Senior HR Operations and Recruitment Manager 2026058
This post will have a base in Peterborough - some office attendance is essential. JNCC has adopted a hybrid working approach, allowing colleagues to benefit from time in the office, with the flexibility
On-site
Permanent
9 Applications
Job description
- Job grade: Senior Executive Officer
- Contract type: Permanent
- Business area: JNCC - Human Resources
- Type of role: Human Resources
- Working pattern: Flexible working
- Number of jobs available: 1
Location
This post will have a base in Peterborough - some office attendance is essential.
JNCC has adopted a hybrid working approach, allowing colleagues to benefit from time in the office, with the flexibility also to work from home. Employees are expected to work from one of our office bases for a few days a month as a minimum with attendance expected at regular face to face team meetings. Arrangements will vary by team, and the exact balance will depend on the nature of your role. We can provide more details at the interview and offer stages.
JNCC has adopted a hybrid working approach, allowing colleagues to benefit from time in the office, with the flexibility also to work from home. Employees are expected to work from one of our office bases for a few days a month as a minimum with attendance expected at regular face to face team meetings. Arrangements will vary by team, and the exact balance will depend on the nature of your role. We can provide more details at the interview and offer stages.
About the job
Job summary
Why JNCC?
We’re small enough (c.300 staff) that your voice is heard by everyone including the CEO, but big enough that we have all the skills, resources and people you’ll need to get the job done. All our staff are passionate about conservation and making a difference to the world we live in. We have a very flexible, inclusive and welcoming organisational culture. Our Executive Management provides employees with the freedom and tools you will need, and our friendly team will assist you in your role.
JNCC is committed to maintaining employee health and wellbeing, whether it is physically, emotionally, financially or socially, and offers a range of benefits to support employees in this. Such benefits include the option to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme, professional and personal development opportunities as well as an exciting job in a unique environment.
Post background:
The Senior HR Operations and Recruitment Manager is responsible for leading the delivery of JNCC's recruitment and operational HR services, ensuring that managers and employees receive a high-quality, efficient and customer-focused service.
Reporting to the Head of HR, the postholder will provide leadership and management across recruitment, HR administration and operational HR processes, driving continuous improvement and ensuring compliance with employment legislation, Civil Service requirements and organisational policies.
The role will manage both the recruitment and HR operations teams and will work closely with HR Business Partners and senior leaders to ensure that operational delivery supports the organisation's strategic workforce objectives.
Job description
Post Duties:
Leadership and Management
- Lead, manage and develop the Recruitment and HR Operations teams.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration and excellent customer service.
- Ensure workloads and resources are managed effectively across the operational HR function.
- Coach and support team members to maximise performance and professional development.
Recruitment
- Lead JNCC's end-to-end recruitment service, ensuring recruitment processes are efficient, inclusive and compliant with Civil Service Recruitment Principles.
- Oversee the effective operation and development of the Applicant Tracking System.
- Provide expert advice to managers on attraction strategies, assessment design, job descriptions and person specifications.
- Drive improvements to candidate and hiring manager experience.
- Monitor recruitment performance metrics and identify opportunities for improvement.
HR Operations
- Oversee the delivery of accurate, timely and customer-focused operational HR services across the employee lifecycle, including contractual changes, payroll inputs, family-related leave, onboarding, offboarding and employee records.
- Ensure operational processes are accurate, efficient and compliant with relevant legislation and policy and are clearly documented with consistently applied controls.
- Oversee the administration of pension and employee benefit arrangements, ensuring employees receive accurate information and are enrolled in relevant schemes in accordance with organisational requirements.
Continuous Improvement
- Lead continuous improvement across HR operations and recruitment, identifying and implementing opportunities to simplify processes, improve customer experience and make effective use of technology, automation and best practice.
- Use HR data, management information and service level agreements to monitor service delivery, identify opportunities for improvement and support informed decision-making.
- Work collaboratively with colleagues in Finance and Digital and Data Solutions to maximise the effectiveness of the ERP system and support continuous improvement in HR data, reporting and user experience.
Stakeholder Management
- Build effective relationships with managers and stakeholders across the organisation.
- Work collaboratively with HR Business Partners to ensure seamless support to leaders and employees.
- Act as an escalation point for complex recruitment and operational HR issues.
- Lead relationships with external providers and partners supporting HR services, ensuring effective contract management, service quality and value for money.
Governance and Compliance
- Ensure recruitment and operational HR activities comply with employment legislation, Civil Service requirements, GDPR and organisational policy.
- Support audit and assurance activities.
- Maintain accurate records and reporting.
Person specification
Where relevant, please ensure your responses within the application form are structured using the STAR method.
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Working Together
- Changing and Improving
- Leadership
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Working Together
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- CIPD qualification at Level 5 or above, or equivalent professional knowledge and experience that can be evidenced.
