Deputy Director for Employee Relations & Reward

This role is at the heart of that ambition with accountability for the continued transformation of our employment framework to enable the successful delivery of HMRC’s strategic objectives. 

The role will have responsibility for managing the current reward and employee relations landscape and lead the Reward and Employee Relations teams.

The post holder will also periodically work in close collaboration with:

PDS Senior Leadership Team and PDS teams to ensure the effective delivery of directorate portfolio milestones, core service and change initiative delivery.             
Colleagues in corporate communications; to oversee people-focused communications relevant to this role.
Senior Leaders in all HMRC Business Groups; to ensure that initiatives, strategies and approaches provide the right support for their Business tactical and operational business challenges and strategic needs.
Government People Group, seeking to influence the direction of travel and / or representing HMRC’s views on strategic reward and employee relations matters.
Key Responsibilities 

The post holder will have responsibility for:

1.Leading and developing the Reward and Employee Relations teams, including oversight of the preparation, execution and distribution of annual pay awards for both delegated and SCS workforces.

2.The development of reward and incentive plans aligned to the Civil Service / HMRC reward policy and strategies, including trade union negotiation or consultation as appropriate. Leading the annual pay negotiations and developing HMRC’s strategy and position on reward.

3.Ensuring HMRC engagement with our trade unions in accordance with the departmental Employee Relations Agreement and responsibility for collective bargaining activity on behalf of the department. Building good relationships with the departmental trade unions in order to maintain constructive engagement in a heavily unionised environment.

4.Supporting work on HMRC’s Senior Civil Service (SCS) strategy such as SCS Reward.

5.The post-holder will also develop the future reward strategy for HMRC taking into account the future workforce needs and future operating state.

6.Protecting the organisation from an employment law and trade union legislation perspective.

Person specification
Applying complex employment law and employee relations principles - significant experience of interpreting and applying complex employment law and ensuring that relevant HR design, strategy and solutions create the right conditions to drive business outcomes. Collaborate, consult and negotiate with departmental trade unions in the development of these. 

Experience of leading Pay and Reward in a large, complex organisation, with the ability to drive through the delivery of high-quality reward activity, such as annual pay awards, whilst also considering the organisational strategic reward requirements.

Building and maintaining constructive relationships with Trades Unions, managing Employee Relations risks and managing disputes, in a changing and unpredictable landscape.
A CIPD or equivalent qualified HR professional with hands-on experience of leading trade union negotiations and consultation in a large, complex organisation. 

A practical working knowledge of employment law to handle a range of collective and individual employee relations areas and developing organisational reward strategy. Able to explain complex matters simply to a non-HR practitioner and present confidently to a senior audience.

Using data and evidence to make decisions and influence - interpreting complex data to create and present evidence-based insight and recommendations that shape and inform future HR design, and drive, monitor and evaluate impact. Ability to oversee and develop papers for governance / senior leadership with numeracy to analyse information effectively.

Building and managing relationships and partnerships - influencing, consulting and negotiating at a strategic level with very senior stakeholders on employment design, strategy and framework issues both within HMRC and with Government People Group. Collaborating with stakeholders to achieve objectives, including experience of navigating conflicting views and priorities and negotiating with others to find common ground and commitments.  

Capability building in an inclusive environment – experience of enhancing the capability of individuals and a team where they should expect, and they can operate in a safe, secure and inclusive way. 
Mindset and approach: Resourceful and resilient, able to see both the bigger picture and engage in detail and drive a continuous improvement ethos. Empowering leadership.