Working Hours: 37 hours per week
Salary: £41,496 – £44,539 per annum
Location: While the role will primarily be based flexibly from Service HQ (Kelvedon) and from home, there will be a requirement to travel around the county and attend Service premises.
The Role
As a People Business Partnering team for Essex County Fire & Rescue Service, we work with our Managers in delivering the People Strategy and provide proactive, strategic direction in response to key people and organisational challenges, risks, and issues.
We develop and deliver HR services to ensure that ECFRS has the capacity and capability to deliver its vision, mission, and priorities.
We are looking for a People Business Partner to join our collaborative and busy team.
What You Will Be Working On
• Work with managers providing professional advice to support employee relations casework.
• Update case management records in line with data protection.
• Partnering with an identified operational and support client base providing high quality HR advice, guidance and support on all people related issues.
• Review and design policies and manager’s toolkits in line with legislation and Service needs, consulting with representative bodies and employee forums.
• Attend departmental meetings to cover all HR initiatives.
• Visit stations and command areas to ensure there is a visible HR presence.
• Support managers in their recruitment processes to attract and retain quality candidates.
• Support the development of our people through succession planning and taking part in assessment days.
• Support managers on restructures or organisational change processes.
• Manage and support identified HR workstreams and projects.
What Are We Looking For?
This role will be perfect for you if you are a passionate HR professional who is motivated by what you can bring to ECFRS and its people.
You will have experience in being a credible and trusted partner to your managers and key stakeholders by providing professional advice and guidance on all people processes, especially employee relations casework.
You will have a naturally consultative approach with representative bodies and employee forums.
We would love to find someone that has strong interpersonal skills and experience in using their professional knowledge and judgement to make decisions.
The Application Process
Application – You will apply via our website with an attached supporting statement. Your supporting statement should be a maximum of 700 words showing us how you meet the essential criteria of the person specification for the role. We love it when our applications write thorough supporting statements so don’t be afraid to go into detail! This will give us a great understanding of your skills and experience and how well you fit the role.
Interview and presentation – If successfully shortlisted, the final part of the recruitment process will include a presentation and interview. (Further details will be shared accordingly and in a timely manner).
Closing Date – Sunday, 8th October 2023
Interview Date – TBC
Our employee forums and partners include:
Asian Fire Services Association (AFSA), BEING (our LGBTQ+ employee support network), Christian Fellowship, Ethnic Minority Forum, Men’s Forum, and our Women’s Forum. In addition, we also have a female firefighters operational group.
Further to the above, the Service has a Digital Accessibility Inclusion Group (DAIG) that supports all colleagues to improve their digital skills and provides additional support and guidance to colleagues with neurodivergent strengths and struggles as a result of dyslexia, ADHD, Autism, dyspraxia etc. We want everyone to thrive at work, and so we encourage and enable people to access digital tools to help them perform at your best. The DAIG is a group of colleagues from across the Service that unite to support others as a result of their lived experience and desire to make a difference. They support people with a range of visible and invisible disabilities to identify and access digital workplace adjustments and solutions and may be able to assist with your application too.
Should you wish to discuss support, or access further information, from one of these groups, please contact equalitydiversity@essex-fire.gov.uk
You are also able to raise any queries or requests for support, including any adjustments you may require, at any stage of the process by email to recruitment@essex-fire.gov.uk
You can find out more about Essex County Fire & Rescue Service via www.essex-fire.gov.uk and about our vacancies, application processes and benefits via https://join.essex-fire.gov.uk
Our Culture and Benefits
Here at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service we are committed to prioritising and promoting the wellbeing of our employees. Some of our benefits include:
• Wellbeing and counselling services
• Physiotherapy services
• Affiliation with the Blue Light Card scheme
• Generous annual leave
• Flexible working hours
• Remote working opportunities
• Competitive pension scheme
• Career development opportunities
Safeguarding
Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
It is our policy to require all applicants for employment to disclose if you are currently being investigated by any regulatory body or have any decisions or sanctions pending or in progress in respect of your suitability to work for the Service.
You agree to inform the Service within 24 hours if you are subsequently investigated by any agency or organisation in relation to concerns about your behaviour towards children, young people or vulnerable adults.
The information you provide will be treated as strictly confidential and will be considered only in relation to the appointment for which you are applying.
This role is subject to a enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.