HR Consultant

About us

Stone King is an ambitious and friendly firm specialising in the Business & Social Enterprise, Charity, Education, Faith and Private Client sectors. Our collaborative culture and core values are intertwined with our ethos of doing the right thing by our clients, communities, and our people. Our passion for the sectors we work in and the purpose-driven work we do with our clients has resulted in SK being recognised as national leaders in our specialist fields across the country.

The opportunity

We are excited to be recruiting for a HR consultant for our Cambridge Office. This is an opportunity to make a real impact in a friendly and collaborative team. You will be using your knowledge and skills to deliver excellent outcomes for our clients. We are interested in developing people and allowing them the flexibility they need to excel in a role, this post in particular allows you the opportunity to work alongside and learn from skilled HR colleague and Employment Lawyers.

The post holder will be an integral part of the Firm's HR consultancy team which is part of the firm’s wider employment team. This is an opportunity for an experienced HR Consultant to join a Firm with an outstanding national reputation. Location is primarily based in the Cambridge office; however, hybrid and flexible working will be available. Some travel in the Cambridgeshire and South East will be part of the role. We would be happy to speak with prospective candidates about flexible working, including ‘Term Time Only’ arrangements.

Reasons to apply

• Opportunity to make a real impact in a friendly, collaborative and established team, you’ll have the opportunity to work closely with our specialists across the firm.
• To join an ambitious, collaborative and friendly national firm where our culture and values are at the heart of everything we do. We believe our people are our greatest asset and strive to create the best place to work.
• Excellent benefits for our people, with a focus on wellbeing and development at the forefront.
• Hybrid working - Stone King are proud to be signatories of the Mindful Business Charter as part of our commitment to mental health and wellbeing. We want to support all of our people in achieving a healthy work/ life balance, and would be happy to speak with prospective candidates about flexible working arrangements.

Key responsibilities

General duties include, but are not limited to:

• Providing HR Support to a number of clients, including delivering training to managers and senior staff on a range of ER issues.
• Monitoring and reporting on activities and providing relevant management information (including time recording appropriately).
• The post-holder will have access to secretarial support and legal support from the Firm’s Employment law team.
• Working with other teams in the Firm as required.
• Together with colleagues, seek to develop still further our HR and employment law offer generally but specifically in Cambridge and the surrounding areas.
• To assist in building the Firm's client base particularly in, but not limited to, the not for profit sector. The Firm's education clients, mainly Academies and Schools will be a particular focus.
• To develop the Firm’s range of human resource services, and assisting the employment law team to expand their services e.g. providing bespoke HR services to clients under Retainer arrangements.
• To plan and carry out marketing activities to agreed budgets, timescales with appropriate support from the Employment law team and the Education Team.
• Attend training and to develop relevant knowledge and skills.

Requirements

Essential

• Excellent understanding of HR issues, relevant legal implications and ability to provide sensible can-do assistance.
• Extensive knowledge of employment relations especially case work on Disciplinary, Grievances, Capability, Absence management and Restructures.
• Advising existing clients on human resources and related issues as they arise, for example, recruitment, payroll, training, contracts, disciplinary rules and procedures, redundancies, health and safety, transfers of businesses, change management and consultation processes with experienced legal back up.
• Acting in a support role to clients, addressing e.g. disciplinary issues including carrying out investigations and attending disciplinary hearings.
• Developing relationship with clients and identifying opportunities for the growth of those relationships.
• An interpersonal style which gives confidence our clients and helps you to influence and advise them on the best way forwards.

Desirable

• Previous experience working in education is highly desirable. Many of our clients are schools so an understanding of the relevant issues in the education sector will be important but the intention is that the HR work will increasingly grow in the charity and business sectors going forward.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Individual differences are embraced at Stone King, and we strive to create an environment in which people feel supported and able to be themselves. We have a partner-led Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy Group, and a dedicated DE&I Adviser. We are committed to promoting an inclusive working environment that supports the growth and development of all our people, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and identities. As part of our continued commitment to an inclusive working environment, we are proud to be part of the Race Fairness Commitment, the Age Friendly Employer Pledge and a Disability Confident Employer.

Stone King are signatories of the Mindful Business Charter as part of our commitment to mental health and wellbeing. We want to support all of our people in achieving a healthy work/ life balance and would be happy to speak with prospective candidates about flexible working arrangements.

As part of our commitment to DE&I, we want our recruitment practices to be as inclusive as possible, which means we will make reasonable adjustments to help you perform to your best, so please let us know if you need us to make any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process. Our recruitment team are on hand to discuss any reasonable adjustments with candidates and can provide full job details and applications in alternative formats if required. You can contact our recruitment team via email at [email protected] or 01225 326770.

As a Disability Confident employer, Stone King LLP is committed to offering an interview to any job applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the role as defined by the job description and person specification. A full copy of the person specification and job description can be provided by contacting our Recruitment team.  In some recruitment situations such as high-peak times, we might need to limit the overall numbers of interviews we offer. This will include the number of interviews offered to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria. When that happens, we’ll still aim to offer a proportionate number of interviews to disabled applicants.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Profit Share Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Benefit Platform
• Private Medical Insurance
• Life assurance (4 x salary)
• Pension scheme
• 28 days holiday (in addition to statutory UK holidays)
• Additional day allocated for CSR activities per annum

Closing date: 17 May 2024

Adverts normally close at midday on the closing date, however vacancies may close early if sufficient applications have been received. Therefore we would encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.

Stone King LLP is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to ensuring equality of opportunity by encouraging all our staff to achieve their full potential and guaranteeing that all employment decisions are taken without reference to irrelevant information or discriminatory practices.

Recruitment agencies – please do not send us unsolicited CVs. If you do so, we reserve the right to contact the candidate directly and your T&Cs will not apply.

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