Worcester College, Oxford Human Resources Advisor Job description, February 2016 Job Title Human Resources Advisor / Payroll Administrator Grade Equivalent to the University of Oxford Salary Grade 5 Reports to Human Resources Manager Preamble The College: Worcester is one of the 38 constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1714, it occupies the 26 acre site on the western side of the city where the Benedictines first founded Gloucester College in 1283. Some of the buildings of the earlier college survive, and the resulting mixture of architectural styles, together with the beautiful gardens, lake, and playing field, attract students and visitors alike. Our College is primarily about its people; its undergraduate and graduate students, its academic and its non-academic staff. Like all Oxford Colleges, Worcester is an independent self-governing institution regulated by the Charity Commission. We employ 100 non-academic staff in a variety of operations roles in catering, maintenance, security, gardens and grounds, IT provision and support, the Library, finance and accounts processing, the accommodation office and in conferencing. The College has recently embarked on a series of productivity improvements that in some ways affect all its operations. As examples, we are improving the estate so our premises continue to be places of inspiration, we are improving the effectiveness of our accommodation team so our students and guests can enjoy a higher and consistent standard of room presentation, and we are growing our conferencing business so more students and other visitors can enjoy our special learning environment. Improvements are also being made in most other areas of our operations. The HR department has undergone a recent restructure, with a new HR Manager having joined the College in January 2016. Working closely together, the HR Advisor will join at a time where the department is entering a period of change to transform the HR service being provided to its customers. Worcester College, HR Advisor Page 1 of 6
1. Job Purpose Our HR Advisor will be responsible for delivering a highly effective HR support and administrative function including undertaking a wide range of tasks, from recruitment, administering the employee lifecycle, e.g. preparation of contractual documents, monitoring of probation, maternity/paternity leave, pensions etc., advising academic and non-academic staff alike on HR-related matters. Alongside this they will also be responsible for processing the monthly payroll, reconciling reports and making returns to HRMC, pension providers and statutory bodies etc. In addition to providing a full spectrum of HR services for the various operations departments as they go through a period of quite radical change, the HR Department supports the Academic Office team who administer the employment of Academic staff. This support includes HR administration in relation to recruitment, pensions and retirement. The HR Advisor will also support the HR Manager with the effective delivery of HR-related project work as appropriate. 2. Main Duties And Responsibilities 1. To act as the first point of contact for all HR queries, by phone and e-mail, and provide basic advice and guidance in accordance with policies and procedures. 2. To provide a full recruitment service, including advising and supporting College Officers and departmental managers with the recruitment process and related documentation, producing and placing vacancy advertisements, setting up and supporting the selection process, processing preemployment checks, generating contracts of employment, contractual changes letters, start and leaver processes, attendance and preparation of information packs and other associated paperwork. 3. To administer Right to Work in the UK/Work sponsorship checks 4. To generate and send out documentation relating to specific events or changes in terms of employment, e.g. preparation of maternity leave letters, pension changes, etc. 5. To provide basic advice in relation to employee relations cases/absence monitoring, under the guidance of the HR Manager. 6. Complete the detailed and accurate input of employee data onto the Payroll database ensuring staff are paid correctly and on time. This includes:- processing starters, leavers and change of employment details inputting data relating to payments and deductions 7. To administer and reconcile the monthly payroll using the College s payroll database. This includes data entry into the payroll system, monitor and maintain changes, and run payroll reports for the College Accountant. 8. Liaise with the College Accountant on payroll and pension-related matters/queries in a timely manner and be the first point of contact for staff pay enquiries Worcester College, HR Advisor Page 2 of 6
9. Ensure that correct payments, reports and returns are made to HMRC, pension providers and other statutory bodies. 10. Develop and maintain accurate records in line with data protection requirements via the payroll system, spreadsheets and personal files, keeping an up to date record of all employee holidays and absences. 11. To undertake/assist in booking training courses for staff. 12. Administer Employee Benefits 13. To be pro-active in the development and revision of HR related processes/procedures. 14. To provide support to the HR Manager or College Officers by taking notes at formal meetings or hearings. 15. To undertake, and support the HR Manager with, any HR-related project work and administrative duties as appropriate 16. Other: this job description is intended to provide a broad outline of the main responsibilities only. The HR Advisor is required to be flexible in developing their role in agreement with the HR Manager and to carry out any other duties commensurate with the grading of this role, as well as his/her expertise. Worcester College, HR Advisor Page 3 of 6
