assisting students and staff in reaching their full potential;
and providing an inclusive environment which values diversity and maintains a working,
learning and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all staff and students are
respected. Periodically analyse equality and diversity data (relating to students and staff) and
prepare reports to record the status of the College’s progress in implementing the strategy,
for approval by Governing Body.
3. Policy development and approvals. Draft and develop policies relating to all areas of the HR
function’s remit, as necessary. Ensure such policies are compliant with current legislation,
support best practice within an HE environment, where appropriate align with Oxford
University’s policies (because some academic staff hold joint appointments with the
University), and support Governing Body’s decisions. Present such policies for approval to the
senior College Officers and College Committees as appropriate. Ensure such policies are
implemented, including by training and assisting line managers and others.
4. Job design. Ensure jobs are evaluated using an objective framework and develop a plan for
aligning reward with the framework. This is likely to be the HERA framework which is used by
the University.
5. Appraisal/performance management. Fully implement the College’s appraisal system for all
staff so that they have a mechanism by which they can influence their personal development
and career progression, whilst clearly understanding what is required of them and how they
are performing.
6. Training and development. Formulate and implement a needs-led training and development
programme to equip support staff with the skills and behaviours needed to fulfill the
College’s expectations of them (covering professional development, technical skills, and soft
skills training). Coach managers in support of their professional development and in delivery
of their targets. Assist the relevant College Officers by arranging training for Governing Body,
in support of their legislative and compliance obligations.
7. Compensation. Ensure the College’s compensation and benefits policy (including salary,
contractual benefits and non-contractual benefits), remains competitive and fair whilst
delivering value for money. Advise the Finance and Estates Bursar during the College’s
annual salary review process.
8. Pensions. Ensure the College’s pension schemes are administered effectively so that starters,
leavers and retiree issues are handled promptly and accurately, so that the payroll
administration has accurate information to process and so that Members’ queries are
promptly handled.
9. Terms and conditions of employment. Ensure the College operates with standardised
employment contracts and that the same management model is adopted across all
departments, in order to deliver equity and to ensure the College is not inadvertently
exposed to risk.
Worcester College, HR Manager
Page 3 of 7
10. Resource planning. Identify the College’s future employee resourcing needs and advise on
plans for the fulfillment of these needs e.g. recruitment exercises, employee development,
progression and promotion opportunities.
11. Recruitment. Ensure the College has an effective process (administered in the HR Dept) for
recruiting academic and non-academic staff, and also assist with the recruitment and
selection of senior staff. The process must be compliant with Border Agency requirements
(Right to Work) and reflect the College’s commitment to equality of opportunity.
12. Employee relations. Provide expert HR advice in all employee relations matters, and assist
line management to achieve favourable outcomes in complex and sensitive situations, where
necessary, including for termination of employment and in disciplinary proceedings as they
arise from time to time.
13. Employee engagement and communications. Devise and implement mechanisms by which
the College may improve employee communications and engagement (such as the Staff
Forum), with the aim of improving motivation and commitment in order to enhance the
College’s performance and reputation. Advise College Officers about employee-related
communication initiatives e.g. staff newsletter, briefings, notices, development of intranet,
management meetings.
14. Welfare. Provide an independent and confidential welfare service to staff and managers for
resolution of work-related issues (or personal matters impacting their work) with the aim of
reducing staff sickness and negative turnover and promoting a positive work environment for
all.
15. Payroll. Support and provide information to the Accounts Department, to ensure that all
aspects of employees’ remuneration, including pension contributions, sick pay and parental
leave, are correctly calculated and applied in accordance with UK legislation and College
policy.
16. Administration. Ensure all HR administration is carried out in an efficient and timely manner
and in compliance with policies and the relevant legislation. Manage the processing aspects
of the HR service and systems covering: recruitment, resourcing and staff retention activities,
contracting of occupational health services, devising and collecting human resource
management information (including systems to record attendance and absences), HR inputs
to payroll processing, training and development, and retirement (including application of the
College’s employer justified retirement age policy).
17. Management information. Provide relevant and timely management information relating to
HR matters to the Fellowship, College Officers and departmental managers.
18. Confidentiality. Ensure all HR operations observe data protection legislation, including when
handling personal and sensitive information, and be seen to champion the highest standards
of professional behaviour.
19. Network. Represent and promote the College in the Oxford colleges’ HR network.
20. Other. Under the direction of the Finance and Estates Bursar, undertake other duties and
tasks commensurate with the level of this position in support of the College’s most senior
management and Governing Body.
