Future Supplier Partnerships TUPE and HR Lead

The Civil Service must have the skills needed to support the delivery of the government's priorities. Training in the Civil Service needs to support the development of skills for 550,000 civil servants. It must support these civil servants in improving their performance in role as well as advancing their career development, whether they are in central policy roles, front line delivery, or any number of arms length bodies.

Government Skills was created in 2020 to improve the coherence and quality of learning and development in government through better training, knowledge and networks. Ministers have now asked us to make an ambitious Spending Review bid to transform the operating model for skills in government, delivered under The National School for Government and Public Services.

As part of this transformational change of delivering training, we are reviewing the balance between training procured externally and design and/or delivered internally in the civil service. We expect this balance to shift more towards in-house design and/or delivery as we move away from the current approach of outsourcing to external training providers.

The Learning Infrastructure Team is responsible for three enabling workstreams under the National School of Government and Public Services Portfolio. Between them, these workstreams cover the current, transitional and future infrastructure to support centralised training for Civil Servants.

The post-holder will be within the team that is implementing the new in-house commercial model as we move to a new way of delivering training. This role will lead all HR and employee transfer activity for procuring services to support internal training delivery, collaborating with current delivery partners to ensure a legally compliant and people-centred transition.

The G7 TUPE and HR Lead will:

• TUPE Leadership: Lead the end-to-end TUPE process for employee transfers associated with the new commercial model, ensuring compliance with TUPE regulations, relevant employment law, and Civil Service policies.
• HR Strategy and Policy: Work with HR colleagues including HRPB, TUPE, CoSoP & MOG lead, to provide information and activity associated with TUPE transfer from services currently provided from external partners. This includes drafting and reviewing bespoke TUPE HR Policies and Procedures for each transfer.
• Due Diligence and Risk Management: Conduct thorough due diligence on transferring employees, including employment terms, liabilities, and pension implications. Act as Lead Consultant on high-risk work strands to ensure compliance and mitigate legal, financial, and reputational risks.
• Stakeholder Management: Forge and maintain trust-based relationships with key partners including the Government Legal Department, Cabinet Office, and external transferring organisations, as well as internal stakeholders across Government Skills, The National School for Government and Public Services and the wider Civil Service.
• Employee Support: Work with colleagues to manage communication strategies to ensure transparency and clarity for all affected parties (including trade unions and colleague representative groups) and ensure all new employees are successfully onboarded.
• Problem Resolution: Identify and resolve complex employment issues, working closely with legal, Pay & Reward, Resourcing, and the wider People and Capability teams as needed.
• Capability Building: Deliver TUPE specialist learning and support to build knowledge and capability across a variety of specialisms and business areas impacted by the new operating model.
• Service Evolution: Collaborate with HR colleagues to continue to evolve the service delivery model as an expert HR service for future transfers.

Experience & Knowledge

• Substantive HR expertise and a demonstrable understanding of employment law, HR policies, and procedures
• A track-record of bringing structure and a strategic mindset to complex and sometimes rapidly changing programmes of work.

Skills

• Strategic Thinking: Strategic thinking skills, including the ability to spot trends and identify opportunities that deliver against wider organisational goals.
• Communication & Influence: Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, with the ability to confidently explain and present complex issues/information in a clear, structured, objective, and personable manner to a range of audiences.
• Organisational Skills: Excellent organisational skills, planning, prioritisation, working to agreed time and quality standards.

Desirable

• Strong understanding of Civil Service/public sector
• Experience in dealing with high-value complex projects
• Experience in managing complex employee transfers (TUPE or COSoP)
• Holds a level 5 or above professional HR qualification (e.g CIPD)

Additional information:

Cabinet Office policy is that a minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. For some roles, due to their nature and the business need, this may be up to 100%. Requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.