Director of HR
King Edward's School, Bath
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a suitably qualified and highly experienced HR professional to join King Edward’s School, Bath as our Director of HR.
After a period of significant investment in our HR Department, you will have the opportunity to lead the team over this crucial next stage of the Department’s development and to have a significant impact on the future of the School and its employees.
As a School, we have over 300 employees and a clear commitment to be a leading employer in the local education sector. As the Director of HR, you will play a leading role in ensuring that we honour this commitment and that our staff are well supported, engaged and continue to benefit from a developing range of supportive policies, processes and rewards.
You will also play a vital role in supporting the Governors and School leadership in all aspects of HR management – including the recruitment, retention and management of our staff – and you will be expected to lead on many matters considered at the Governors’ termly HR Committee meetings.
The successful candidate will have a proven track record of operating at a senior level and a high level of personal resilience coupled with excellent interpersonal skills. Whilst we welcome applications from those who have not worked in education before, the successful candidate will have a deep empathy and understanding of the role which HR can have in enhancing and supporting our school community.
The postholder will be provided with a full induction, supportive line management and appropriate training. This role will be worked flexibly between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday with an hour unpaid break daily.
We hope that you find the supporting candidate job description informative and that you will wish to pursue an application. If you wish to discuss this role further, please contact Tom Davies, Bursar & Chief Operating Officer via bursar@kesbath.com.
An application form can be downloaded from the School’s website. The closing date for this vacancy is 8.30am on Monday 24 February 2025 and a completed application form and covering letter need to be sent to our HR Department via HR@kesbath.com.
Job Description and Person Specification
Job title Director of HR
Employment Status Permanent full-time
Salary Scale Point 47 – 51: £54,337 - £59,091
Working Pattern 37 hours per week: all year round
To be worked flexibly between 8am and 5pm Monday to Friday
King Edward’s School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to adhere to the School’s Safeguarding Policies and Procedures.
Responsible to: The Bursar & Chief Operating Officer.
Responsible for: Contributing to the School’s strategic vision through playing a leading role in ensuring that our staff are well supported, engaged and continue to benefit from a developing range of supportive policies, processes and rewards. Ensuring the smooth and efficient running of the School’s HR Department, including overseeing whole school recruitment and the undertaking of safer recruitment and safeguarding checks. The position holder also plays a vital role in supporting the Governors and School leadership in all aspects of HR management – including the recruitment, retention and management of our staff and will be expected to lead on many matters considered at the Governors’ termly HR Committee meetings.
Main responsibilities:
Governors’ HR Committee
* Preparing the agenda and other documents for presentation to the Governors’ termly HR Committee meeting.
* Taking a lead role in presenting relevant information to Governors at the HR Committee meetings.
* Remaining in regular and appropriate communication with the Chair of the HR Committee and the Clerk to Governors.
* Generating and reviewing School HR policies in line with reference to ISBA standard policies and referring to ACAS, the School’s Solicitors and other outside agencies if required.
Recruitment & Staff Benefits
* Liaising with key stakeholders to accurately identify recruitment needs, including evaluating salary ranges, reviewing application packs and promoting the School’s benefits package to ensure KES remains competitive and attracts suitably qualified and experienced colleagues.
* Overseeing shortlisting processes and working closely with the relevant colleagues to ensure that suitably testing interviews are set up and that shortlisted candidates are accurately informed of the process and are welcomed on the day.
* Checking that interview questions are suitably probing, competence based and include mandatory safeguarding questions.
* Making offers of employment to non-teaching candidates and liaising with key stakeholders in respect of successful teaching appointments.
* Sharing and promoting best practice in respect of pre-employment checks within the HR Team and other key stakeholders, facilitating focussed training sessions and ensuring that KCSIE guidelines are adhered to.
* Ensuring that the School’s Safer Recruitment Policy is updated annually and in line with KCSIE. Completing NSPCC Safer Recruitment training on a regular basis (generally every 3 years).
Safeguarding
* Ensuring Safer Recruitment Policies are implemented in full and are in line with sector best practice.
* Ensuring the School’s Single Central Record is kept up to date at all times and remains “Inspection ready” for contracted staff, Governors and volunteers who are joining the School and also Third Party (agency and non-agency).
* Overseeing the efficient processing of DBS and ID checks, references, medical clearance and recording checks accurately.
HR Lifecycle (Including payroll)
* Overseeing the issuing of job descriptions, contracts and letters of employment and starter paperwork for new employees.
* Ensuring the efficient management and safe storage of personnel files, including archiving and adhering to GDPR guidelines.
* Ensuring new staff are made welcome when they visit the school before employment (e.g. ID checks etc) and ensure that the HR team respond to any employment questions appropriately.
* Working with key stakeholders to ensure the effective induction of new staff.
* Liaising regularly with Finance Team to ensure they receive accurate and timely payment information for new staff, contractual changes for established employees, overtime payments etc.
