Details

Reference number

378229

Salary

£73,727 - £79,141

National: £73,727 - £79,141 The Civil Service pay remit and Acas pay policy will apply.

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Job grade

Grade 6

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

ACAS – People

Type of role

Human Resources

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time, Compressed hours

Number of jobs available

Contents

Location

About the job

Benefits

Things you need to know

Apply and further information

Location

Any Acas Office except London with an element of working from home. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in GB and not overseas. You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process. Informal hybrid arrangements will be available and the balance between home and workplace working is to be agreed with the line manager.

About the job

Job summary

Our aim is to provide a great place to work and as a member of the Acas Senior Leadership Team (SLT), you will lead on the implementation of our new People and Culture strategy which will enable the successful delivery of our new organisational strategy. The role will oversee the creation of the cultural change roadmap enabling employees to understand the organisational shift, feeling that their voice matters.

Employee engagement is a key focus of the role to build an environment which ensures that colleagues are encouraged to innovate and continuously improve Acas’ working environment and services. You will need to play a strategic role informing and influencing Acas senior leaders on the right development and change processes.

Employee development throughout the employee lifecycle is important to the success of the organisation and this role will lead on the design and delivery of all internal L&D opportunities to develop the organisational workforce's capabilities, skills and competencies through service led, bespoke and experiential learning solutions.

As a senior leader, you will provide guidance and tools to help people managers enhance their own skills, competencies and knowledge and that of the teams they manage to achieve capable and confident managers and cohesive, high-performing teams.

Another key part of our overall approach to employee experience is to ensure that our people feel included and supported in all elements of working life. This role leads on the development of inclusion and wellbeing within Acas making sure our plans and working practices promote diversity and provide the right support for colleagues.

Job description

In this role you will:

Lead on the implementation of the people and culture strategy which sets the parameters for our cultural change, fosters innovation and allows employees to understand the organisation and feel that their voice matters in driving the business towards a common purpose.
Identify, work with and influence senior stakeholders on the development and implementation of our culture change plans.
Ensure the on-going assessment of the organisation and its needs via the Civil Service People Survey or Acas Pulse Surveys is captured and improvement actions are developed.
Lead on the organisational approach to leadership development working with senior leaders and the Board to establish need, and external providers to design the right interventions.
Collaborate with senior leaders to deliver technical learning fit for our evolving services
Oversee the design and delivery of all internal learning ensuring the right methods are used (online, classroom, virtual, blended etc.) taking into consideration audience, content and learning styles to meet the learners needs and achieve maximum impact.
Develop the engagement strategy to support the organisation’s reputation and brand internally, working in line with the guidance from Strategy and External Affairs.
Support and develop the Head of Culture to create innovative ways to involve Acas staff/teams in idea generation, continuous improvement and change.
Ensuring Acas is providing equal opportunities to all by building an inclusive workforce respectful of colleagues.
Continuously develop the internal approach to inclusion, aligning to external activity/positioning and the Civil Service D&I strategy.
Support the work to identify and deliver initiatives that promote and improve wellbeing for all to ensure the maintenance of physical, mental, and emotional stability and balance of the workforce.
Ensure work design and organisational culture drive positive mental health and wellbeing outcomes, as well as identifying initiatives to improve wellbeing for all.
Establish the newly developed Organisational Capability Function and develop the People Coach role.
Create the vision for talent development with Acas and support the design, delivery and continuous improvement of talent programmes.
Actively promote the reputation of Acas internally and externally. Deliver difficult or complex messages with decisiveness, clarity and sensitivity, being persuasive when required.

Responsibilities for all Heads:

Provide senior leadership to the wider HR team building capacity and capability and play a valued role in our organisation wide Senior Leadership Team and throughout Acas.
Provide advice and support to Executive Directors and support the Chief Executive and Director of People in all areas of culture, engagement and development.
Adding real value to Acas by using learning and development to meet short and long-term business needs.
Partnering at a senior level across the organisation to engage leaders in our cultural change, learning and development and engagement to maximise the employee experience.

