Our People Department Vision Is: Supporting People; Supporting the Trust

CONTEXT

The National Trust for Scotland is Scotland’s leading conservation charity and one of the heritage sector’s largest employers (1200 employees + 3000 volunteers). In the People Department we’re passionate about helping the organisation grow and develop through its people. We’re customer-focussed, influencing strategy, giving technical advice and guidance, and supporting key transactional activities (such as processing pay, delivering learning programmes, on-boarding employees and volunteers). In all our interactions we aspire to demonstrate the Trust’s values in everything we do, leading by example, and constantly living our vision.

Our People Department vision is: ‘Supporting People; Supporting the Trust’.

We are committed to enabling this through a People Function that provides quality services that translate into better outcomes. This is a function that is capable, engaged and professional, that advocates purposeful change, learning and collaboration and achieves excellence in all interactions.

We will be:

• Shaped to deliver: through effective workforce planning, organisational design & deeper functional leadership, and engaging successfully with our volunteer community
• Underpinned by a modern & sustainable employment and volunteer offer: responding to a changing employment climate and clearly articulates a people value proposition and relevant people polices
• Highly performing: through visionary leadership, performance management & individual development
• Adept at nurturing talent: a talent support & development approach facilitating succession planning & implementation that is sustainable and talent management embedded in the culture across the NTS
• Capable & skilled: developing and deploying individual capability through performance management and focussed learning & development agreements
• Effective leaders and managers of change: through investments into development of leadership skills
• Accountable and delivery focussed: through visible leadership, open decision making & governance and through identification and positive management of appropriate behaviours

The People: Services teamhas core responsibilities for:

• Ensuring that the people lifecycle process is completed efficiently and effectively;
• Maintaining accurate and relevant People information – both electronically and paper-based. This includes information relating to the Trust’s volunteer population.
• Providing Peopleadvice and support to individuals and line managers as required on all policies and procedures.
• Advising and supporting line managers on issues pertaining to volunteers – e.g. performance, management.
• Supporting the Trust on issues relating to payroll, pensions, occupational health, criminal records checks, family-friendly matters.
• Providing People advice and guidance in day-to-day employee relations matters such as Disciplinary and Grievance issues
• Liaison with the Trust’s payroll section, to ensure that payroll is accurate and processed timeously
• To ensure that all People transactional activities are efficient and fit-for-purpose

People Department functional organisation:

KEY PURPOSE

This role exists to help deliver comprehensive, consistent and pragmatic customer-facing People advice and support to managers, ensuring compliance with legislation and Trust policy.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

a)Demonstrating high quality customer service standards in:

• the accurate and speedy recruitment of motivated, high quality personnel into advertised roles
• the prompt delivery of excellent advice, information and support in all areas of People matters (including volunteers)

b)Continually work with line managers with the aim of developing managerial capability and confidence at all levels within the Trust.

c)Assisting, as required, with the development and delivery of the People and Change Strategy.

d)Managing and maintaining critical data and administration for reports e.g. vacancy filling rate, employee and volunteer relations casework, costs of recruitment, occupational health monitoring, absence figures, etc.

e)Developing appropriate processes where necessary to support working practices.

f)Conducting all activity (including, for example, recruitment, disciplinary investigations, responses to family friendly applications, etc.) within published and agreed timelines.

g)Assisting in producing Leadership Team reports on the work and development of People Support issues within the Trust.

h)Supporting colleagues within the People Team to help manage workload peaks.

SCOPE OF THE ROLE:

Technical:

Soundknowledge of employment legislation (EU, UK, and Scottish), current case-law precedents, and acknowledged HR “best practice”;

Sound knowledge of volunteer management and “best practice”;

Will travel to the properties and offices of the Trust which are located across the Scottish mainland and Scottish islands – relatively few can be reached by public transport alone so the post-holder is required to travel by car and must be a confident driver in all conditions. S/he may also, on occasion, be required to travel to/from islands using ferries and (rarely) aeroplanes/helicopter;

Will frequently represent the Trust and/or present to internal and external stakeholders and communities so must be confident in the manipulation and presentation of information through digital media, and in person, in a compelling way.

People Management:

Is delegated to represent the People Servicesteam on internal and external forums and groups as required;

No direct line management responsibility but will be required to supervise the work of the People Services Officers and Administrators. Will be required to develop positive working relationships with a wide range of staff at all levels, clients and suppliers.

Interacts with full range of people communities (employees, workers, volunteers), including senior management (Director and “Head of” levels) therefore must have considerable “presence”/”gravitas”;

Maintains relationships with external partners/stakeholders as a representative of the Trust;

Financial Management:

Not a budget holder.

The current duties of this post do not require a criminal records (Disclosure Scotland) check to be carried out.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Essential

Recognised degree-level qualification in HR Management or similar or able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and understanding;

Demonstrable understanding of volunteer culture and management;

Experience of translating policy and procedure into practical applications to ensure technical compliance and cultural-fit standards;

Experience of stakeholder management and representation in external fora;

Exemplary inter-personal and communication skills: highly literate in use of English language (written and spoken);

Exemplary self-organisation skills, including ability to: self-direct, prioritise and reprioritise workload, manipulate calendar/diary and travel/meeting arrangements, keep fastidious and accessible records, and complete/”close-down” activities at resolution;

Demonstrable ability to assimilate, analyse, report, and act on complex information and data;

Excellent team-worker with the ability to work constructively in and between different teams, and to lead/motivate others (including ability to challenge and change behaviours);

Competent user of Microsoft Office products (Access, Outlook, Project) and able to use Microsoft Word and Excel at an intermediate level; and experience of using an HR database system;

A driving licence, current for driving within the United Kingdom.

Desirable:

Membership of the CIPD;

General understanding of the heritage environment, and the particular challenges and opportunities of the charity/”not for profit” sector.

The Key Responsibilities, Scope of Job, and Qualifications, Skills, Experience & Knowledge reflect the requirements of the job at the time of issue. The Trust reserves the right to amend these with appropriate consultation and/or request the post-holder to undertake any activities that it believes to be reasonable within the broad scope of the job or his/her general abilities.

Applications

Interested applicants should forward a completed JoinUs! application form to People Services Department (Applications), The National Trust for Scotland, Hermiston Quay, 5 Cultins Road, EDINBURGH EH11 4DF, by mail or by email via , by first post (i.e. 10.00am) on Friday 15 September 2017. Interviews will be held during September.

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