IDR Operations Manager

Job summary

The purpose of this role is to:

• Lead teams to deliver a high performing individual dispute resolution services, in line with the vision, and to the agreed standards, policies and KPIs.
• Enable and support service improvement, seeking opportunities to promote better outcomes for customers and stakeholders, and to promote change and innovation. To include where necessary leading specific workstreams or programmes of work as required by the Head of Service.
• Support and promote the Acas brand and strengthen our reputation as dispute resolution experts through the establishment and maintenance of relevant stakeholder relationships and through contribution to a range of external events.
• Grow capability and build and support a culture of learning and continuous professional development within the team, the service and the directorate so that skills are continuously maintained and developed and so that performance is managed appropriately.
• Build subject matter expertise on employment relations and employment law in individuals, teams and the directorate in order to strengthen performance and to promote externally to wider audiences.
• Support the development of the Dispute Resolution Directorate including by collaboration with and support for collective dispute resolution colleagues and dispute resolution performance and development colleagues.

Job description

In this role you will accountable for:

• Leading IDR teams – Accountable for leading teams to deliver dispute resolution services in line with the agreed vision and to the standards and KPIs.
• Growing capability –Accountable for growing the capability of the team, including by ensuring their access into and engagement with the relevant learning and development opportunities.
• Case management – Accountable for ensuring that all aspects of case work, including mediation, are handled in line with agreed protocols and are focused on delivering high quality service to the user.
• Service improvement – Accountable for reviewing performance and data and developing insight so that opportunities for service improvement are identified; accountable for supporting and driving those improvements through policy, process, people and technology.
• Management of change – accountable for ensuring change is managed and communicated to those in the line management chain and the wider service
• Technology and ways of working – accountable for the successful introduction of any new technologies or ways of working to drive performance improvements.
• Subject matter expertise – Accountable for providing subject matter expertise in individual dispute resolution and related employment relations law to support staff and offer an escalation route for complex legal questions and regulatory issues.
• Stakeholder Relationships and service promotion – Accountable for building local, regional and national relationships with external partners in order to fulfil strategicambitions and promote Acas brand and reputation, including through contribution to talks and conferences and similar activity.
• Case Reporting – Accountable for utilising MI to drive performance.
• Case Allocation – Accountable for the ensuring the availability and capacity of the team in order to maximise that availability for allocation of cases.
• Collective Conciliation Support – Accountable for developing individual conciliators' skills and experiences to enable them to provide additional support if needed to the Collective Dispute team.
• Partnership Management - Accountable for supporting the delivery of a joint working approach between IDR and external bodies such as the employment tribunal service. Accountable for ensuring that information flows appropriately between the two agencies.
• SME Support – Accountable for providing subject matter expertise to digital and workplace policy teams.

Who we are

Acas exists to make working life better for everyone in Britain. We are the experts in workplace matters, we’re impartial, so we’re not on anyone’s side. That means we’re working for everyone to help prevent, manage and resolve workplace issues.

Acas helps employers and employees by providing information, advice, training, conciliation and other services that prevent, manage or resolve workplace problems.

Acas: Britain’s Workplace Experts

Acas has been recognised for its Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace from the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion awards; it has been Disability Confident Highly Commended, a Pay Gap award winner, and an Overall winner for public sector organisations. Acas is committed to providing services and developing policies which embrace diversity, promote equality of opportunity and eliminate unlawful discrimination.

Person specification

Technical

Essential Criteria:

• Demonstrable understanding of employment law and early conciliation regulations.
• Conflict management skills.

Experience

Essential Criteria:

• Knowledge of dispute resolution services and how they are operated.
• Understanding of the practice and application of conciliation and mediation services.
• Leading teams through change.
• Leading teams to deliver effective customer facing service.
• Handling complaints.
• Developing people and building team capability.
• Using technology to support service delivery.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of collective or individual dispute resolution.
• Experience of drafting and explaining policy.
• Supporting the delivery of a large-scale service.
• Experience of leading projects.

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service
• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Changing and Improving

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £59,870, Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service contributes £17,344 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We’re big believers in rewarding people for the amazing work they do. Take a look at some of the fantastic benefits we offer:

• Learning and Development
• Health and wellbeing
• Pension scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Volunteering opportunities

Could you ask for anymore?

You’ll have access to a Lifestyle website where you’ll be able to grab savings on a wide range of products, from holidays to your weekly shop.

To find out more, check out:

Working for Acas

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.

How to apply

Please click on the 'Apply now' button.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• An evidence-based Personal Statement reflecting the essential Experience requirements as listed in the Person Specification section of this advert. Your Personal Statement should be no longer than 750 words It should avoid generalised assertions, instead including specific examples of achievements, explaining the degree of challenge, what you did and the outcomes. Please be advised you should not address the Technical criteria in your Personal Statement.
• A 250-word statement on the Changing and Improving Behaviour.
• A separate 250-word statement reflecting the desirable criteria. Please note this will only be considered if there is need for a tiebreak at interview.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the:

Lead Criteria:

• Knowledge of dispute resolution services and how they are operated.
• Understanding of the practice and application of conciliation and mediation services.
• Leading teams through change.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift of all the above requirements or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

If a large number of applications meet the minimum standard an interview wait list may be created for this position. This means that if you have met the minimum requirements at sift you may be placed at a ‘Hold’ status for up to 12 months and if we are able to invite you to an interview we will be in touch.

Interview Details

If you have successfully passed sift at the application stage, you will be invited to an interview via Microsoft Teams, which is likely to take place from the week commencing 30 March 2026.

It will be a Behaviour, Experience, Technical and Strengths based interview, and it will also include a Presentation on the Managing a Quality Service Behaviour (the presentation question and instructions will be sent to candidates who are invited to interview).

The following Behaviours will be assessed at Interview:

• Managing a Quality Service (via a Presentation)
• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture

The following Experience and Technical criteria will be assessed at interview:

• Demonstrable understanding of employment law and early conciliation regulations.
• Conflict management skills.
• Leading teams through change.

A reserve list will be created for this position; this means that if you have passed the interview, but we cannot immediately offer you this position, you will be placed on a reserve list for 12 months and may be considered for similar positions during that time.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader, Acas is committed to creating an inclusive recruitment process. If you have a disability and feel that any part of the recruitment process puts you at a disadvantage, we will work with you to make Reasonable Adjustments that support your needs. If you require any changes to help you apply:

• Please contact the Acas Recruitment Team via HRrecruitment@acas.org.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Please complete the “Assistance Required” section on the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to let us know about any adjustments or support you may need during the recruitment process. For example, this might include accessibility arrangements for entering a building or interview room, communication support, modifications to assessment methods, etc.
• You can find out more about the Disability Confident Scheme and Reasonable Adjustments by clicking these links.

Want to learn more about Civil Service recruitment? You can find out more on Civil Service Careers, including information on Success Profiles, writing a Personal Statement, acceptable use of Artificial Intelligence, and what to expect at Interview.

For applicants requiring a visa to work in the UK

Please be advised that Acas does not hold a UKVI Sponsorship Licence, so we cannot consider sponsoring a visa applicant or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship.

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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.

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 : HR Recruitment Team
• Email : HRRecruitment@acas.org.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Hrrecruitment@acas.org.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Code and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact us on HRRecruitment@acas.org.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from us, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

Job Description - IDR Operations Manager Opens in new window (docx, 40kB)