Senior People Partner NEW

Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne And Wear
Edwin supply

Role: Senior People Partner

Location: Northeast (hybrid with regular travel to schools and MAT s)

Salary: £45k-£55k DOE

Benefits:

• 30 days annual leave + birthday off
• Free parking onsite
• Enhanced parental leave
• Income protection plan
• Private medical care
• Life assurance
• EAP and online/digital GP
• Wellbeing support services
• Professional development
• Fantastic supportive culture

We are The Edwin Group – a growing collective of like-minded education professionals, working together to positively impact the lives of young people. At the Edwin Group, we are incredibly proud of the products and services we provide to our valued clients in the Education sector.

We are looking for an inspirational Senior People Partner for our Edwin People division to support with leading our growing team in the delivery of high-quality strategic HR advice and support exclusively to Schools and Multi Academy Trusts (MATs).

Edwin People support Schools and MATs to deliver organisational improvement, reduce workload, and enhance staff retention by providing expert HR, financial, recruitment, and strategic leadership support, whilst driving efficiency and securing financial stability. We predominantly work with Senior Leaders and Headteachers, supporting their school or MAT development and providing additional capacity and expertise to address key challenges. We are fully committed to establishing Edwin People as a strong and respected brand in the education sector, through the development of a compelling suite of services and products but also increasing our role as thought leaders in the sector.

Since launching in January 2024, feedback from clients on the quality of our services has been excellent, and we are now ready to scale up, accelerating our growth plans and building a service that operates nationally, supported by our branch network across The Edwin Group.

The role:

The Senior People Partner will be integral to helping to shape and develop our services, together with leading on School MAT contracts, ensuring the provision of high-quality proactive strategic advice to our clients through project work and retained service contracts. With shared responsibility for a small team, the role will provide expert guidance on complex employee relations cases, acting as a trusted advisor and sounding board for headteachers, CEOs, and internal HR teams.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage a portfolio of school and MAT clients, developing strong and trusted relationships with Senior Leaders, Trustees and Governors.

• Be an advocate and promoter of the Edwin People and wider group products and services.

• Lead and manage a small team of People Partners, ensuring a high-quality service to our client base. Ensuring their professional development and providing the necessary guidance and support to ensure they flourish in their roles.

• Provide high-quality strategic HR support, offering proactive strategic advice in alignment with employment legislation and education sector standards.

• Serve as a point of contact for clients, offering expert guidance on the application of HR policies, procedures, terms and conditions and employment legislation.

• Provide hands-on HR advice, including guidance on complex employee relations issues.

• Act as a vital sounding board to school and MAT internal teams in areas such as terms and conditions, employee relations issues, flexible working, TUPE etc.

• Lead on undertaking external reviews including executive pay, pay and rewards, wellbeing and flexible working.

• Lead on school and MAT growth projects, including academisation, MAT growth and MAT mergers, including all aspects of HR due diligence and risk management.

• Provide strategic advice on change management processes, including redundancies, restructures, and TUPE transfers.

• Advise School and MAT leaders on areas such as strategic workforce planning, succession planning and culture development

Employee Relations & Case Management:

• Manage complex employee relations cases, ensuring they are handled effectively and in compliance with internal policies and employment law.

• Supporting and advising at formal hearings and appeals

• Work collaboratively with Trade Unions and employee representatives where applicable.

Policy Development & Implementation:

• Support the development, review, and implementation of HR policies and procedures across client organisations, ensuring they are aligned with statutory requirements and best practices.

• Provide training and guidance to managers on the interpretation and application of these policies.

Compliance & Data Management:

• Ensure all client HR practices adhere to safeguarding, data protection (GDPR), and other relevant regulatory requirements.

• Assist clients with maintaining up-to-date employee records and producing reports on key HR metrics such as absence, turnover, and employee performance.

Group-Wide Responsibilities

• Act as an Ambassador for the Group s ESG strategy, demonstrated through a commitment to adopt, promote and comply with ESG policies, developments, and initiatives.

• Ensure company policies and legal guidelines are understood and adhered to.

• Working in collaboration with Group departments, e.g. Strategic Partnerships, Marketing, and Finance.

• Any other duties commensurate with the level of the role.

Requirements and skills – Essential

• CIPD Level 7 (or working towards) or equivalent experience in a generalist HR role.

• Demonstrable experience working at a Senior HR advisory or business partner level.

• Previous experience of working in and supporting within the education sector, ideally to schools or multi-academy trusts.

• Experience of advising at the board or executive level.

• Previous experience of leading and mentoring a team of HR professionals.

• Previous experience of design and implementation of organisational development initiatives.

• Proven experience managing complex employee relations cases and change management including restructures, redundancies, absence management, disciplinaries, and grievances.

• Previous experience of project managing end to end TUPE processes, including undertaking due diligence processes.

• Strong understanding of UK employment law, specifically in the education sector.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and coach senior stakeholders.

• Ability to write reports with a focus on high quality and attention to detail.

• Ability to manage multiple clients and projects simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail and meeting deadlines.

• Proficiency in HR systems and data management, with strong IT skills (Microsoft Office suite).

• Customer-focused with a proactive and solution-oriented approach.

• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a team.

• Resilient, with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential issues tactfully.

• Commitment to ongoing professional development and learning.

• Willingness to travel to client sites as required with a full driving license and access to a vehicle.

• Willingness to undergo an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check and other relevant clearance checks.

• Commitment to safeguarding children and young people and ensuring that all policies, procedures and service provision practices comply with all statutory safeguarding requirements and obligations.

Requirements and skills Desirable

• Degree or relevant experience in HR or education.

• Experience with safer recruitment practices and maintaining compliance with regulatory frameworks such as OFSTED.

• Experience of working with Trade Unions.

Click ‘apply now’ to be part of our exciting journey!

Process:

• Screening Process – Our screening process is designed to assess candidates in a fair way. This gives you an opportunity to share your skill, experience and passion.
• Phone Call with the Talent Team – You will share a call with our Talent Acquisition team who will answer any questions you have about the role, our business and any next steps.
• 1st Interview – This first stage will involve meeting your potential manager and team members.
• Final Stage Interview – The final interview involves meeting a Senior Stakeholder in the business.

The Edwin Group do not discriminate on the grounds of age, gender, race, colour, religion, disability or sexual orientation, and we welcome applications from all sections of the community.