Head of Employment Relations (NHS) Any RCN office with hybrid working. 35 hours per week. Permanent contract. Salary range: £79,482 – £89,238 per annum* At the Royal College of Nursing we’re an optimistic organisation. And we’ve got good reason to be. We all share the same voice when it comes to changing the shape of the health policies of the future. And as the largest trade union of nursing staff and students in the UK – with over half a million members – all we can see are the infinite possibilities for a brighter future. Join us and you will too. We're accredited with Investors in People Silver Standard. Our people are our greatest asset, and we want people who can contribute to our purpose in line with our values. As the Head of Employment Relations (NHS) you’ll use your positive attitude, your knowledge of employment relations and bargaining and your ability to deliver improvements in pay, terms and conditions, to benefit RCN members and improve their working lives. You’ll use your enthusiasm, positive thinking, and experience to work with the Associate Director of Employment Relations in leading and driving the RCN UK employment relations, collective bargaining, representation and influencing on nursing pay, terms and conditions, particularly across the NHS. You will work collaboratively with senior colleagues across the UK to support the development of the RCN’s strategy and drive the delivery activity in respect of employment relations, collective bargaining, representation and influencing relating to nursing pay, terms and conditions and wider employment relations issues. You will provide effective employment relations leadership to ensure the effective RCN participation in relevant bargaining, consultative, and / or social partnership bodies (for example, with government or employer representatives) in relation to nursing pay, terms and conditions. You will lead and manage a team responsible for the planning, implementation and delivery of RCN employment relations activity relating to collective bargaining, representation and influencing (with, and on behalf of, RCN members) across the UK. To join us you’ll need negotiating, bargaining, influencing and leadership skills and, ideally, a background in a relevant area such as trade unions, employment relations or senior management. You will have experience in shaping strategy and driving the operational delivery of strategic objectives, as well as delivering employment relations improvements in working conditions. Whatever your background, you'll be efficient, accurate and show a real member focus in all you do. You will bring together the professional aspects of employment issues affecting the nursing workforce with a real passion for the trade union role of the RCN. The ability to foster strong professional relationships and encourage close collaboration across departments and with external stakeholders is at the heart of this leadership role. To succeed at the Royal College of Nursing all you need to do is think bigger, better and brighter. And with an attitude like that, anything’s possible. What we offer you We expect you to improve the working lives of RCN members. And we expect you to be rewarded for it. We offer an impressive range of benefits, a broad range of learning development opportunities and an award-winning health and wellbeing programme. We offer annual leave up to 32 days plus bank holidays and three additional days for the Christmas break plus generous maternity, adoption, paternity, and shared parental leave packages. *We offer a competitive pay structure with annual pay progression until you reach the top of the salary scale. We normally offer new employees the first point of the salary range, although you may be able to negotiate a higher starting salary depending on your skills, experience and current salary. What we deliver for our members is wide and varied so when it comes to how we work one size doesn’t fit all. We also know that to empower our people to do their best work, they must be able to balance the demands of work and home. We are a diverse organisation and understand everyone has different needs and many of our employees enjoy flexible working enabling them to deliver results whilst having a good work life balance. Departments and directorates have their own hybrid ways of working which put the needs of the service they deliver – whether that’s to members or to colleagues - at their heart, in alignment with our hybrid working core principles. At the RCN it’s unlikely you will work from home for all of your working time. Equally no one is excepted to work solely in the office unless your role requires it. You can find out more by having a discussion with the recruiting manager. Our selection process Please submit a supporting statement demonstrating how you meet the criteria for this role. You may not be shortlisted if you don’t. We want your experience applying for a job with us to be the best it can be. We may hold our interviews and assessments in person or by video call If you foresee any problems, please let us know. As a proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme we actively encourage applications from people with disabilities. Contact details For more information or for an informal discussion about the role please contact Janice Morton (Executive Assistant to Director of Legal Services and Member Relations) on 020 7647 3569 to arrange a discussion with Brian Morton, Associate Director, Employment Relations. For more information about the recruitment and selection process please contact [email protected] Opening date: 04 January 2024 Closing date: Midnight on 04 February 2024 If we receive many applications after a week of advertising, this vacancy may close earlier. Assessment & interview date: 19 & 20 February 2024