Director of People Operations and Central Support

Director of People Operations and Central Support

Job number: SUPP112047

Contract Type/Work Pattern: Open ended/Full time

Salary: £80,713 - £106,774

The role

At the University of Bristol we have a clear mission and vision - to cement ourselves in the top 50 greatest universities globally, and top 10 in the UK. Our 2030 strategy is our guide, setting out where we will focus to achieve these goals. We have a world-renowned track record of education and long-term research that makes a difference in the world. We want to continue this legacy into the future.

The higher education sector faces some significant challenges but armed with clear priorities and focused on an evolution in the way we think about and deliver our services, we can ensure that the institution's purpose and impact continues to be felt both locally, and globally.

Over the next two years our People Division will be critical in guiding and supporting our institution and its community of Staff and Students through a process of transformation. In this new role you will lead our HR Business Partnering and central administration teams and be ultimately responsible for delivering all of the operational HR services that support the organisation.

This is a fantastic opportunity to take overall responsibility for a complex team of HR professionals in a fast-paced but friendly institution of almost 10,000 employees. As Director of People Operations and Central Support you will have a high profile and will be a trusted partner for senior leaders. You will have experience of leading successfully in Unionised environments and a track record of delivering excellent customer services to a diverse and multi-site workforce. You'll have a broad remit and freedom to make choices about how we can best support the University, working closely with our academic and professional services stakeholders to ensure that HR delivers value for the institution.

What will you be doing?

• Leading the long-term vision and continuous improvement of HR Business Partnering and HR central support services for the University, working with the team leaders in each area to ensure that services are of the highest quality and that they fully meet the needs of the institution.
• Leading the development and delivery of the People elements of the University strategy that relate to your own portfolio. Undertaking day-to-day oversight of the divisional budget on behalf of the Chief People Officer, monitoring in-year spend and making recommendations to the CPO as required to ensure targets are met and resources are used efficiently.
• Chairing the Joint Consultation and Negotiation Committee on behalf of the Chief People Officer and leading high level consultation and negotiation with our Trade unions in support of delegated projects, programmes and aspects of people strategy.
• Leading the continuous improvement of core HR services and systems on behalf of the institution, working with key senior leaders to ensure that customer needs are fully met.
• Being accountable for the effective integration of HR Business Partnering and HR Central Support services to ensure the maintenance of seamless end-to-end processes and efficient use of resources.

You should apply if

You can demonstrate:

• Substantial operational HR experience gained at qualified practitioner level or above within a Unionised environment.
• Proven record of relevant CPD and FCIPD level membership (postgraduate) of the CIPD or equivalent with expert understanding of current employment legislation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to contribute effectively at Executive/ Board level.
• Significant experience of using high level influencing and negotiation skills in a complex environment.
• Direct and significant experience of delivering and supporting successful major organisational change and transformation.
• Being a leader of change through people and able to communicate vision and rationale for change, involving, engaging and facilitating others. Customer focus - commitment to delivery of user friendly and effective services to internal customers through effective collaborative working.

Benefits of working for the University include:

• A total of 40 days annual leave per year including bank holidays.
• Automatic entry to an extremely generous, hybrid pension scheme (both defined benefit and defined contribution elements).
• Hybrid working environment. Inclusive culture, valuing the diversity of thought, beliefs and background.

More details of our full offering can be found here: What we offer

Additional information

For informal queries please contact Matt Ellis, Senior Resourcing Business Partner,

This advert will close at 23:59 UK time on Monday 13 January 2025.

It is anticipated that interviews will take place on 31 January 2025.