HR Manager to the St Francis of Assisi Catholic Academy Trust

HR Manager to the St Francis of Assisi Catholic Academy Trust

We seek applications from those of the Catholic faith, all faiths and of no faith but who are supportive of our Christian values and ethos.

H9 – 28 to M1-32 32.5 hrs p.w.

Term Time only

 (£36,648 - £40,221 + Fringe (£689) FTE (£27,445 - £30,072 Pro-Rata))

Are you an exceptional and dynamic HR professional looking to develop your career in a thriving Academy Trust?

This is an exciting opportunity to join our excellent Multi-Academy Trust of eight Catholic schools, which was formed in September 2021 in a newly established role working with the Trust Executive (and all the Trust), and which will develop and evolve with the Trust.

The role is to support the CEO, CFO, Trust Finance Manager and Leadership Team of the Trust, including the Heads and senior leaders of the Academy schools within the Trust, having an overview of staffing within the Trust, whilst being instrumental in the development of the HR function for the Trust and its Academies, including Recruitment, Absence Reviews, Disciplinary, Capability processes etc. This post represents an ideal opportunity for the right candidate to make a real difference to the Trust, the Academies and their HR functions

The role will be based in the Trust central office at St Mary’s Catholic School, Bishop’s Stortford, however the ability to travel to individual schools from time to time is a necessity.

The main purpose of this role will be to support the Trust in the development of and provision of a high quality, streamlined efficient day-to-day HR service and coordination for the schools and central team. Acting as the central point of contact you will bring together the existing skills, knowledge and expertise of the stakeholders from the Academy schools, moving towards an identifiable “Trust” approach, creating economies of scale and consistency of approach.

The postholder, must be a skilled communicator, both verbally and in writing, able to respond clearly and appropriately and will act as liaison and advisor to designated schools, being the first point of contact for supporting with HR issues such as disciplinary, grievance, absence management, investigations and other issues.

Able to work on your own initiative and with a high degree of accuracy, confidentiality and diplomacy you will act as a critical friend to school leadership teams in relation to organizational development and staffing matters.

Willing and able to take on new challenges, you will undertake HR projects where required and advocate the development and implementation of new HR systems and processes. You will be committed to the continuous improvement and review of current practices and procedures; making suggestions for revision where need for change is indicated.

You must be committed to ensuring a quality of provision across the Trust, leading by example and working with other across the Trust and external advisors and stakeholders (such as the Catholic Education Service and Diocese) to ensure that the Trust provision as it relates to HR and employment fulfils our duty in meeting the aims and requirements of the distinctive nature of Catholic education.  

The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of school policies and procedures as they apply to the employment relationship and recent experience of working in a school HR function, and will hold (or willing to train for) a CIPD, legal or other equivalent qualification.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. A DBS disclosure is required for all successful applicants. The St Francis of Assisi Catholic Academy Trust is committed to the equality of opportunity for all applicants, and we reserve the right to interview on a rolling basis, therefore an early application is advisable.

Apply in writing using the forms available on our website www.stfrancistrust.net Support Staff Application Form, Consent to Obtain References Form, Rehabilitation of Offenders Form & Recruitment Monitoring Form. Applicants are reminded that they should read the Notes to Applicants before completing an application. Please note only applications on St Francis Of Assisi Catholic Academy Trust forms will be accepted. Please contact Andrew Celano, Chief Executive Officer a.celano@stfrancistrust.net or Andrew Howard CFO cfo@stfrancistrust.net  to submit an application or for more information.