University of Sunderland Hiring for Human Resources Assistant at Sunderland Full Time

To provide efficient and comprehensive support in the delivery of key HR Services.

To provide high quality, timely and accurate work to agreed standards, and to

deliver excellent customer service and value for money. To act as a role model

within Human Resources, demonstrate the University values and respond flexibly to

the business needs.

Key Responsibilities

and Accountabilities:

• To be the first point of contact for human resources related queries, providing a

friendly and professional service to key internal and external stakeholders of the

university.

• Work in collaboration with other HR Assistants, take responsibility for managing

standard cases and processes as required (such as absence management,

consultations and discipline and grievance) under the direction of Assistant and HR

Business Partners. .

• Work in partnership with the Assistant and HR Business Partners and client areas

to provide operational advice on the people implications of strategic and business

plans.

• Work proactively with the payroll team ensuring accurate updating of relevant

HR/relevant systems.

• Liaising and collaborating with staff at all levels (face to face, online or in writing)

to explain and interpret HR policies and procedures and terms and conditions of

employment and providing first-line advice on areas covered by own remit.

• Take responsibility for an overview of employee relations matters at HR Assistant

level contributing to projects, providing management information and ensuring our

policies and processes are adapted in line with employment law changes.

• Responsible for working directly with faculties and services to support HR

processes including workforce changes, e.g. managing the fixed term process and

redeployment procedures, as well as staff recruitment e.g. staff authorisation,

vacancy management and the recruitment process from start to finish. You will be

responsible for ensuring the quality of the information within the staffing

authorisation process and Vacancy Management parts of the e recruitment system,

resolving any issues with regards to inconsistencies or missing information with

relevant stakeholders.

• To escalate appropriate matters to the Assistant HR Business Partner, providing

background information, preparing outline notes, initial research surrounding

policies and procedures, and providing appropriate information to assist.

• Provide solution-focused recommendations for employee related cases to the HR

Business Partner and draft responses for their approval as appropriate, in order to

assist and enable timely processing of employee related queries/issues.

• Oversee attendance management, running monthly reports, identifying trends and

providing pro-active advice to line managers, referring complex cases to the

Assistant/HR Business Partner.

Any other relevant duties and responsibilities that fall within the remit and grade of

this post.

Part 2A: Essential and Desirable Criteria

Essential

Qualifications and Professional Memberships:

• CIPD qualified or equivalent HR experience (Associate CIPD)
• Educated to A-Level standard

Knowledge and Experience:
Experience:

• Experience of Employee Relations providing first line advice and supporting

HR casework

• Experience of balancing a busy and varied HR workload.
• Experience of delivering high quality customer service within a busy HR

team.

• Experience of effectively communicating complex and sensitive information

to managers and staff at different levels.

• Experience of interpreting and advising on issues relating to the full employee

lifecycle including interpreting complex policies and procedures.

Key Knowledge and Expertise:

• Use Microsoft Word to create letters and documents to a good standard.
• Use Microsoft Excel to present basic information to a good standard
• Input and manage records in a complex HR database or similar system.
• Experience of Office 365 and in particular Microsoft Teams.

Desirable

Qualifications and Professional Memberships:

• Graduate CIPD or equivalent experience

Knowledge and Experience:
Key Knowledge and Expertise:

• Experience of working in an education environment
• Experience of working with trade unions.
• Able to use Microsoft Excel formulae, pivot tables and charts.
• Demonstrable knowledge of current UK employment law.

University of Sunderland

Role Profile

Part 2

Part 2B: Key Competencies

Competencies are

assessed at the

interview/selection

testing stage

Communication

Oral Communication

• Delivery methods are chosen and tailored to aid understanding and meet the

needs of others

• Takes action to correct any misunderstandings or mistakes
• Checks on recipient’s understanding and takes action to remedy any

miscommunications

• Adapts style in response to feedback

•

Written Communication

• Anticipates the others’ needs for information
• Adjusts the level of content to suit audiences with varying levels of

understanding and ability

• Provides information in a suitable format so that the others’ needs are met
• Uses a range of different formats, chosen to meet the diverse needs and

ensure understanding

Decision Making

Independent Decisions

• Considers wider impact of decisions, assesses possible outcomes and their

likelihood

• Uses judgement to make decisions with limited or ambiguous data and takes

account of multiple factors

• Distinguishes between the need to make a decision, when to defer and when

not to take a decision

Collaborative Decisions

• Helps others to explore options that initially appear to be inappropriate or

unfeasible and recognise when a decision is or is not needed

• Enables others to contribute to decisions
• Ensures that options are weighed, outcomes identified and chances of

success considered

• Challenges decisions, appropriately, to ensure consideration and processes

are robust

Provision of Advice

• Anticipates and highlights issues that need to be taken into account
• Outlines possible impacting factors, assessing their degree of influence on

the choice of options

Ensures previous learning is included

Pastoral Care & Welfare

• Calms and reassures those in distress
• Deals with difficult situations or confidential matters, according to policy and

procedures

• Involves others or refers elsewhere for assistance if the situation becomes

more complex and if additional help or information is required

Planning and Organising Resources

• Suggests ways of improving working practice and use of resources
• Creates realistic plans to achieve own deadlines and objectives
• Monitors progress of self and or others so that corrective action can be taken

if needed

Actively seeks information to support planning and prioritisation of work

Team Development

• Provides induction material and early experience to help new colleagues

learn their job and become part of the team quickly

• Acts as a buddy, coach and role model to new colleagues without waiting to

be asked

• Produces material to help others learn

April 2022