- Substantial experience of leading an HR operations, recruitment or people service, with responsibility for service quality and delivery
- Strong recruitment expertise, including advising on attraction approaches, job design, assessment methods, inclusive selection and candidate experience.
- Experience of leading, managing and developing staff, including through other managers or team leads.
- Evidence of improving services and processes, using digital systems, data, feedback and proportionate controls to achieve measurable benefits.
- Sound knowledge of the employee lifecycle, recruitment best practice, employment law and data protection requirements relevant to HR service delivery.
- Experience of building effective relationships with senior managers, HR colleagues and service users, and of managing competing priorities in a customer-focused environment.
- Ability to analyse management information, identify risks and trends, and present clear recommendations and assurance to senior stakeholders.
We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:
- CIPD qualification at Level 5 or above, or equivalent professional knowledge and experience that can be evidenced.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £41,525, Joint Nature Conservation Committee contributes
£12,029 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
Equality and diversity
JNCC is committed to creating an environment where everyone feels valued and respected and see this as a good place to work. JNCC has a responsibility to ensure that we have an inclusive culture where discrimination, harassment, bullying and prejudice will not be tolerated. Our selection process is determined on fair and open competition and regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership.
Continuous professional development (CPD)
Employees are encouraged to keep developing skills and professional knowledge.
JNCC has made available, and encourages employees to use, on average, five working days per annum for CPD activities with access to related funding
Leave entitlement
JNCC annual leave allowance is 25 days per annum. After five years’ service, leave entitlement increases to 30 days per annum.
In addition to annual leave, JNCC offers 12 public and privilege days per annum, three of which are explicitly reserved for office closure between Christmas and New Year.
Work/life balance
JNCC supports flexible working hours and practices to help employees strike a good balance between work life and personal life.
Our policies are family-friendly and include flexi-time, flexible working patterns, compressed hours and dispersed working. JNCC also offers paid maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave, over and above the minimum statutory entitlements. Some work/life balance benefits are available following a minimum length of service.
Any move 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. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
Civil Service Pension
Employees will have the opportunity to join Civil Service pension arrangements, which include a valuable range of benefits. JNCC makes a significant contribution to the cost of employee pensions.
Employee Assistance Programme
JNCC provides employees with a free and confidential support service which gives unlimited access to information, advice and emotional support to help employees prepare for and manage all of life's ups and downs, events and challenges.
Trade Union
JNCC has entered into a partnership agreement with its recognised Trade Unions: Prospect and PCS, which employees are able to join and be involved with.
Salary sacrifice schemes
Employee Discount Scheme
Civil Service Sports Club
JNCC is committed to creating an environment where everyone feels valued and respected and see this as a good place to work. JNCC has a responsibility to ensure that we have an inclusive culture where discrimination, harassment, bullying and prejudice will not be tolerated. Our selection process is determined on fair and open competition and regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership.
Continuous professional development (CPD)
Employees are encouraged to keep developing skills and professional knowledge.
JNCC has made available, and encourages employees to use, on average, five working days per annum for CPD activities with access to related funding
Leave entitlement
JNCC annual leave allowance is 25 days per annum. After five years’ service, leave entitlement increases to 30 days per annum.
In addition to annual leave, JNCC offers 12 public and privilege days per annum, three of which are explicitly reserved for office closure between Christmas and New Year.
Work/life balance
JNCC supports flexible working hours and practices to help employees strike a good balance between work life and personal life.
Our policies are family-friendly and include flexi-time, flexible working patterns, compressed hours and dispersed working. JNCC also offers paid maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave, over and above the minimum statutory entitlements. Some work/life balance benefits are available following a minimum length of service.
Any move 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. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
Civil Service Pension
Employees will have the opportunity to join Civil Service pension arrangements, which include a valuable range of benefits. JNCC makes a significant contribution to the cost of employee pensions.
Employee Assistance Programme
JNCC provides employees with a free and confidential support service which gives unlimited access to information, advice and emotional support to help employees prepare for and manage all of life's ups and downs, events and challenges.
Trade Union
JNCC has entered into a partnership agreement with its recognised Trade Unions: Prospect and PCS, which employees are able to join and be involved with.
Salary sacrifice schemes
Employee Discount Scheme
Civil Service Sports Club
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
If we receive a large volume of applications we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on the Lead Behaviour of managing a quality service and then the 2nd behaviour of working together.
If shortlisted for interview, you will be asked to give a presentation. The presentation topic will be communicated prior to the interview.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
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
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
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).
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).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the
Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window)
and the
Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available.
You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Recruitment Team
- Email : recruitment@jncc.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : recruitment@jncc.gov.uk
Further information
Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact recruitment@jncc.gov.uk in the first instance.
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