Leadership:

The post holder will be required to create a sense of purpose for colleagues through highlighting connections between our work and the impact on our stakeholders. Contribute to the development of the vision and strategic goals for Acas and inspire colleagues to be fully engaged in their work. Actively promote the reputation of Acas internally and externally. Deliver difficult or complex messages with decisiveness, clarity and sensitivity, being persuasive when required. Promote diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity, respecting difference and external experience. Ensure team members are accountable: Empowered to make decisions, innovate and challenge without being blamed. Be self-aware and role-model continuous self-learning and development.

Who we are

Acas exists to make working life better for everyone in Britain. We are the experts in workplace matters, we’re impartial, so we’re not on anyone’s side. That means we’re working for everyone to help prevent and resolve workplace issues.

Acas helps employers and employees by providing information, advice, training, conciliation and other services that prevent or resolve workplace problems.

Acas: Britain’s Workplace Experts

Acas has been recognised for its Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace from the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion awards – Disability Confident Highly Commended; Pay Gap award winner and Overall winner for public sector organisations. Acas is committed to providing services and developing policies which embrace diversity, promote equality of opportunity and eliminate unlawful discrimination.

Person specification

Experience

Essential:

Demonstrable experience of leading a people-centred, consultative change in complex unionised organisation
Significant knowledge and experience in the specialisms of culture change, learning and development, employee engagement and Diversity and Inclusion
Experience of strategic leadership of people management within an organisation that is demonstrably ambitious about the future
Significant proven ability to influence and coach leaders in a professional business role involving continuous provision of strategic partnering to senior managers in a complex organisation
Developing and delivery of employee development programmes and initiatives designed to improve corporate performance
Up to date knowledge and practical experience of HR policy, practice, legislation and compliance relating to the role
An inspiring communicator with excellent interpersonal skills, able to both empower and challenge supportively
Strong track record of managing staff and building and developing a team of HR professionals, with the ability to galvanise and inspire their team
Experienced in managing conflicting priorities, ensuring agreed outcomes and outputs are delivered
Effective financial management skills, including delivering increased capability within declining budgets

Desirable:

Chartered Member of the CIPD or relevant experience and committed to achieving full membership.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

Making Effective Decisions
Working Together
Managing a Quality Service
Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £73,727, Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service contributes £21,358 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We’re big believers in rewarding people for the amazing work they do, take a look at some of the fantastic benefits we offer:

Learning and Development
Health and wellbeing
Pension scheme
Cycle to work scheme
Interest free season ticket loans
Volunteering opportunities

Could you ask for any more?

You’ll have access to a Life style website, were you’ll be able to grab savings over a wide range of products from holidays to your weekly shop.

To find out more please check out

Working for Acas

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

How to apply

Please click on the 'Apply now' button.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

A CV, this will be for information purposes only and will not be scored.

An evidence-based statement of suitability reflecting the essential and desirable Experience requirements as listed in the Job Description. Your statement of suitability should be no longer than 1,250 words. It should avoid generalised assertions, instead including specific examples of achievements, explaining the degree of challenge, what you did and the outcomes.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the:

Lead Criteria:

Demonstrable experience of leading a people-centred, consultative change in complex unionised organisation
Significant knowledge and experience in the specialisms of culture change, learning and development, employee engagement and Diversity and Inclusion

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift of all the above requirements or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

If a large number of applications meet the minimum standard an interview wait list may be created for this position. This means that if you have met the minimum requirements at sift you may be placed at a ‘Hold’ status for up to 12 months and if we are able to invite you to an interview we will be in touch.

Interview Details

If you have successfully passed sift, you will be invited to an interview via MS Teams which is likely to take place the week commencing 9 December 2024. The interview will be a Behaviour, Strength and Experienceinterview.

A reserve list will be created for this position, this means that if you have passed the interview, but we couldn’t offer you this position, you’ll be on a reserve list for 12 months and may be considered for similar positions.

If a person with disabilities is put at a disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Acas HR Recruitment Service via HRRecruitment@acas.org.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need accessibility considerations to enter the building or interview room, for communications or adjustments for testing procedures.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

UK nationals
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

Name :

HR Recruitment

Email :

HRRecruitment@acas.org.uk

Recruitment team

Email :

HRRecruitment@acas.org.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Code and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact us on HRRecruitment@acas.org.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from us, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

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