HR and Finance Manager

About the role

The HR and Finance Manager is a pivotal role which offers the opportunity to provide operational leadership and strategic support across Human Resources and Finance within a vibrant, research-focused school.

In this role, you will work closely with the School Manager to oversee the full employment cycle of all types of staff from recruitment and onboarding to performance management, promotion and recognition and ensuring integration with research operations. You will support School Finance operations, with oversight of the School’s management accounts.

The post holder will be an integral member of the team, with direct line management responsibility for 4 members of the team and co-manage 4 others. They will ensure delivery of day-to-day processes to ensure the smooth running of the School and support key initiatives to create a welcoming and supportive culture for staff and students.

The role is very varied and represents the opportunity to develop a wide range of leadership experience and skills within a supportive and friendly environment. It will suit a highly numerate and IT savvy candidate with excellent organisational skills who can work accurately, with close attention to detail in a busy environment with tight deadlines. The successful candidate will be comfortable working proactively across multiple projects and areas and will be a confidant communicator, able to build and maintain effective working relationships across the School’s Core Professional Services team, academics and researchers as well as colleagues across the rest of the University.

This post is ideal for someone who excels at multitasking, project delivery and managing intricate workflows. The post offers individuals a wide variety of experience and skills in a dynamic environment where your skills in problem-solving and stakeholder engagement will thrive.

This role will be a full-time post (35 hours a week) and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 31st July 2026. 

About You

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

• Significant knowledge and skills of business operations and systems acquired through relevant posts, demonstrating development through progressively more demanding work/roles, and the acquisition of appropriate professional or specialist knowledge.
• Experience of financial management, including budget management and finance management software such as Ernterprise Resource Management software and procurement systems.
• Proven strong communication and interpersonal skills in order to receive, understand and relay specialist or professional ideas or complex information to various groups. 
• Excellent numeracy and experience of using analytical skills to inform strategic decisions and procedures. 
• Experience of managing teams and giving feedback on performance, training and coaching. 
• Working knowledge and experience of applying regulatory policies and procedures in a large organisation. 
• Excellent task management skills and ability to work under pressure in a busy environment with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail, delivering on time and within budget. 
• Experience producing reports, documents, information and/or business cases/planning for senior management to underpin strategic decisions & procedures, and implementation thereof

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working within a Higher Education or Research Institute
• Qualification or practical understanding of UK employment law and/or financial regulations and the underlying principles
• Experience of change management and/or managing process improvement.

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