Principal Officer, Human Resources

The HR Recruitment team is responsible for the recruitment and assignment of staff across the Department. This work involves liaising with new staff on contracts and payroll and ensuring that they are set up correctly on all systems. This team monitors payroll, conducts formal staff exit interviews and implements staff polices such as the internal mobility policy and the acting up policy. Further work includes the Department's Organisation Chart, the collation of certain data and the management of the HR inbox.

The HR Competitions team is responsible for the direct recruitment competitions and internal competitions such as promotional competitions and competitions for roles in the Permanent Representation in Brussels.

The HR Finance and Governance team is responsible for oversight of the Department's payroll budget including payroll planning, overtime, overpayments and higher scales. It also manages flexi time compliance, including monthly monitoring of flexi time users across the Department and Employee schemes that directly benefit staff, including the Cycle to Work Scheme, Travel Pass Scheme and VDU eye test scheme. Some of the team's other responsibilities include HR data and metrics, the Department's annual Gender Pay Gap report and Ethics Acts compliance.

The Strategic HR team focuses on staff development, wellbeing and staff management including probation and performance management. This team supports staff from their very first day and throughout their career in the Department. The team's responsibilities include Wellbeing initiatives, such as the free health checkups, See Change Green Ribbon Campaign and Flu Vaccinations. They are also responsible for payment of increments, leave management and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. The Department’s Disability Liaison Officer is also part of this team.