CMA1970 – HR Manager – Operations and Pay

Are you passionate about driving positive change in a fast-paced and high-volume Human Resources environment? The Competition and Markets Authority is seeking a dedicated HR Manager to join our team, playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of our organisation.

About the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)

We help people, businesses, and the UK economy by promoting competitive markets and tackling unfair behaviour. Our work is wide ranging, ambitious and often new and challenging.

What you will do

In the heart of our success lies a commitment to a high-performing, inclusive workplace, where continuous improvement is a way of life. As a crucial member of the HR Operations, Pay & Reward team, you’ll lead projects, integrate policies, and contribute to an enhanced employee experience. Key responsibilities include strategic project leadership, fostering a culture of improvement, and optimising the employee lifecycle.

What you will need

You will possess extensive expertise in driving enhancements within a high-volume HR Operations setting, showcasing a profound proficiency in employing project management techniques specifically tailored for HR improvements. Your skills extend to systematically reviewing and optimising systems, processes, and policies to elevate the overall user and customer experience. With a talent for robust stakeholder management, you will excel in fostering collaboration across diverse teams, ensuring effective communication and cooperation.

What we can offer you

The CMA is a hugely diverse, rewarding and stimulating place to work – an opportunity to work for the public good and to stretch and develop yourself in doing so. We offer generous benefits, including an excellent pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 27%, at least 25 days leave (increasing to 30 over five years), and generous maternity/paternity leave provision. You can also take advantage of interest-free season ticket loans, a cycle to work scheme, our employee assistance programme, and our extensive flexible working options.

To find out more about this opportunity and about working for the CMA, please click on the APPLY button.

CMA – Working for the CMA , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)

Or our LinkedIn page:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/competition-and-markets-authority/

Closing date for applications: 11:55pm on Monday 1st January 2024.

The main responsibilities of the role are:

Management and Leadership responsibilities

Whilst initially it is not expected that you will have any direct reports, you will be a part of the HR Operations, Pay & Reward leadership team for which we have a collective responsibility to:

• Work with stakeholder colleagues (including the wider HR team, Finance, IT, Project Management Office, and Information Security team) to ensure the smooth integration of HR Operations policy, systems and processes both within our team and beyond.
• Consider alternative ways of working that improve productivity and quality, utilising available technology, and embedding a culture of continuous improvement, within the HR Operations team.
• Develop the HR Team through identifying suitable training opportunities, upskilling them on our areas of responsibility, and creating a learning culture to help further their career development.
• Ensure work demands are sufficiently resourced and stepping in to support all parts of the team whether that be in the pay, pensions, reward, operations, systems or management information space.

Employee lifecycle

In addition to the above, you will be responsible for owning and leading a portfolio of improvement projects across the employee lifecycle to help optimise the employee experience. The exact portfolio is yet to be determined and it is expected that you will help to shape the portfolio through identifying areas for improvement and presenting options, but it is expected to include:

• Working closely with the recruitment team to review the new joiners process, identify and drive improvements and ensure a seamless new joiner experience.

• Assessing and identifying how the team can better track HR queries and generate useful management information like average resolution times, most common queries, and customer satisfaction.
• Understanding the wider People, Capability & Culture landscape to assess where operational HR activity is taking place and whether there are opportunities for greater efficiency in terms of where it sits and how the tasks are executed.
• Reviewing and improving core operational HR polices and processes, which includes eliciting employee feedback, researching good practice and engaging key stakeholders to secure approval to changes.
• Supporting with reward projects as a CMA reward strategy is developed. 
• Helping to create of a cross-government HR operations network to share good practice and identify where technology can be better leveraged.

It is essential that you can provide evidence and examples of each of the following essential experience in your application:

• Significant experience of identifying, implementing, and reporting on improvements in a high volume, fast paced HR Operations environment (Lead Criteria).
• Experience of using project management techniques to plan, deliver and evaluate HR improvements.
• Experience of reviewing systems, processes, and policies to make recommendations to improve the user/customer journey or experience.
• Working with a variety of stakeholders both across different HR teams and outside of HR to build effective relationships and achieve challenging goals.
• Strong written and oral communication skills to present and communicate information to stakeholders (often senior) in a clear, confident, and persuasive manner.

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

• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership

As well as the interesting and varied work you’ll do to contribute to effective competition in the UK, and to ensure consumers get a good deal when buying goods and services, you’ll also benefit from:

• An exceptionally generous pension scheme with a significant employer contribution and range of options, including a tax-free lump sum at the point of retirement and injury, ill-health and life assurance benefits
• 25 days leave (increasing to 30 days over five years), plus 8 public holidays and an additional day off for the King’s birthday. In addition, you’ll be able to access a wide range of other types of leave as and when you need it, including generous maternity, paternity, shared parental leave and adoption options, as well as paid special leave for volunteering
• Season ticket loans, cycle to work scheme, flu vaccinations and eye tests
• Access to the Civil Service Sports & Leisure, giving discounted gym membership, high street discounts, free access to UK wide attractions and a free Tastecard
• A range of wellbeing benefits, including an employee assistance programme, flexible working options and family friendly policies, regular networking events and professional learning opportunities at work

Any move to the CMA 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. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

Like many other organisations, we operate a hybrid working model with a mix of office and home working. We believe this supports us to deliver our best work while allowing the flexibility to maintain balanced and healthy lives.

If you’re already a civil servant being appointed on level transfer, you’ll retain your existing terms, including annual leave. If you are being promoted you’ll receive either a 10% pay increase or the new grade minimum, whichever is the greater. Applicants new to the civil service can be considered for appointment at a salary higher than the starting point indicated above, but not more than the advertised mid-point, depending on skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications.

We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We want a diverse workforce that reflects the consumers we serve. We welcome applications from under-represented groups, including ethnically diverse people, people with a disability, people with diverse gender identities and from people of different ages. 

We are an accredited Disability Confident Employer and disabled applicants meeting the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.

Our Values

The CMA delivers impactful outcomes for people, business and the UK economy.​ We are Ambitious and Evidence-based, and always strive for Excellence.​ We treat everyone with Respect, and are Collaborative and Inclusive.​

Everything we do is underpinned by the Civil Service values: Honesty, Integrity, Impartiality and Objectivity.

Job contact :

• Name : recruitment@cma.gov.uk
• Email : recruitment@cma.gov.uk
• Telephone : 020 3738 6808

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@cma.gov.uk