G7 HR Business Partner
Government Legal Department
Apply before Midday on Monday 28th October 2024
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About the job
Job summary
The Government Legal Department is the largest provider of legal services across government, working on high profile matters that are frequently scrutinised in Parliament and the media. Our work includes:
- Developing and drafting legislation
- Providing legal advice on policies
- Securing our economic and trade relationships
- Ensuring value from commercial contracts worth billions of pounds
- Providing the Civil Service’s employment law advice
We are at the heart of delivering the Government’s priorities and our success depends on our people.
GLD is a non-ministerial government department, sponsored by the Attorney General. We are headed by the Treasury Solicitor, our Permanent Secretary and employ nearly 3000 people, including over 2000 legal professionals. Our offices include London, Leeds, Bristol, Croydon and Manchester as well as overseas. We provide specialist legal services including Litigation, Employment and Commercial Law as well as advising most Government Departments on the policies and services they deliver.
GLD also depends on a range of vital corporate services. These are essential to the smooth and efficient running of the Department and provide the foundation to enable GLD to deliver outstanding legal services. Our corporate functions include Strategy, HR, Finance, Digital, Data and Technology, Communications, Security, Commercial and Project delivery.
Our vision is to be an outstanding legal organisation and a brilliant place to work where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential. This is an exciting time for GLD, with cutting edge legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda which is ensuring the Department exemplifies the Modern Civil Service.
To find out more about what we do visit the Government Legal Department’s webpage or have a look at this short film which showcases the breadth of work government lawyers and legal trainees are involved in.
Job description
About the Directorate
The HR Business Partner (HRBP) role sits within the Strategy, People and Culture (SPC) Directorate, part of the Chief Operating Officer (COO) Group within GLD. There are five principal teams within the Directorate: Human Resources (HR), Project Delivery & Transformation, Communications, Business Management and Strategy & Governance. The Directorate advises, supports and enables GLD lawyers to help the government to govern well, within the rule of law. Our purpose is to enable GLD’s business and people strategies and support the department to be the best employer for our people.
GLD’s HR team’s ambition is to build on our commitment, professionalism and expertise so that we can provide first class, customer focused HR services. We want to support all GLD staff by promoting a diverse and inclusive culture, developing inspiring and confident leaders and managers and so providing a strong foundation underpinning the delivery of legal services to HM Government.
We have an exciting and rare opportunity for an experienced, enthusiastic, committed and resilient HBRP to join GLD HR at a time when the department has recently adopted a new Strategy and is refreshing its People Strategy for 2025. After 6 years, the incumbent is moving on promotion to a public sector Senior HRBP role. The hard working, well-respected and fun HRBP Team consists of four Grade 7 HRBPs each of whom line manages one Senior Executive Officer (SEO) Associate HRBP. Each pair works in partnership giving people advice and support to one of our four Directors General (DGs), their Legal Directors and their Senior Leadership Teams. The relevant SEO Associate HRBP role will also be advertised shortly owing to recent budget agreement to go to four such roles and to allow a lateral development move within the team.
About the Role
The Role
This role needs someone who is curious, solutions-focused, collaborative and who can respond with clear and concise advice to often rapidly changing situations in a senior environment, drawing on their extensive employee relations and casework experience. This is a key and demanding HRBP role. You will partner Mel Nebhrajani, the DG for the Litigation with Justice and Security (LJS) Group, who also chairs GLD's People Committee. Within the LJS Group, you will partner GLD's Legal Directors leading our large Litigation Directorate expert service, our Statutory Instrument (SI) Hub and those of our Legal Directors working with the Cabinet Office, Home Office and Northern Ireland Office, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Justice.
Building strategic partnering relationships with the DG, Legal Directors and their Senior Leadership Teams is key. You will be working alongside GLD senior leaders to understand their business context and client demands and to provide cross-departmental strategic people insights and direction. The HRBP Team works closely and well with the Centres of Expertise in HR as well as with Finance, Business Management and other colleagues. HRBPs may also take the lead on one or more cross-cutting HR projects for the team. GLD follows the Government People Group HRBP model and development pathway, encouraging the use by our line managers of Civil Service HR Casework so that HRBPs can keep their sights on more strategic people priorities.
