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HR Case Manager

Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

Department
Department for Energy Security & Net Zero
Location
Salford, Edinburgh
Openings
3 posts
Grade
HEO
Salary
£37,065 to £40,030
Closing
17 days left
Profession
Administration
Contract
Permanent
Security clearance
BPSS
Working pattern
Full-time
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Job summary

Do you want a career where you can make a real difference? Do you want to have an impact on the UK and beyond? If yes, then a career at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) could be for you.

Here at DESNZ we are delivering our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower, with clean electricity by 2030 and accelerating the UK’s journey to net zero.

Our work is helping ensure clean energy for all, keep bills down and seize the opportunities to lead the world in new green industries, taking back control of our energy with Great British Energy and encouraging greater energy efficiency across the UK. The work of the department has never been more timely or relevant, and by joining us you will be part of making that difference.

Our work is varied, interesting and most importantly it's impactful. Our DESNZ Values are interwoven into everything we do; we are bold, we are collaborative, we are inclusive, and we learn. As a department we are committed to these values to build a culture where everyone can thrive.

We work in an agile way. This means that, as our priorities evolve, your work may adapt to meet emerging needs and help us deliver our mission. This approach offers opportunities to develop your skills, gain new experiences, and contribute where you can make the greatest impact. This relates to the nature of the work rather than contractual terms, such as location or working pattern.

We offer great working benefits including a world-class pension, flexible working options and a career where your learning and development is taken seriously. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.

Find Out More

You can also follow our LinkedIn Careers Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/desnz-careers/

What they’re looking for

  • Manage a portfolio of complex employee relations cases from initial referral through to conclusion, ensuring timely, fair and proportionate outcomes.
  • Provide clear, practical and risk-based advice to managers on attendance, performance, conduct, discipline, grievances, disputes, workplace adjustments and other people matters.
  • Interpret and apply employment law, departmental policies and good practice consistently, taking account of individual circumstances, business and operational needs.
  • Guide managers through formal processes, including investigations, meetings, hearings and appeals, ensuring that each stage is properly planned. documented and conducted in line with relevant policy and legal requirements.
  • Identify legal, employee relations, wellbeing and reputational risks, escalating high-profile or sensitive cases and coordinating specialist input where required.
  • Maintain accurate, confidential and up-to-date case records, monitor progress against agreed timescales and ensure actions and decisions are clearly documented.
  • Build trusted relationships with managers, HR Business Partners, senior leaders, Trade Union representatives, Government Legal Department and relevant service providers.
  • Coach managers to build their confidence and capability in managing people issues fairly, effectively and at the earliest appropriate stage.
  • Develop and deliver guidance, briefings, workshops and other learning interventions on policy application and effective people management.
  • Use case data, themes and feedback to identify emerging risks, improve policies and processes, and contribute to service performance reporting and continuous improvement.
  • Contribute to HR projects and wider team priorities, sharing knowledge and supporting the development of a consistent, high-quality casework service.
  • Prepare, support and monitor employment tribunal/appeal applications, working alongside GLD and the business.
  • Essential criteria
  • We would love to hear from you if you are an HR professional who can meet the following:
  • hold a minimum of level 3 accreditation with CIPD.
  • Sound knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice, with the ability to interpret and apply policies fairly, consistently and pragmatically.
  • Previous relevant experience of advising and supporting managers on sensitive people matters, such as attendance, performance, conduct, discipline, grievances and workplace adjustments.
  • Strong communication skills, including the ability to explain complex issues clearly and produce accurate, audience-appropriate advice and documentation.
  • Strong stakeholder-management and influencing skills, with the confidence to build trusted relationships and provide constructive challenge.
  • Ability to remain calm, resilient and professional when handling sensitive, complex or high-risk matters.
  • Desirable criteria
  • Ability to manage a varied caseload, prioritise competing demands and deliver high-quality work with minimal supervision.
  • A strong customer-service ethos and a commitment to confidentiality, impartiality and the fair treatment of employees.

Job description

Join us at a pivotal stage as we develop our new in-house HR casework service designed to make a real difference to the department. Working collaboratively with managers and HR colleagues, you’ll help shape an effective and trusted service, deliver excellent support on complex cases and identify opportunities to continuously improve the quality, consistency and impact of our advice.

You’ll manage complex HR cases across areas such as attendance, conduct, discipline, grievances, disputes, performance and workplace adjustments. Working in partnership with managers, you’ll provide timely, practical and risk-based advice, monitor cases through to conclusion and escalate significant issues where appropriate.

This role will suit you if you’re a confident and approachable HR professional, who can combine sound judgement and employment law knowledge with empathy, resilience and a strong customer focus. Comfortable handling sensitive and complex issues, you’ll be able to remain calm under pressure, listen carefully and provide clear, practical and balanced advice while maintaining confidentiality and professional boundaries. Organised and proactive, you’ll be able to manage competing priorities, build trusted relationships with managers and colleagues, and use insight from casework to improve services and strengthen management capability.

You’ll support and deliver workshops to managers on policy application and people management. You will also have opportunities to lead on discreet projects that focus on continuously improving the range of support available to managers.

Qualifications

Minimum of level 3 accreditation - Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

  • UK nationals
  • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
  • Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Selection process

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 750 words) to demonstrate your experience against the essential criteria. We are particularly interested in examples where you have dealt with complex casework.

Applications will be sifted on CV and personal statement.

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement only.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The interview will consist of technical questions and will include a fictitious case study that you'll be asked to evaluate and provide advice on to assess your complex judgement and decision-making skills.

Sift and interview dates

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Further Information

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DESNZ Candidate Guidance. A DESNZ Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available.

We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

Candidates who meet the minimum benchmark may be placed on a Reserve List for consideration for similar roles, including those at a lower grade. Candidates who narrowly miss the benchmark and are not placed on the Reserve List may still be considered for an offer in a similar role at a lower grade.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

DESNZ does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).

DESNZ cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.

DESNZ holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

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