Breckland Council Application Pack for the post of HR Business and Systems Officer

Thank you for your interest in working for BrecklandCouncil. Within this pack you will find the following:

  • Conditions of service
  • Job Description
  • Person Specification

Please ensure that you read the job description and person specification before completing the application form.

Please use the application form to provide us with full details of your experience and qualifications in support of your application. Applicants will be selected for interview based upon the information they provide on their application form and how this meets the criteria in the job description and person specification.

If you would like to apply for this vacancy, please e-mail your completed application form to or send the completed application form to:

Human Resources

Elizabeth House

Walpole Loke

Dereham

Norfolk

NR19 1EE

Please mark the envelope “JOB APPLICATION”.

All application forms must arrive at Human Resources by 1700 hours on the closing date!Unexpected End of Formula.

If you have any queries or would like further information, please do not hesitate to contact us on the E-mail address above.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

The Terms and Conditions at Breckland Councilare in accordance with collective agreements negotiated from time to time by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services Administrative, Professional, Technical & Clerical Services (APT & C), with the exception of those conditions affecting salary, which are subject to a locally negotiated salary structure. Other Terms and Conditions may be implemented following collective agreements negotiated and agreed with the Trade Union recognised by Breckland Council for collective local bargaining purposes. The Principal conditions are set out below:-

Grade: 9

Salary Scale:£21,162 - £26,439 per annum (pro rata for part time posts)

Hours:37 hours per week

Period of Notice to be

given by the postholder:1 month(s) notice.

Probationary Period:The appointment of every new entrant to the Local Government Service with this Authority is subject to a term of probation which, at the moment, is six months. Subject to satisfactory service, the employee is transferred to the established staff at the end of the period of probation. During the probationary service the employee will be expected to establish his/her suitability for the post.

Sickness Payments:Will be in accordance with the National Scheme of Conditions of Service relevant to APT & C staff.

Annual Leave:For full time posts the annual leave entitlement is 22 working days, increased by five days after five years’ continuous Local Authority service, plus eight public holidays. For part time posts the entitlement is pro rata.

Flex time Scheme:A flex time scheme operates within Breckland Council.

Car User Status:This post attracts casual car user status.

Relocation Expenses:A relocation package of up to £4500 is applicable to all new appointees who are required by the Council to relocate to the area.

Please note that all offers of appointment are subject to satisfactory references and satisfactory medical clearance. In some instances, offers of employment may also be subject to satisfactory criminal record checks.

HR Business and Systems Officer : JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Summary
Grade / 9
Responsible To / Payroll and HR Systems Manager
Responsible For / N/A
Job Purpose / To provide an effective and efficient service to HR and Payroll colleagues and the business inHR administration, systems and production of management information to aid organisational development and design.
Primary contact will be HR and Payroll colleagues with some contact directly with Departments
The role will involve statistical analysis of HR metrics, liaising with various stakeholders and communicating with external providers and contacts.
Location of Job / Breckland Council, Dereham
Directorate/ Service Area / Strategy & Governance
Description of Duties
Primary Functional Objectives of the Role / HR Systems
1.Support the Payroll and HR Systems Manager on the delivery of HR Systemstrategy to include process and quality management.
2.Contribute to discussions on future systems strategy, evaluate existing systems/other products as necessary and make recommendations.
3.Maintain and develop core HR IT systems, specifically contributing to thedevelopment of and subsequent maintainenance of HR hierarchies (e.g.reporting lines)
4.Contribute to HR Management System projects (e.g. selecting, testing and implementing software).
5.Support user acceptance testing.
6. Support the progress of systems activity within defined configurations e.g. Learning and Development, People and Performance management and other changes where appropriate.
7.Develop and maintain Document Management and Workflow solutions
8.Contribute to, develop and maintain systems and permissions architecture asdefined by the Payroll and HR Systems Manager.
9.Carry out system administration activities – e.g. system maintenance, system
testing, system/data checks fault-finding and resolution, managing useraccess.
10.Support others using systems – e.g. designing and delivering training, andproducing user guides.
12.Work with intranet/internet technology as required.
Recruitment
1. Work with HR and Development Consultants and HR Consultant on recruitment campaigns.
2.Prepare and administer HR documents such as contracts of employment in line with the varying terms and conditions that exist, ensuring accuracy and that documents are in line with legislation
3.Administer variations to contract liaising with the payroll to ensure accurate process management
4.Maintain accurate employee data
5.Maintain the Council’s ‘Careers’ page and the HR pages on the intranet
6.Liaise with external agencies where appropriate, this may include attendance to networking and recruitment events.
7.Attend interviews where required
Management Information
1.Support reporting and measurement activity across the whole range of HR activity.
2.Advise HR colleagues and progress with them reporting and measurements in line with the HR Reporting Models.
3.Work closely with the CIP Team to enhance and continuously improve Management Information.
4.Respond to ad hoc reporting requirements positively and with due regard to time to ensure delivery taking advice from the HR Team where appropriate.
5.Action defined reporting at set times throughout the year ensuring deadlines are met wherever possible.
General
1.Develop the HR intranet page using innovative ideas to filter queries
2.To be the first point of contact for all HR related queries
3.To provide a high level admin service to support the Human Resources Team
4.Support on HR casework as and when required.
5.Manage the administrative processes in relation to Maternity, Paternity etc. leave, seeking support from the HR team to advise managers and staff on individual rights and responsibilities
6.Support project work where required
7.Support the HR team as required.
8. Assist HRDCs and Managers with HR policies and procedures, as well as providing relevant support in case work e.g absence management
9. Support the Payroll and HR Systems Manager in administration of benefits, rewards and payroll information as and when required
10. Ensure compliance to all policies, procedures, standard operating practices, with recommendations for action and continuous improvement.
11.Be committed to Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those that we serve, as well as complying to best practice in the application of Safeguarding.
Primary Performance Management Objectives of the Role
(If Applicable) /
  • Attend/undertake all mandatory training
  • Actively engage with one to one’s and annual appraisals
  • Actively promote the values, behaviours and vision of the Council throughout the staffbody
  • Facilitate a positive and receptive organisational culture