Worcester College, HR Manager
Page 4 of 7
Person Specification
Essential
Qualifications
Member of Chartered Institute of Personnel and
Development
Educated to first degree level
Experience
Significant and extensive experience in a senior HR role
Appropriate proven HR case work experience, (including
disciplinary processes, grievance and absence management)
Experience of supporting a programme of organisational
change
Experience of developing, introducing and administering HR
policies, systems and procedures
Knowledge, skills
Current and broad knowledge of the UK HR environment,
legislation and best practice
Whilst a specialism is attractive, the post holder will be able
to demonstrate capability as a generalist
Desirable
Professional experience gained in
a higher education context and in
a collegiate environment
Specialist experience employment
law and employee relations
(individual) , diversity and
equality, job design and grading,
restructuring
An aptitude for (and willingness to use) information
technology to deliver an efficient HR function
Excellent written and oral communication skills together
with an ability to engage at all levels, in formal and informal
settings and including the ability to present HR best practice
and legal requirements relating to HR matters
Persuasive and able to negotiate and to influence others
using appropriate arguments that sell the benefits of their
proposals
In addition the successful applicant will:
 Be willing to “own” the issue and see it through to its resolution
 Be a collaborative, active, persistent, resourceful and hands-on manager, with an eye for
new approaches and solutions
 Be practised in helping managers to review and strengthen their decisions and plans, through
support, encouragement and coaching
 Be able to build good working relationships with people across the College and wider
University community, including senior members, students, and non-academic staff
 Be able to prioritise tasks and to work to deadlines, and willing and able to work occasional
unsocial hours (usually during term times when managing peak workloads)
 Handle sensitive material with the utmost professionalism and discretion
 Be committed to the academic aims and ethos of an Oxford College and adaptable to work
within its governance structure
Worcester College, HR Manager
Page 5 of 7
Terms and conditions
The post is available on a full time basis though applicants will be considered who are prepared to
offer a minimum of 0.7FTE, provided they fully meet the essential criteria in the person specification.
Starting salary is £38,511 and will rise with annual cost of living awards and annual increments
(subject to performance). The salary will be pro-rata for part time applicants.
This post is pensionable in the Universities Superannuation Scheme which is a contributory defined
benefit scheme (though you should note the rules for the scheme are changing from April 2016).
The post-holder will be provided with lunch in College (currently meals are provided free of charge)
when the kitchens are open during term and in vacations.
The regular hours of work are 36.25 hours per week (0830-1700 including 1 ¼ hour lunchbreak).
However for positions at this level of seniority, post-holders are expected to work the hours
necessary to fulfil the post’s accountabilities.
There is an annual leave allowance of 30 days plus Bank Holidays. Bank Holidays falling during term
are worked, with days given in lieu.
Subject to satisfactory performance, the post-holder will be confirmed in post after a probationary
period of 6 months.
The appointment will be conditional on the receipt of satisfactory references and to satisfactory
proof being provided that the postholder has the right to work in the UK.
Full terms and conditions of employment are contained in the contract of employment.
Application Procedure
An application form can be downloaded from the College’s website at www.worc.ox.ac.uk/jobs.
Any enquiries relating to these Further Particulars should be directed in the first instance to
Jonathan Forrest at Worcester College, Walton Street, Oxford OX1 2HB, Telephone: 01865 278335.
Prospective candidates should prepare a completed application form, together with a curriculum
vitae and a covering letter (of no more than 500 words), demonstrating how their skills and
experience fulfil the criteria in the person specification. Completed applications should be sent to the
HR Advisor, either by post or electronically, at Worcester College, Walton Street, Oxford OX1 2HB,
Email: [email protected], to arrive no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, 19 th October
2015. First round interviews will be held in Oxford during the week commencing November 2nd.
This post is subject to recruitment monitoring to ensure that the selection process is consistent with
the law and the College’s Equal Opportunity Policy and Code of Practice. To this end, applicants are
asked to complete a Recruitment Monitoring Form, which is also available on the College website.
The information supplied on the form will play NO part in the selection process, and will NOT be
seen by any member of the selection panel.
Worcester College, HR Manager
Page 6 of 7
Data Protection. All data supplied by applicants will be used only for the purposes of determining
their suitability for the post and will be held in accordance with the principles of the Data Protection
Act 1998.
Worcester College, HR Manager
Page 7 of 7