About the Role Key Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities include:
- Working in partnership with the DG, Directors and Senior Leadership Teams, providing advice, coaching support and challenge on the range of people issues across the employee lifecycle, including inclusive leadership, strategic workforce planning, performance and talent management, wellbeing and resilience, and engagement.
- Providing HR insights and solutions in the delivery of the GLD Strategy and People Strategy for business benefits, drawing on people data and analytics.
- Stepping in to advise on complex, often highly sensitive, employee relations issues where the Civil Service HR Casework remit ends and being assured that line managers are making the most of that service. Being proactive in fostering a lessons learned culture and ensuring that appropriate interventions are put in place, minimising reputational and financial risk to the organisation.
- Connecting and collaborating with GLD HR and other corporate colleagues to provide the business with effective people approaches and solutions particularly in the context of strategic workforce planning and departmental resourcing.
- Working in close partnership with HR colleagues to ensure policies, procedures and guidance are designed and delivered in a people-focused way, aligned with business needs. This includes commissioning support from HR teams and other corporate colleagues to maximise customer satisfaction and enhance the employee experience.
- Carrying out significant culture change agent responsibilities, drawing on organisation development (OD) thinking and techniques, and showing an ability to enhance the way teams engage with and through their people in the service of organisational and personal continuous improvement.
Person specification
Behaviours
Below are details of the Success Profiles that make up this role.
You will be expected to provide evidence to show how you meet the criteria at interview and/or selection stage.
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing (Lead Behaviour)
- Seeing the Bigger Picture
- Working Together
- Developing Self and Others
Experience
Experience particularly of working with senior stakeholders in a service provision, communications and engagement context.
Achieved or working towards CIPD Level 7.
Technical skills
Extensive employee relations and casework experience and a sound understanding of employment legislation.
Civil Service Code
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of you and other civil servants. These are based on the core values which are set out in legislation. As a civil servant, you are expected to carry out your role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values of:
- ‘integrity’ is putting the obligations of public service above your own personal interests
- ‘honesty’ is being truthful and open
- ‘objectivity’ is basing your advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence
- ‘impartiality’ is acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well governments of different political persuasions
These core values support good government and ensures the achievement of the highest possible standards in all that the Civil Service does.
For further information about Civil Service recruitment processes and Success profiles, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles
Qualifications
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Working Together
- Developing Self and Others
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
The Recruitment Process
Application
To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process accessed via the advertisement listed for this role. This should be completed no later than Monday 28th October 2024 at 12:00 noon.
During the application stage you will be assessed against the skills and experience outlined below:
- A statement of suitability of no more than 500 words, outlining how you meet Experience and Technical skills, listed on page 7 under person specification/criteria.
- Please provide a statement for the following behaviours listed below in no more than 250 words each.
- Communicating and Influencing (Lead Behaviour)
- Seeing the Bigger Picture
- Working Together
- Developing Self and Others
Selection Process
After the closing date, the appointing panel shall assess candidates’ suitability for the role based on evidence provided in their application against the behaviours and experience outlined in the person specification. Please note, if a high number of applications are received, we will sift on the Lead Behaviour, Communicating and Influencing, alone.
Interview
Should you be successful in being invited to interview, you will be assessed on your performance in all essential criteria as listed in the Person Specification, alongside strength-based questions.
- Communicating and Influencing (Lead Behaviour)
- Seeing the Bigger Picture
- Working Together
- Developing Self and Others
As part of this interview candidates will be required to deliver a short 5-minute presentation on the following,
“How I implemented a big change for my business area and how I assessed the significant impact it had”, followed by one or two questions. This will contribute to assessment against Seeing the Bigger Picture.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.
Interviews will probably take place remotely via video conference, full details of the interview format will be provided to shortlisted candidates prior to interview. The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, and all shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter.
Offer
We appoint in strict order of merit. If you meet the minimum criteria for this position but are not successful for a post, you will be placed on the reserve list for up to 6 months. We then may contact you to see if you are interested in a post at the same, or a lower grade, in GLD should one arise.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Keith Grieve
- Email : Keith.Grieve@governmentlegal.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : activecampaigns@Governmentlegal.gov.uk