* Ensuring that data held on the School’s Management Information System(s) remains updated with key personnel data, e.g. personal information and pay data.
* Responding to questions regarding pensions, liaising closely with the Finance Team to ensure enrolment and retirement and signposting to outside agencies for all non-routine queries.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)
* Develop, implement, and review EDI policies, ensuring integration into all HR processes and compliance with current legislation.
* Foster an inclusive culture and promote EDI awareness.
* Ensure inclusive recruitment processes, implement strategies to retain diverse talent, and monitor recruitment data for biases.
* Design and deliver EDI training programs and provide ongoing support to enhance understanding and practice of EDI principles.
* Establish metrics to measure EDI initiatives and report progress to senior leadership.
* Create a supportive environment for raising EDI concerns, provide guidance on EDI issues, and facilitate open conversations about EDI topics.
Line Management
* Line managing the HR team primarily but not limited to and can be utilised to line manage up to 5 colleagues.
* Undertaking appraisals of team members in a timely manner within the annual performance management cycle, including the setting of SMART objectives.
* Promoting knowledge and understanding of appraisals within the HR Team so that support and guidance can be provided to colleagues.
* Overseeing the collection and recording of support staff appraisals across all 3 school sites (Senior, Junior and Pre-prep) and managing issues that may arise from appraisal discussions.
Absence Management
* Overseeing the application of the School’s Sickness and Absence Management Policies.
* Overseeing accurate recording of staff absence and monitoring patterns and trends of individual staff members.
* Managing staff absence by providing focussed advice and guidance to line managers and meeting with individual employees.
* Communicating with staff who are absent from work. Overseeing sick pay entitlement and communication of salary information to colleagues.
* Submitting high quality OH referrals to the School’s OH practitioners and scrutinising reports upon receipt.
* Discussing reports with key stakeholders and employees.
Continuous Professional Development & Training
* Extracting appropriate training needs data from support staff performance appraisals and recording it in a manner that is easy to assimilate.
* Research and promoting appropriate training opportunities, including but not limited to IT, line management, appraisal, safeguarding etc.
* Providing training on pertinent subjects as and when required, e.g. safeguarding, appraisals etc.
Case work
* Supporting line managers and staff in regular HR case work, including absence management, capability, grievance and disciplinary matters.
* Dealing with staff complaints to minimise the escalation of lower-level issues to the senior management team.
* Liaising with key stakeholders, including the School’s appointed Solicitors to ensure formal grievances are dealt with fairly, in line with school policy and in a time sensitive manner.
* Overseeing investigations to ensure Investigating Officers are provided with required information and employees are kept informed and are supported throughout formal processes.
* Liaise with key stakeholders so that colleagues can be supported appropriately during formal Capability and/or Disciplinary proceedings. Acting as an Investigating Officer as and when required.
The above list is not exhaustive but summarises the key roles to be performed. A willingness to respond supportively to changing circumstances or the changing needs of the School is part of working in a school environment and is expected of the postholder.
Staff Pension
If eligible, you will be automatically enrolled into the King Edward’s School, Bath Group Personal Pension Plan with an employer’s contribution of 6% of salary, to be matched by a 2% employee contribution.
DBS Clearance
All appointments are made subject to satisfactory DBS clearance. The suitability of all prospective employees or volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment.
Safeguarding
All staff are in a position of trust and have a duty to keep children and young people safe and to protect them from neglect and physical and emotional harm. This duty is in part exercised through the development of respectful caring and professional relationships between staff, children, and young people. Staff are expected to be familiar with the local child protection arrangements and understand their responsibilities to safeguard and protect children and young people.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Educated to GCSE Level.
CIPD Qualified to at least Level 5 and/or relevant degree.
Hold a current NSPCC Safer Recruitment certificate.
Knowledge and Experience
Experience of leading an HR department, overseeing HR lifecycle and managing complex case work.
Experience of working at a senior management level.
IT skills relevant to the role, e.g. Word, Excel and other HR platforms, e.g. SIMS, SAM etc.
Up to date knowledge of HR legislation and the ability to research information as and when required.
Understanding of ACAS guidance and processes and demonstrable experience of undertaking complex HR procedures such as redundancies and restructuring.
Experience of effective utilisation of HR data and analytics (including in relation to pay and benefits, EDI, absence etc).
Experience of working within an education setting.
Personal Qualities
Ability to observe confidentiality and understand fully the need to share sensitive information on a ‘need to know’ basis only.
Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability and confidence to interact effectively with a wide range of stakeholders at all levels, including outside agencies.
Excellent written skills and the ability to communicate effectively via email and in letter and policy form.
Ability to de-escalate staffing issues quickly and efficiently.
Ability to apply problem solving techniques and get results, prioritising tasks whilst working under pressure.
Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire and motivate a team.
Ability to troubleshoot, investigate and resolve technical issues.
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