People Partner

Calling all HR Specialists!

Are you a passionate HR expert dedicated to providing exceptional service to customers?

We are a highly regarded education services business with 30 years of experience, located in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Our commitment to education is unwavering, and our team of skilled professionals supports over 1,600 schools nationwide.

Working in partnership with our school and their leaders you’ll provide expert advice, guidance, and support on complex employee relations matters to ensure fair, consistent, and legally compliant practices across schools. This role plays a key part in managing risk, resolving disputes, supporting line managers, and contributing to a positive and productive workplace culture. You’ll shape ER policy and strategy and may lead on high-profile or sensitive cases.

Experience of leading, communicating, advising and consulting at a senior level, and with trade unions, on large scale organisational change issues and policy development. Managing and motivating a team comes naturally to you too, as does using your creativity and initiative to resolve problems and mitigate risk. And, when it comes to dealing effectively with difficult welfare situations or confidential matters in line with policies and procedures, again, you have what it takes to deliver.

You are quick to build relationships at all levels and are always proactive and positive in your approach. You love to work in a fast-paced environment with high levels of autonomy and are keen to really make your mark. You take a true hands-on approach as well as the ability to successfully monitor the "pulse" of the customers business and schools. You also have the ability to be comfortable with high volume workload and not be afraid to "roll up your sleeves".

Company Responsibilities

1. To manage and support a portfolio of schools on all aspects of People management.
2. Coach and mentor junior team members to support their development and to ensure that all customers receive timely, accurate and professional advice.
3. Respond to a wide range of customer enquiries, via telephone, e-mail, or other correspondence, relating to People issues in a professional manner, to ensure that customers receive timely, accurate and valuable advice.
4. Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and leaders.
5. Provide strategic and day-to-day leadership to drive the delivery of the business’ People plans.
6. Support with building strong talent pipelines and managing recruitment up to c-suite level.
7. Offer accurate interpretation, advice, application, and representation to customers on employment legislation, best practice and policies and procedures in relation to and in the context of customers’ policies and procedures on a range of People matters. This includes complex casework on recruitment and selection, remuneration, terms, and conditions of service, disciplinary and capability (performance and health) cases, grievance, redundancy and whole school restructures, academy conversions and TUPE etc., liaising senior colleagues where appropriate.
8. Visit schools and customers to provide support and advice on People concerns to allow them to drive their business forward.
9. To attend and advise, at formal hearings/appeals, and advise at union consultation meetings.
10. Be a cultural champion.
11. Contribute to the sharing of good practice and knowledge amongst colleagues, as required.
12. Keep up to date with current legislation, policies and procedures and other industry guidance.
13. Monitor available data including work tray dashboard, case work module, customer analytics, customer feedback, proactively addressing any customer service concerns, escalating to a Lead People Manager where appropriate.
14. Ensure outstanding customer service in all areas of HR and Payroll.
15. Promote EPM Ltd whenever possible, seeing opportunities for new business.
16. Proactively seek new and innovative ways to work smarter, not harder, ensuring clarity and consistency across the organisation.