Primary Leadership Objectives of the Role (If Applicable) /
  • N/A

Responsibilities for:
People /
  • Responsible for their own conduct and behaviour.
  • No line management responsibility.
  • Will on occasions be responsible for the checking of work of others
  • Develop and maintain strong relationships with external contacts

Assets /
  • Responsible for own working equipment
  • Responsible for being the super-user of in-house HR software
  • Responsible for own equipment.
  • Responsible for ensuring the security and confidentiality of sensitive data in the carrying out of their role. This covers data such as absence, turnover, grades, and job evaluation/salary/bonus figures. Ensure provisions of the Data Protection Act are followed.
  • Configuring data and creating, maintaining and updating report specifications / templates.

Finance /
  • Required to raise purchase orders
  • No direct financial responsibility.
  • General duty of care to operate within budget and act in a cost efficientmanner.

Decision Making /
  • Required to make job-related decisions
  • Working with systems the job holder will need to analyse options to decide on the best solution taking into account effort, time, and output. This will not always be straightforward, as legal, internal and external influences will need to be taken into consideration.
  • There is a requirement in the role to test solutions to ensure integrity, then work with users to implement the solutions.
  • The job holder is also required to continually look for new ways to improve processes and services, and there is a need to analyse options for HR system requirements and to work with colleagues to jointly agree on how best to handle. In some instances, this will include making the decision on the option to take where it is within the job-holder’s specific area of work e.g. specific areas of system administration.
  • Job holder will be self-motivated and able to work on own initiative, with prioirtisation of workload based on the demands of the business and the job holder being responsible for prioritising their own workload. There will be a high degree of competing demands for day to day delivery and longer term project/development work which will be challenging to balance.
  • The role will participate in the evaluation of new system functionality andselection of the most suitable solution.

Communications /
  • High levels of communication, written and verbal, to a diverse workforce and external associates.Required to conduct oneself in a calm, polite and professional manner at all times.
  • The role holder will have excellent communication skills, written and verbal,
to communicate confidently and concisely at all levels within the Council both to individuals and to groups.
  • There will be a requirement to make presentations and participate in/facilitate workshops.
  • There will be a requirement to develop materials and deliver training to users of systems.

HR Business and Systems Officer : PERSON SPECIFICATION
Experience & Knowledge
Essential / Desirable
  • Experience of raising and delivering process and service improvements.
  • Experience and knowledge of working to processes and in line with process methodology.
  • Advanced experience working with systems – e.g. reporting, configuration,management, supporting others.
  • Strong IT skills, particularly manipulating data using Excel.
  • Ability to demonstrate good analytical and problem solving skills.
  • Experience of working in a fast paced office environment
  • Excellent Customer Service experience
  • Experience of working in a confidential environment and with sensitive data
  • Experience of providing innovative solutions to problems
  • Ability to build effective relationships with all members and levels in the business.
  • Ability to demonstrate a professional, confident, and ‘can-do’ attitude.
  • Ability to prioritise and manage own workload amid conflicting demands and busy work periods.
/
  • Human Resources computer systems e.g. iTrent/ PeopleSoft/ Oracle
  • Intranet/Internet experience desirable
  • Employment Law knowledge
  • Local Government experience
  • HR experience desirable
  • Experience of the administration of HR functions such as job evaluation, recruitment, casework, payroll

Qualifications
Essential / Desirable
  • GCSE educated
  • Strong literacy and numeracy skills
  • Computer skills to include all Microsoft packages
  • Excellent organisation skills
  • Effective verbal and listening communication skills
  • Time management and prioritisation skills
  • Demonstrates a sound work ethic
  • Tact, diplomacy and a high level interpersonal skills are essential
/
  • CIPD qualified or willingness to undertake

Mental Demands
  • The job holder will be required to manage a number of requests and tasks at one time and must be prepared to deal with urgent and demanding situations.
  • The job holder will be required to advise on personal situations, balancing empathy, diplomacy and professionalism at all time
  • This is an open plan office environment; the job holder will have to manage frequent interruptions prioritising request in a confident, professional manner.
  • Reasonably long periods of concentration to ensure crucial accuracy – reports will be provided to Managers, EMT, Exec Team, Members so the impact of errors could be significant as the Management Information will be used to track finances or make decisions, both of which could have long term implications for the business.
  • Ability to organise and prioritise all demands of the job.
  • General level of awareness and concentration required for working in an office environment. The role will demand prolonged concentration for the whole shift, with sometimes intense concentration required.
  • Work pattern usually predictable but with interruptions.

Physical Demands
  • The physical demands of the role are classified as ‘light’. The role is office based and the majority of time will be at the workstation. The job holder may have to spend long periods of time using office equipment e.g. computer and may be required to attending meetings that may require long periods of concentration.
  • DSE training provided, workstation equipment provided.

Health & Safety (exposure to risk)
  • The job holder is exposed to minimal risk and will adhere to the organisations Health & Safety policy and procedure.
  • Responsible for own health and safety within an office environment.

This job description is not exhaustive.

The job description outlines the current position and will be subject to review in the light of development within the service, in consultation with the post holder as detailed in your Contract of Employment.