Assistant Director (Policy, Strategy & Employee Relations)

About ARU:

ARU is a global university transforming lives through innovative, inclusive and entrepreneurial education and research. ARU holds a Gold award for the quality of its education, awarded through the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).ARU’s research institutes and four faculties bridge scientific, technical and creative fields. We deliver impactful research which tackles pressing issues and makes a real difference to our communities. Our academic excellence has been recognised by the UK’s Higher Education funding bodies, with 16 of our research areas assessed as world leading. We are the largest provider of Nursing, Midwifery, Health and Social Care students in the East of England, and we are also among the UK’s leading universities for degree apprenticeship provision, working with hundreds of employers across the UK.

About the Role:

At ARU, we celebrate individuality, champion new ideas and work together to make a meaningful impact. We are seeking an exceptional senior HR leader to steer employment policy, strategic employee relations and workforce governance across a diverse, ambitious university community.

Reporting to the Chief People Officer, you will be a key member of the HR leadership team, working with the University Executive, Board of Governors, senior leaders, trade unions and external partners.

You will lead the development of modern, legally robust and inclusive employment frameworks that enable ARU’s strategic ambitions across higher education, further education and subsidiary organisations.

You will:

• Shape, implement and continuously improve employment policies, contracts, terms and conditions, promotion arrangements and workforce frameworks.
• Build constructive relationships with recognised trade unions, oversee collective agreements and consultation processes, and provide authoritative advice on complex and high-risk matters.
• Partner with senior colleagues to deliver major organisational change, translating employment law, workforce intelligence and sector developments into practical solutions.
• Produce high-quality papers and recommendations for senior committees and governing bodies, ensuring robust compliance with remuneration and wider governance requirements.
• Oversee pay and pensions policy and governance, job evaluation, grading arrangements, and the effective use of external legal expertise.
• Coach leaders and HR colleagues, and use data, benchmarking and legal intelligence to identify risks, opportunities and priorities.

You will bring substantial experience of leading employment policy and employee relations strategy in a complex organisation. You will be a trusted employment-law expert, confident advising executive leaders, navigating collective bargaining, resolving sensitive issues and influencing stakeholders with credibility and judgement.

You will also offer:

• Strong knowledge of employment law, employee relations, contracts, collective agreements and workforce governance.
• Experience of organisational change, job evaluation, contractual frameworks and board-level reporting.
• Excellent negotiation, consultation, analytical and communication skills.
• A strategic, commercially aware and solutions-focused approach, combined with integrity, resilience and discretion.
• A higher degree or relevant professional qualification with significant demonstrable experience; HR, employment law or related postgraduate study is advantageous.

Experience in higher education, or similarly regulated public sector and knowledge-intensive settings would be welcomed.

This is an opportunity to make a lasting difference: creating fair, effective and forward-looking employment practice for a workforce with varied roles, terms and operating contexts. In return, you will join a collaborative community that supports bold ideas, professional growth and collective achievement.

For full vacancy details, including benefits, recruitment process, right to work and visa sponsorship, safeguarding, flexible working, diversity and inclusion, and contact details, please click 'Apply' to visit the ARU careers portal.

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