HR Complex Case Team Leader

Job summary

We are MHCLG

This is a varied and collaborative role focused on building a trusted, responsive and sustainable in-house HR casework service. This is a completely new role, where the post-holder will need to build capability and service whilst balancing providing advice on complex employment matters. Our new service will provide clear and expert support across the organisation on casework matters, with a focus on early resolution, dispute resolution, and attaining a high-performance organisation through ensuring matters are dealt with in a timely and fair way.

Job description

• Lead and manage the Complex Casework team, including work allocation, performance, quality assurance and delivery.
• Provide expert, risk-based advice on complex HR casework, ensuring alignment with employment law, Civil Service HR practice and MHCLG policy.
• Oversee complex and sensitive cases, including attendance, performance, discipline, grievance, workplace adjustments, complaints, appeals and employment litigation.
• Support Employment Tribunal and early conciliation activity, working with Government Legal Department where required.
• Coach managers to make fair, evidence-based decisions and resolve issues early. Improve casework processes, guidance, escalation routes, data capture and service standards.
• Use casework data and insight to identify trends, manage risk and improve service quality. In partnership across People Capability and Change develop issue resolution offer aimed at resolving issues quickly and effectively.
• Build strong relationships with HR colleagues, senior stakeholders, trade unions where appropriate and other government departments.

Person specification

We are looking for a confident senior HR professional with strong complex casework expertise, sound judgement and experience leading a busy advisory service, with experience in complex HR casework, employee relations and/or a people advisory environment, including sensitive or high-risk cases.

The successful candidate will be able to:

• apply employment law, HR policy and Civil Service HR practice to complex people matters
• lead and develop a professional, customer-focused team
• manage casework risks and escalate appropriately
• support fair, evidence-based decisions and early resolution.
• use data and learning to improve quality, consistency and governance
• build trusted relationships with managers, senior stakeholders, HR colleagues and partners

Will also be able to demonstrate:

• experience in complex HR casework, employee relations and/or a people advisory environment, including sensitive or high-risk cases
• experience leading an HR casework, employee relations or advisory team
• strong knowledge of HR policy and employment legislation, with experience applying this to fair, proportionate and risk-based decisions
• experience advising on complex people matters, including attendance, performance, discipline, grievance, workplace adjustments or litigation
• experience working with senior stakeholders and coaching managers to improve case outcomes and manage risk
• proven leadership experience, including managing people, performance, wellbeing and continuous improvement

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £60,230, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £17,448 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).At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Staff Benefits Scheme, Childcare Vouchers, and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.

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

Application and Selection

The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:

Behaviours , Strengths , Experience

Please ensure your CV and Cover Letter does not contain any personally identifiable information.

Note: We do not consider direct CV applications. All applications must be submitted via the provided application link.

Important: Your CV and Cover Letter must be merged into a single document before uploading. However, only your Cover Letter will be assessed.

Stage 1: Sift (Cover Letter)

In your Cover Letter of no more than 600 words, demonstrate your ability to lead work and make decisions on cases involving complex, sensitive issues and significant organisational risks. Use specific examples to explain how you assessed risks, made decisions and maintained a consistent, high-quality service while adapting to a changing employment landscape. Clearly outline your approach, the actions you took and the outcomes achieved.

If you run into any technical problems when applying through Be Applied (for example, trouble logging in or submitting your application), their support team can help. Please contact them at hello@beapplied.com.

Stage 2: Interview

During the panel interview, candidates will be assessed through behaviour, experience and strength based questions, covering the below:

• Behaviours: Leadership, Making Effective Decisions, Managing a Quality Service, Communicating and Influencing.

• Experience: Candidates will be asked to prepare and deliver a 5-minute verbal presentation as part of the assessment of your experience. A scenario will be provided to candidates invited to interview alongside their interview invitation, giving you time to prepare in advance.

• Strengths: The strength-based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.

Sift and Interview Dates

This will be a rolling sift. This means the hiring team will review applications as they are submitted.

Interviews are envisaged to take place the week commencing 30 November 2026 and are currently being held remotely via videocall. This could be subject to change.

Disability Confident Scheme (DCS)

We are a Disability Confident employer.

We apply a fair and proportionate interview process for all candidates. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to progress candidates who apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and meet the required minimum selection criteria.

However, where high application volumes are received, progression to interview may be limited to those who best meet the role criteria. In these circumstances, the benchmark required to proceed to interview may be raised for all candidates.

How We Recruit

Find out more about our recruitment processes here.

• Applying

• Sifting

• Interview

• Interview Results & Feedback

• Reserve List

• Near Miss

• Civil Service Grades

• We are a DCS, RIS & GPTWV employer

• Reasonable Adjustments

How to Apply

Find out everything you need to know before applying here.

You must review the following information from the MHCLG Career's Site before submitting your application. This step is essential to ensure your eligibility for the role and that your application is completed correctly.

• Security Clearance Requirements

• Civil Service Nationality Requirements

• Right to Work

• Civil Service Code and Recruitment Principles

• CV Declaration

• Sponsorships

• Salary and Grade

• Existing Civil Servants

• Conflict of Interest

• Location and Flexible Working

• Internal Fraud Database

• Appeals and Complaints

• Fixed Term Appointments for:

• External Candidates

• Existing Civil Servants (Including Loans)

• Secondments

• MHCLG employees

Security Clearance Requirements

National Office:

London Office: + CTC

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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

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 : Tina Evans
• Email : Tina.Evans@communities.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@communities.gov.uk

Further information

If you are unsure about any part of the process or require additional information about the post to enable you to progress your application, you should speak to the Resourcing team - recruitment@communities.gov.uk. Candidates can appeal at any stage of the recruitment process if they believe there has been:

a procedural irregularity

an infringement of the Civil Service equal opportunities policy

exceptional circumstances which were not notified to the interview panel which might have affected performance on the day.

It is important to note that these are appeals about the process not the decision. In the first instance, an appeal should be directed to the MHCLG Resourcing Hub at recruitment@communities.gov.uk.

If the MHCLG Resourcing Hub is unable to satisfactorily resolve your complaint, you may contact put your complaint in writing to the Civil Service Commission, Room G8,1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ or by email to: info@csc.gov.uk