HR Lead (Maternity Cover)

Please note when applying that this is an 18-month fixed-term maternity cover position. 

Why BT?

BT has a key role in society, fostering change and leading technology innovation. From delivering the Olympics to supporting the emergency services, to investing more in research than any other UK technology company, we take pride in everything we do – and in the people who work here.

We're now a global company operating at the forefront of the information age, employing 90,000 people in 180 countries. And we're on a mission. Guided by our core values of Personal, Simple, and Brilliant, our goal is to help customers, communities, and businesses overcome barriers and release their potential.

So, if you're interested in the power of potential, why not join us today and release yours?

Why Business Unit/Function?

We’ve always been an organisation with purpose: to use the power of communications to make a better world. You can trace this back to our beginning as pioneers of the world’s first telecommunications company. At our heart, we’re a technology company with research and innovation in our bones and a desire to be Personal, Simple, and Brilliant for our customers – those are the values we live by while also creating an inclusive working environment where people from all backgrounds can succeed.

Our pursuit of progress over the past 180 years has established BT as a strong, successful brand, with huge scale capable of achieving great things. From supporting emergency services, hospitals, and banks, and keeping economies around the world online, safe, and secure, to delivering large-scale technology infrastructure like the creation of BT Sport.

Today, in this fast-changing, always-on digital world, our purpose remains true. Yet the market conditions, regulations, and competition we face are tougher than ever before. So if you have the drive, optimism, and resilience to help propel us forward, we’ll offer unrivalled personal development, a wealth of opportunities to learn, experience new things, and pursue new careers. If that’s you and what you’re looking for, we’d love you to be part of our future.

Why this job matters?

The role requires a dynamic and high-performing individual who has knowledge across all areas of HR. The role holder acts as a trusted HR partner with the management team in Ireland and as an HR professional adviser for line managers and employees, providing a consistent and high-quality service in line with company values, policies, and best practice.

The individual will own the in-country people agenda for our employees in Ireland, aligned with the company's people-related programmes and processes, will own local HR policies, and will ensure compliance with local guidelines and legislation to protect the business and its employees.

The role holder is flexible to work across boundaries to resolve complex problems using their HR expertise and constantly seeks to deliver excellent customer service to the business through continuous process improvement.

What you’ll be doing – your accountabilities

HR Lead activities:

• Ensures close collaboration with global HR and leads activities that drive the implementation of the people strategy at a country level. Oversees and delivers the localisation of global compensation and benefits strategy to comply with in-market environment and practices.
• Undertakes the analysis of management information (e.g., staff turnover, performance reviews, people assessments, recruitment results) to improve organisational performance.
• Supports and coordinates consultation as well as collaboration across the full spectrum of people issues, providing feedback to and linkages with all functional components of HR.
• Coaches managers on people policies and processes, including organisational design, change management, talent management, and leadership capability to promote engagement and a culture of continuous growth and development.
• Works with HR Services to ensure service, quality, and continuous improvement.
• Leads on complex case management in-country with support from the HR Services role in-country.

Business Partnering:

• Drives and influences a strong relationship with the country leadership team to deliver a people plan that will support the company’s business strategies, success, and growth.
• Owns and manages the employee relations agenda, bringing together specialist support as required.
• Leads on compliance with local legislation matters pertaining to employment.
• Ensures proper organisation and execution of HR operational activities, ensuring compliance with local regulations.
• Cascades regional strategy in agreement with corporate guidelines and principles, enhancing cross-functional cooperation among all departments and providing people vision and mission.
• Contributes to the delivery of strategies as a key HR business partner to managers, focused on a transformational talent agenda designed to attract, develop, and retain the best diverse talent in the industry.

Additionally:

• Uses HR expertise and best practice to provide quick and innovative solutions to resolve complex problems.
• Managing redundancy process when required
• Remains current on all HR policies, programmes, and practices and stays informed of new (and pending) local laws and regulations.
• Conducts annual healthcare/benefits renewal process with procurement support.
• Supports annual reward analysis, such as gender pay gap reporting.

Key decisions

Local sign-off of:

• Monthly payroll
• Surveys pertaining to local authorities after regional review
• Policy changes relating to legislation changes after legal review
• Any benefit changes after global review

Skills required for the job

• Personal resilience and effectiveness
• Customer-centric focus
• Strong communication skills
• Business partnering and consulting
• Regulatory compliance
• Stakeholder management
• Negotiation
• Employee engagement

Experience you would be expected to have

• Knowledge of Ireland Employment Legislation
• Depth of experience and knowledge on complex and specialist HR issues
• Previous experience acting as a consistent and trusted point of contact for managers and employees, and experience of complex query management
• Good stakeholder management and relationship skills
• Complex problem solving and negotiation

A FEW POINTS TO NOTE:

Although these roles are listed as full-time, if you’re a job share partnership, work reduced hours, or any other way of working flexibly, please still get in touch.

We will also offer reasonable adjustments for the selection process if required, so please do not hesitate to inform us.

DON'T MEET EVERY SINGLE REQUIREMENT?

Studies have shown that women and people who are disabled, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse or from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification and criteria. We're committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace where everyone can be their best, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement on the Job Description, please apply anyway - you may just be the right candidate for this or other roles in our wider team.