3. Person Specification CRITERIA ESSENTIAL DESIRABLE Qualifications & CIPD Level 3 Certificate in Human Resources Associate Member of the CIPD Training Practice, or equivalent experience Knowledge & Experience Specific Skills Excellent administration experience Experience of working in an HR environment and providing first line advice and guidance to staff and managers Experience of administering payroll Good general understanding of basic employment law and its application in the workplace Experience of seeking improvement in working methods and practices to enhance performance Excellent organisational skills to be able to organise and prioritise own workload and work to tight deadlines High level of attention to detail and accuracy Ability to communicate effectively, both written and orally, to all levels of staff Ability to use own initiative and work with minimal supervision Ability to work effectively as part of a team in a customer focussed environment Ability to build good working relationships with people across the College and wider University community, including senior members, students, and non-academic staff Proficient in the use of ICT skills, especially Microsoft Office packages and databases Ability to approach work-related problems in a structured and analytical manner Strong awareness of data protection and the importance of confidentiality when handling sensitive data Good knowledge of best practice in generalist Human Resources i.e. resourcing, reward, training & development, employee relations. Evidence of continuous professional development Experience of providing an HR service within a higher education or collegiate environment Worcester College, HR Advisor Page 4 of 6
Requirements due to working environment Flexible approach towards tasks and working hours. Be committed to the academic aims and ethos of an Oxford College and adaptable to work within its governance structure Terms and conditions The post is available on a full time basis. The regular hours of work are full-time, 36.25 hours per week. Actual working hours will be 9.00am 5.30pm each day. The salary is based on the University of Oxford s salary grades which contain spinal column points. This post is paid in line with Grade 5, the salary range of which is 24,298 28,982. It is expected that the successful candidate will commence employment on the bottom of the salary range, dependant on qualifications and experience. This post is pensionable in the University Oxford Staff Pension Scheme (OSPS) which is a Career Average Related Earnings (CARE) scheme. The current contribution rate for employees ranges from 5.6% to 7.8% per month with the employer contributing 22.5% per month. The post-holder will be provided with lunch in College (currently meals are provided free of charge) when the kitchens are open during term and in vacations. There is an annual leave allowance of 30 days plus Bank Holidays. Bank Holidays falling during term are worked, with days given in lieu. 5/6 days of annual leave are expected to be taken over the Christmas period to cover Christmas closure. The appointment will be conditional on the receipt of satisfactory references and to satisfactory proof being provided that the postholder has the right to work in the UK. Subject to satisfactory performance, the post-holder will be confirmed in post after a probationary period of 6 months. Application Procedure An application form can be downloaded from the College s website at www.worc.ox.ac.uk/jobs. Any enquiries relating to these Further Particulars should be directed in the first instance to Karen Harris, HR Manager, at Worcester College, Walton Street, Oxford OX1 2HB, Telephone: 01865 278473. Prospective candidates should prepare a completed application form, together with a curriculum vitae and a covering letter (of no more than 500 words), demonstrating how their skills and experience fulfil the criteria in the person specification. Expected salary for the role should also be included. Completed applications should be sent to the HR Department, either by post or electronically, at Worcester College, Walton Street, Oxford OX1 2HB, Email: human.resources@worc.ox.ac.uk, to arrive no later than 12 noon on Monday, 29 February 2016. Interviews will be held at the College on Tuesday 8 March. Worcester College, HR Advisor Page 5 of 6
This post is subject to recruitment monitoring to ensure that the selection process is consistent with the law and the College s Equal Opportunity Policy and Code of Practice. To this end, applicants are asked to complete an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form, which is also available on the College website. The information supplied on the form will play NO part in the selection process, and will NOT be seen by any member of the selection panel. Data Protection. All data supplied by applicants will be used only for the purposes of determining their suitability for the post and will be held in accordance with the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998. Worcester College, HR Advisor Page 6 of 6