Employee Relations Adviser

Provide a pragmatic, flexible and risk measured employee relations service

to faculties and services interpreting legislation and case law to advise on
ER cases across the University.

Key

Responsibilities

and


Accountabilities:

• Use employee voice insights to ensure University employee relations
  

service is solutions focused, reflects the University Values and People


Plan and leads to improved business outcomes.

• Support managers in carrying out investigations and hearings, taking an
  

active role as required.

• Contribute to the development and review of ER related policy and
  

procedure across the HR function, ensuring all policies and procedure


reflect up to date legal requirements as well as the University values


and employer brand.

• Support and advise on contractual issues and ensure our different
  

categories of staff are appropriately engaged to maximise organizational


performance.

• Promote the University mediation service, striving to ensure early
  

resolution and positive outcomes to conflict.

• Support on the University approach and processes for job evaluation,
  

including acting as a trained Role Analyst.

• Build and manage excellent working relationships with the trade
  

unions and staff groups.

• Support the University operational response to industrial action or trade
  

union issues.

• Support and review effective employee relations systems and
  

processes, ensuring they are developed and maximized to support with


efficient reporting, monitoring and management of casework and can


provide meaningful data analytics.

• Develop and support line managers to confidently deal with employee
  

relations; designing and delivering training and support interventions to


upskill and build competency across the University.

• Prepare and respond to early conciliation and employment tribunal
  

matters.

• Seek and interpret legal advice as appropriate and assess it as part of a
  

range of factors in decision making.

• Ensure a learning approach to employee relations casework is adopted,
  

implementing, and maintaining a process of case review for complex


cases, involving appropriate stakeholders.

• Provide training and briefings in own area of expertise to upskill line
  

managers or provide information on service provision or policy and


procedure

• Contribute to HR projects and working groups as appropriate.
  
• Undertake continuous professional development to ensure knowledge
  

of legislation, case law and best practice in employee relations.

• Act as an ambassador for the University and the HR team and role
  

model the University values.

University of Sunderland

Role Profile
Part 2

Part 2A: Essential and Desirable Criteria
Essential Essential

Qualifications and Professional Memberships:

• Undergraduate Degree educated or significant relevant experience (see

below)

Knowledge and Experience:

• Significant HR experience in a similar role in a medium to large

complex organisation.

• Significant experience of handling complex employee relations issues
  

to an effective resolution.

• Experience of building effective working relationships and managing
  

negotiations with trade unions.

• Thorough and up to date working knowledge of existing and
  

forthcoming employment legislation and case law and its practical


application in a medium or large complex organisation.

• Recent experience of developing and writing HR policy and procedure
  
• An understanding of current trends in employee relations and best
  

practice in the sector and beyond.

• Personal presence, resilience, and credibility with a track record of
  

using influencing skills to achieve positive results.

• IT and numeracy skills including ability to use Microsoft Office
  

applications and analyse and interpret data.

• A good level of relevant digital and IT skills for the role including
  

competence in Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel.

• Evidence of recent and relevant CPD activity
  
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  

Desirable Desirable


Qualifications and Professional Memberships:

• Chartered Member of the CIPD with evidence of consistent and recent

CPD activity.

• Post-graduate or equivalent qualification in a related discipline
  

Knowledge and Experience:

• Experience of working in the Higher Education Sector
  
• A good understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the
  

Higher Education Sector

• Experience of communicating and collaborating remotely using tools
  

such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

• Trained Mediator
  
  

Part 2B: Key Competencies
Competencies
are assessed at
the
interview/selectio
n testing stageCommunication

Oral Communication

• Summarises and interprets complex, conceptual and special matters to

aid others' understanding and aimed at their needs

• Uses appropriate styles and arguments to influence and negotiate
  

satisfactory outcomes

• Monitors understanding of others, develops approach and takes
  

corrective action if required

Written Communication

• Conveys information of a complex, conceptual and specialist nature
  

using a range of styles and media selected to meet the needs of others

• Presents complex information in formats appropriate to non- specialists
  

without comprising meaning

• Monitors the reactions of others and takes appropriate steps to remedy
  

any miscommunications

Decision Making
Independent

Decisions

• Considers wider impact of decisions, assesses possible outcomes and
  

their likelihood

• Uses judgement to make decisions with limited or ambiguous data and
  

takes account of multiple factors

• Distinguishes between the need to make a decision, when to defer and
  

when not to take a decision

Collaborative Decisions

• Helps others to explore options that initially appear to be inappropriate
  

or unfeasible and recognise when a decision is or is not needed

• Enables others to contribute to decisions
  
• Ensures that options are weighed, outcomes identified and chances of
  

success considered

• Challenges decisions, appropriately to ensure consideration and
  

processes are robust

Provision of Advice

• Anticipates and highlights issues that need to be taken into account
  
• Outlines possible impacting factors, assessing their degree of influence
  

on the choice of options

• Ensures previous learning is included
  

Initiative & Problem Solving

• Initiates processes and procedures to resolve new problems
  
• Anticipates possible implementation difficulties and identifies practical
  

ways of overcoming or preventing them

• Takes account of others and the broader context when generating
  

options

Pastoral Care & Welfare

• Deals with difficult situations or confidential matters, according to policy
  

and procedures

• Involves others or refers elsewhere for assistance if the situation
  

becomes more complex and if additional help or information is required

Planning and Organising Resources

• Actively seeks information to support planning and prioritisation of work
  
• Ensures that time and resources are used effectively to their maximum
  

efficiency

• Checks and reports on progress and achievement against plans to key
  

parties

• Develops plans to take account of problems, delays and new priorities
  
• Co-ordinates the work of others to improve performance and use of
  

resources

Service Delivery

• Adapts services and systems to meet customers’ needs and identifies
  

ways of improving standards

• Learns from complaints and takes action to resolve them
  
• Collates feedback and views from customers and keeps up-to-date with
  

market trends to inform service development and make changes

• Actively promotes services
  
• Monitors standards and levels of service constantly
  
• Identifies ways of making improvements to standards based on
  

feedback and anticipated changes in the market

Team Development

• Plans and generates training and development opportunities to meet
  

team members current and future learning needs

• Enables team members to apply their learning
  
• Evaluates learning and development activities with those involved
  
  

Teamwork & Motivation

• Ensures appropriate resources and support are available so that the
  

team and individual members are able achieve their objectives

• Monitors progress and takes appropriate action to deal with difficulties
  

or slippage

• Deals with conflict within the team
  
• Creates a sense of common purpose
  

Date Completed: November 2022