Location: Edinburgh
Position Status: Full time, 12 months fixed term, starting in September 2020
Reporting to: HR Director, Europe
Candidates must have the right to work in the UK at the time of appointment.
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis by CV and cover letter. If interested, please apply at the earliest to avoid disappointments.
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About Mercy Corps **
Mercy Corps is a leading global organisation powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In conflict, in disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.
Mercy Corps Europe (MCE) has grown rapidly in terms of volume of activity and complexity. With offices in Edinburgh, London and Geneva, we now attract over £90m in income, and employ around 100 domestic and expatriate field team members. The breadth and impact of our programmes makes Mercy Corps a unique and truly rewarding place to work. Our teams are proud of what we achieve in the field and we are always looking for talented individuals who share our passion and commitment.
The Role
The HR Business Partner (HRBP) will cover a one year maternity leave position and play both an advisory and operational role. The role provides generalist HR advice and support to all team members and expatriates hired through MCE whilst maintaining responsibility for the smooth day to day running of HR operations. Reporting to the London-based HR Director and with an Edinburgh-based HR & Payroll Administrator reporting to them, the HRBP will support and advise Senior Leadership all parts of the HR lifecycle, with particular focus on employee relations processes and compensation, as well as providing initial consultation on restructures and performance management.
In addition to the core European responsibilities, the HR Business Partner will also participate as a contributor to the Global People team, working toward a consistent employment experience for all Mercy Corps team members globally.
You will not only have the right experience on paper but also the right personal 'fit' - you will live and breathe our culture and values, with a visible passion for the work we do and a desire to be part of our story.
Essential Job Responsibilities
HR ADVISORY:
With the HR Director and Senior Management, manage employee relations issues for both domestic and expatriate team members.
- Keep abreast of all appropriate legislation in the UK and ensure a base understanding of employment relations basics in Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland and The Netherlands.
- Working closely with the Global HR team based in Portland, the HRBP manages HR queries related to all MCE contracted expatriates (30-40) in all global locations. The HRBP is also the point of contact for those expatriates should they have questions related to their employment or benefits.
- Responsible for MCE’s annual performance management processes.
HR OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT:
- Lead and manage the complete HR lifecycle for all MCE contracted domestic and expatriate team members. Mercy Corps have a combination of automated and paper based systems that differ between jurisdictions, requiring the HRBP to quickly navigate these various systems and administrative processes in order to manage HR operations effectively.
- Oversight of payroll processes for the UK, Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland and The Netherlands.
- Oversight of benefits administration including change reporting, benefits improvement and benefits advisory.
- Lead and administer the contracting and on boarding processes for all new starters.
- Ownership of the consultancy process for MCE.
- Ultimate responsibility for the management of the MCE section of the Mercy Corps’ global HRIS, ensuring people files, data and reporting for MCE is up to date and accurate.
- Administration of the policies and procedures that govern employment for MCE, partnering across the agency to make improvements where relevant.
In conjunction with the wider People & Facilities team contribute towards the development and improvement of HR processes and procedures.
COMPENSATION ADVISORY:
- Partner with the Director of HR, Europe to provide expertise on compensation analysis, assisting with salary structures and advise on complex compensation related issues.
- Assist managers, MCE Senior Management and the Global People Team with compensation issues to ensure fair and equitable application of compensation policy as well as assisting team members with pay related issues.
- Work closely with the MCE Director of HR (London) and Senior Director of Global HR (Portland) to manage and communicate salary classification and compensation programs between MCE and MCG.
- Provide/Develop local compensation and benefits tools to support Global HR Officers and field HR practitioners on an ad hoc basis.
- Where relevant, develop and manage salary survey participation and analysis of salary structure to ensure that organizational compensation objectives are achieved.
EUROPEAN HR LEADERSHIP:
- Maintain an active role to proactively identify and recommended changes to MCE’s HR approach to address demands of a dynamic work environment.
- Understand the larger strategic context of MCE HR’s work and promote a positive vision to the Mercy Corps global team.
- Act as primary back up for the Director of HR, Europe in their absence for HR related issues. Be prepared to complement the work of the Recruitment Advisor, Europe when needed during peak recruitment periods or absence.
ORGANISATIONAL LEARNING
As part of our commitment to organisational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organisations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically
to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
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Knowledge and Experience**
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in business, human resources or related field of study.
- 5-8 years of HR experience, including exposure to employee relations, performance management, compensation analysis and general knowledge of both compensation and benefits.
- Experience in a UK or European-based organisation or a solid working knowledge of UK labour law is required.
- Proven ability to demonstrate solid analytical, interpersonal and communication skills.
- Strong stakeholder management experience is required.
- Must be able to take initiative and demonstrate sound judgements concerning the interpretation of policies & procedures.
- Must be able to discover and anticipate problems that may arise in administrative practices, contracts, and policies when working between differing US and UK HQ environments.
- Previous experience working in organisations with an international remint would be plus.
- Business level proficiency in English is a requirement of the role. French language skills would be of benefit.
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Success Factors**
Success in this role requires strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work well with teams and individuals based in multiple global locations. Exceptional coordination and project management skills as well as the ability to flex between the operational and the strategic aspects of the role with ease will be key to a successful year.
An analytical mindset will be needed for the compensation work, and for all parts of the role - a healthy sense of humor. Passionate and clear empathy with the organisation’s aims and values is important as is the desire to create positive change on a large scale. Willingness and flexibility to travel and to potentially spend time in environments with significant restrictions to personal movement and some operating risks is key.
The position is based in Edinburgh and may involve occasional national and international travel.
MCE team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a short term assignment or trip to country offices. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all Mercy Corps locations.
Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment
Candidates must have the right to work in the UK at the time of appointment.
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis by CV and cover letter.