The University of Cambridge is recognised globally as a renowned centre for research, education and scholarship. We employ more than 12,500 staff in a range of academic, research and professional services roles, all of whom play a key role in maintaining and enhancing our world leading reputation. Our people are our greatest asset, and it is critical to our continued success that we create the right conditions for our people to thrive at Cambridge.
Our Human Resources Division is now in an exciting period of transformation as we move towards a more empowering and contemporary model of service delivery. This will culminate in the launch and implementation of our new People Strategy that will set the strategic direction for our people priorities. We have also embarked upon the HR Transformation Programme, which aims to simplify and harmonise our processes. Our ambitious approach to transformation has created a number of HR Business Partnering opportunities, and we are looking for passionate and adaptable individuals who want to apply their HR knowledge in a unique environment and progress their HR career.
The Role:
As a HR Business Partner at Cambridge, you will join an evolving service that supports the delivery of the people agenda across the organisation to deliver a great employee experience for our staff. Reporting to one of the Lead HR Business Partners, you will become a trusted partner to one of our Schools, building strong and influential relationships with key stakeholders and providing advice on people processes, policies and employment legislation. As a key point of support, you will apply your extensive knowledge of HR practice in a broad remit of HR activity, including disciplinary, capability and grievance casework and change management. Where appropriate, you will work closely with other specialist teams within the HR Division, such as Reward, EDI and Resourcing, to provide an expert service to the School. As the HR service evolves, you will have the opportunity to apply and expand your knowledge and expertise into more strategic HR initiatives and projects. In this busy, yet exciting role, you will also:
- Analyse and define HR issues and recommend a range of generalist or specialist solutions to meet service requirements;
- Proactively research, develop, implement and embed best practice HR services, policy and principles, influencing and persuading colleagues are required;
- Coach managers and colleagues in the acquisition and development of skills and knowledge to confidently prevent and resolve people issues;
- Contribute towards wider-scale projects that deliver against the objectives of the Division and organisational as a whole.
About you:
In order to succeed in this role, you will join us with:
- Significant experience in either a generalist or specialist HR role, with operational exposure to employment law, case management and organisational change;
- Excellent written and oral communication, influencing and negotiation skills, with experience of liaising with both internal and external customers;
- The ability to build and maintain effective working relationships that instil confidence and trust to deliver solutions;
- Experience of advising and influencing senior managers on HR issues;
- Strong analytical skills and the ability to produce and present clearly articulated, well structured, concise reports;
- A positive and creative approach to problem solving at both strategic and operational levels;
Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.
Benefits of working at Cambridge include:
- Competitive rates of pay with automatic service related pay progression and annual cost of living increases;
- Generous annual leave allowance of 41 days paid leave (including bank holidays);
- Flexible and hybrid working opportunities;
- Generous maternity, adoption and shared parental leave entitlement and other family friendly schemes (e.g. workplace nurseries and salary exchange schemes for childcare);
- An auto-enrolment pension scheme , with a generous employer contribution;
- Travel benefits and retail discounts at over 2,000 local and national stores;
- Schemes to support with relocation / the provision of accommodation
How to Apply:
If you feel you are the right person to support the delivery of HR services at the University of Cambridge, then please click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already). Your application should consist of a CV and a covering letter / statement outlining your suitability for the role.
We have both full and part time, and permanent and fixed term opportunities available. If you have a specific preference, please outline this in your covering letter/statement.
The University of Cambridge is committed to supporting our staff to thrive both professionally and personally. We aim to support a good work/life balance, whilst retaining the positive aspects of our unique in-person environment and culture. Elements of this role are suitable for hybrid working, where staff can split their time between in-person collaboration and remote working. The frequency of the remote elements of the role can be discussed with the recruiting manager.
We welcome applications from individuals who wish to be considered for part-time working or other flexible working arrangements.
If you would like to discuss the opportunities we have available, please contact Michelle Talbot (Divisional Administrator) at: michelle.talbot@admin.cam.ac.uk
We have a number of opportunities available for talented HR professionals to join the team and will be reviewing applications on a regular basis. We reserve the right to close the position early if all available positions are filled.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.
The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.