Job responsibilities
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Responsibilities will include
- Actively support project work which develops the casework service in collaboration with the Casework Management Lead and/or Head of HR Casework, HR Policy & Employee Relations.
- Ensuring governance and day to day responsibilities are understood and complied with to inform evidence based, robust effective decision making. This includes the appropriate and timely escalation of risks to the Casework Management Lead.
- Supporting the design and delivery of upskilling to line managers and others as a HR expert advisor.
- Demonstrate a strong customer service ethos focussing on continuous improvement and building and maintaining excellent relationships with managers, senior leaders and other HR professionals.
- Identify risks e.g. reputational and financial to the UKHSA, ensure these are recorded and escalated to the Casework Management Lead.
- Understand the bigger picture through data analysis as required, identifying trends/themes and communicate findings through a range of reporting styles.
- Ensure that all information managed / given is in accordance with GDPR and the Data Protection Act.
The job holder will carry out any other duties that may reasonably be required by their line manager.
Essential criteria:
- A HR-based qualification i.e., CIPD or relevant experience such as working within or closely to HR casework
- Demonstrable experience of managing and providing expert HR advice on complex and sensitive HR cases
- Up to date knowledge of employment law
- Experience of working autonomously and managing a workload of multiple competing priorities
- Experience of analysing, interpreting and reporting information in an effective manner to recommend an appropriate course of action
- Ability to problem solve, think quickly and adapt and respond appropriately to a range of varied and immediate customer needs
- Ability to influence and coach stakeholders at all levels
- Able to interpret information from various sources i.e. policies, legislation, case law and provide sound HR advice or propose a policy or service change
- Effective verbal, written and presentation communication skills; capable of constructing and delivering clear messages accurately for a range of audiences
Desirable criteria:
- Experience of Line Management and training staff
- Experience of working across diverse organisation with multiple terms and conditions and associated processes e.g., professional registration obligation impacts.
Selection Process Details:
This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Stage 1: Application & Sift
Success profiles
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 9 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:
- Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)
- 1000-word supporting statement.
This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.
The Application form and supporting statement will be marked together.
Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:
- Meets all essential criteria
- Meets some essential criteria
- Meets no essential criteria
'Meets all essential criteria' will be taken through to shortlisting.
Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on
- Demonstrable experience of managing and providing expert HR advice on complex and sensitive HR cases
Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications / large amount of successful candidates.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment
Please do not exceed 1000 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Stage 2: Interview (success profiles)
You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.
Behaviours and experience will be tested at interview.
There will be a Presentation. The topic of the presentation will be provided nearer to the time of interview
The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be
- Managing a quality service
- Communicating and influencing (lead behaviour)
- Making effective decisions
- Working at pace
Interviews will be held week commencing 29th September 2025. Please note, these dates are subject to change.
Eligibility Criteria
External
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).
Security Clearance Level Requirement
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard
Internal Fraud check
If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicants personal details name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances. Currently this is only for External candidates to the Civil Service.
Future location
UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK.
The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.
Location: Hybrid any Core HQ
This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQs. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London)
Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).
