Employee Relations and HR Lead

Job summary

At DSIT we’re all about improving people’s lives by maximising the potential of science & technology.

We accelerate innovation, investment and productivity through world-class science, research and development.

We use technology for good by ensuring new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the UK, with the benefits more widely shared.

We are driving forward a modern digital government which gives citizens a more satisfying experience and their time back.

We do all this to enable the Government’s 5 national missions: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower, taking back our streets, breaking down barriers to opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future.

Above all, we focus on improving people’s lives. Whether it’s researching new treatments for disease, developing better batteries, reducing burdens through better public services, keeping children safe online, and much more, outcomes for citizens are at the heart of what we do.

Our Inclusive Environment

We offer flexible working benefits, employee well-being support and a great pension. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.

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 and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

Find Out More

We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application and interview process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://forms.office.com/e/Jae3B4w7xm

You can also follow our LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dsitcareers/

Job description

The Matrix Programme is a transformation initiative involving 7 Departments (listed at end). It is a unique cross-government collaboration that will unlock simpler, better, and more joined up working by bringing together the systems, processes, and ways of working for key government functions such as HR, Finance or Procurement, commonly known as Shared Services.

The Programme is part of the Shared Services Team within DSIT, a fantastic team passionate about improving the existing shared services experience for DSIT and its partners, whilst working to deliver the strategic objectives of the Government Shared Services Strategy, which are:

1. Better experience for all users - intuitive systems that are easy to use and mobile-enabled.
   
2. Efficiency and value for money - better systems and services which support productivity and seek to reduce costs.
   
3. Standardised processes and data - support interoperability, making it easier to understand and compare corporate data.

Over the coming months we’ll be preparing to roll out Neo, our powerful new HR and Finance technology and service for the Matrix cluster - driving a more modern, digital government. Neo is a cloud-based system, powered by Workday that will replace legacy HR and finance technology and offline processes. Designed to streamline administrative activities and promote intuitive self-service, Neo is enabling time back to focus on what we value the most – serving the public. Moreover, Neo’s adoption means we are harnessing the power of shared technology at scale. This unified way of working delivers better, more accurate data - eliminating errors, creating one trusted source of truth and accurate reporting. Neo is more than just a new system; it’s enabling us to be data-led, to work smarter, respond faster and deliver services that truly meet the needs of the public.

The Departments forming the Matrix Programme include: Cabinet Office (CO), Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT), Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), Department for Business Trade (DBT), Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), Department for Education (DfE), and His Majesty's Treasury (HMT).

Person specification

The Employee Relations & HR Lead will form part of the core Matrix Programme team, working with and on behalf of seven departments across the cluster to deliver the introduction of modern technologies, services and ways of working. As we prepare to onboard departments to the new service, we are looking for an established HR and employee relations professional to work as part of a small team to lead central employee relations activities across the Matrix Programme.

The postholder will work with departmental employee relations leads to ensure regular engagement on programme related matters, maintaining effective and open relationships with departmental Trade Unions. The postholder will represent the programme at departmental Trade Union engagement sessions and will have regular exposure to senior stakeholders, including HR Directors. The postholder will shape how the cluster navigates complex employee relations and play a pivotal role in identifying emerging themes and ensuring compliance with trade union agreements and statutory obligations. If you are passionate about building strong trade union partnerships, we’d love to hear from you.

In this role, you will be:

• Working collaboratively with employee relations colleagues from across departments to lead the development and implementation of an agreed employee relations strategy for the Matrix cluster.
  
• Quickly building trust and credibility with stakeholders across the Programme, using professional HR expertise to support departments in facilitating positive and timely engagement with departmental Trade Unions on programme related matters;
  
• Assessing and preparing for changes to Trade Union legislation, including Trade Union framework agreements, ensuring the programme is cognisant to the recent Employment Rights Act 2025 changes;
  
• Advising and briefing senior stakeholders including the Programme Senior Responsible Owner (SRO), Programme Director and departmental HR Directors on employee relations matters, including ahead of key Trade Union meetings, to ensure a consistent and joined up approach;
  
• Working alongside other HR professionals in the programme team and in departments to advise upon and manage any employee relations issues linked to Cabinet Office Statement of Practice (COSoP) or Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment (TUPE) transfers. This includes a working understanding of employee liability information, informing and consulting obligations and treatment of measures;
  
• Maintaining effective relationships with employee relations colleagues across other clusters;
  
• Leading on status, risk and issue reporting for employee relations matters in line with programme requirements – ensuring that risks are captured, understood and mitigating actions developed in a timely way;
  
• Maintaining a detailed audit trail of discussions and actions, ensuring accurate records and follow up;
  
• Facilitating and chairing trade union meetings, as required; designing meeting agendas, packs and products that are clear, concise and tailored for effective engagement. There will also be a need to represent the Programme at department led Trade Union meetings, as necessary.
  
• Using broader HR expertise, provide support and leadership on other people related matters within the Matrix HR Assurance Team in support of driving positive programme outcomes.

Essential Criteria

• We are looking for someone with proven experience leading complex trade union engagement at scale, with skills in negotiation and influencing, dispute resolution, and advising senior leaders.
  
• You will be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) and the Cabinet Office Statement of Practice (COSoP), including their application in public sector staff transfers.
  
• You will bring a strong, practical understanding of UK employment law, including trade union legislation and TUPE/COSoP regulations.
  
• You will have experience shaping and delivering employee relations strategy across multiple teams or departments.
  
• You will have experience influencing senior stakeholders, including HR Directors and programme leadership, on ER (employee relations) risks and mitigation.
  
• You will have experience managing high risk ER issues and escalating through formal governance structures.
  
• You will have experience preparing and delivering ER briefings, papers and advice at board or SCS level.
  
• We are looking for someone who is a strong collaborator, with the ability to influence upwards and outwards with credibility and confidence to constructively challenge and influence, keeping work on track while maintaining good relationships.
• The postholder must have already achieved or should be working towards MCIPD membership.
  
• The postholder would possess the ability to manage their own time, juggling and prioritising workloads whilst working independently or whilst contributing effectively as part of a small team.
  
• You will possess deep HR experience and expertise (ideally across a range of specialisms) with the ability to confidently speak and advise on HR / people matters.

Desirable Criteria

• Change management experience
  
• Ability to work in a rapidly evolving, ambiguous environment, with shifting priorities.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,850, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £16,469 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.

Office attendance

The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.

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, Strengths and Experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 750 words) to explain how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential requirements highlighted.

Applications will be sifted on CV and Personal Statement.

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement only.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The interview will consist of behaviour and strength-based questions.

A reserve list of candidates may be kept for up to 12 months.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed

Further Information

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply,and can be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DSIT Candidate Guidance. A DSIT Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available.

We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

Candidates who meet the minimum benchmark may be placed on a Reserve List for consideration for similar roles, including those at a lower grade. Candidates who narrowly miss the benchmark and are not placed on the Reserve List may still be considered for an offer in a similar role at a lower grade.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).

DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a 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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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).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.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil 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.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : Matrix Resourcing
• Email : matrixresourcing@dsit.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dsitresourcing.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance DSITrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk . If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.

Attachments

DSIT T&Cs v1.2 (1) Opens in new window (docx, 179kB)