People Manager - Part Time
3 days ago
London
“Have you got five minutes?” You’ve been a People professional long enough to know it’s never going to be five minutes. But it is the part of the job you love: providing support, guidance and advice, and knowing that no two days are the same when you’re looking after people. You’re the kind of People professional who cares about fair process, consistent standards, and doing things properly — and understands that good people advice considers both the individual and the firm. Here’s the thing: We’re a firm of around 100 people, and we’re looking for someone to be the trusted, go-to person for day-to-day people matters. Someone who can advise Partners and managers with confidence, handle employee relations professionally, and make sure our people processes run smoothly. Our managers are great at what they do, and as they’re promoted their people responsibilities naturally evolve. You’ll be a genuinely valuable resource: someone Managers, Heads of Department and Partners alike can turn to for guidance on people conversations, advice on tricky situations, and support when they need a sounding board. This isn’t about reinventing the wheel. Our systems are in place, our policies work (though there is legislative change on the horizon that will need attention), and our small but mighty People team is well established. You’ll report into our Head of People & Talent and will have the support of our People Team Coordinator. . . but we do need an experienced People professional who can provide senior-level operational oversight, with the credibility to advise across all levels of the firm and the judgement to know when to escalate. Picture this: You’d be joining us in a senior operational role within a small, established People Team — acting as a trusted adviser to Partners, Heads of Department and Managers across the firm. You’ll be the person ensuring consistency in how we handle people matters, from appraisals to absence to employee relations. In true generalist fashion, the role is varied: overseeing the appraisal cycle, contributing to wellbeing initiatives, supporting recruitment activity, and making sure people processes are followed properly. When ER matters arise, your experience will enable you to handle them fairly and professionally — managing complex cases and using sound judgement to know when to involve the Head of People & Talent. You’ll also have supervisory responsibility for two coordinators: our People Coordinator (who handles the operational administration) and our Early Careers & Training Coordinator (who manages our trainee programmes and general training). You’ll ensure they have what they need to do their roles well, review their work, and be there when they need guidance. This role is key to freeing up our Head of People & Talent to focus on strategy and longer-term projects. She is passionate about best practice and taking a commercially pragmatic approach. You’ll work closely together - she handles the bigger-picture work, and you’ll own the operational delivery. About the working pattern: This is a part-time role — 24.5 hours per week, spread across four days. We know what you might be thinking: “This is a full-time role crammed into 24.5 hours.” But here’s our thinking: the foundations are in place. The processes exist. The policies are written. What we need is someone experienced and efficient who can provide senior-level oversight and keep things running well — without needing to build from scratch. If you’re looking for a role with genuine responsibility and variety, but without a five-day week, this could be exactly what you’re after. What you’ll actually be doing: This is a true People generalist role, combining operational delivery, employee relations and manager support and the reality is the advert can’t capture every scenario you’ll encounter.! • You’ll be the firm’s day-to-day People contact, advising and supporting across the business, including:, • Acting as a trusted sounding board for Partners, Heads of Department and managers on people matters., • Coaching and guiding managers through people conversations, particularly where confidence or experience is still developing., • Providing pragmatic, commercially aware advice that considers both the individual and the firm., • Promoting consistency and fairness in how people matters are handled across the business., • Supporting recruitment activity, including advising hiring managers and contributing to interviews. From an employee relations perspective, you’ll: • Act as the firm’s day-to-day ER lead across flexible working, performance, conduct, capability, absence, grievance and disciplinary matters., • Manage complex and sensitive cases with fair process and robust documentation., • Use judgement to determine when to escalate higher-risk or legally sensitive matters to the Head of People & Talent. You’ll also: • Oversee the firm-wide appraisal and performance review cycle., • Act as a point of contact for wellbeing-related matters, providing calm, professional support., • Provide oversight and quality control across contracts, variations, salary letters and formal correspondence., • Review and update policies in line with legislative change., • Line manage the People Coordinator and Early Careers & Training Coordinator, setting objectives, reviewing work and supporting development. …and deal with those conversations that start with “have you got five minutes?” — the ones that rarely take five minutes, but are often where your experience really counts. In practice, this means: You’ll have resources at your fingertips, working with PeopleHR (our HRIS), Microsoft 365, MS Dynamics, and document management systems such as SharePoint and iManage — plus some very impressive Excel spreadsheets (we are a firm of accountants, after all). Your week might include advising a Partner on an absence situation, reviewing contract documentation, following up on appraisal completion, handling an ER case, and catching up with your coordinators. There’s genuine variety, with natural peaks around appraisal cycles and ER activity — which, as a generalist, will probably be music to your ears. Processes and frameworks are already in place, but you’ll be encouraged to suggest improvements where you see them. This role will suit you if: • You’re an experienced People generalist confident advising at all levels., • You think commercially and understand that good people advice balances individuals and the business., • You care about fairness, consistency and doing things properly., • You enjoy supporting others rather than taking things off their hands., • You have strong judgement and can balance best practice with reality., • You’re comfortable working closely with a Head of People & Talent., • You’re calm, professional and reliable., • You want a senior role without a five-day week. What you’ll need: We’ve thought carefully about these — they’re genuine requirements: • CIPD Level 5 preferred, QBE also welcomed, with a solid generalist People background., • Extensive end-to-end ER experience, including performance, conduct, capability, grievance, disciplinary matters and dismissals. You need to have led on these, not just supported., • Experience advising senior stakeholders, including Partners, with the credibility and confidence to challenge appropriately., • Strong working knowledge of UK employment law and the ability to apply it practically in a commercial context., • Experience line managing People team members, including delegating work, reviewing outputs and providing guidance., • Experience within an accountancy practice, LLP or partnership structure., • Experience working within an accountancy practice, LLP or Partnership Structure in a professional services environment, with an understanding of pace, pressure and client focus., • Strong IT skills, including confidence using HR systems (we use PeopleHR), spreadsheets, Microsoft 365 and document management tools such as SharePoint or iManage. It would be great if you also have: • Experience working within a small People function where you’ve had to be hands-on and adaptable. A few things worth knowing: This is a true generalist role — proactive and reactive, operational and advisory. You won’t be setting strategy or organisational design (that sits with our Head of People & Talent), but you will be the person ensuring people matters are handled consistently, professionally and well. The interview process: We’ll be transparent and keep you posted at every stage, with proper feedback. No AI interviews. Just real conversations with real people. • Discovery call with Michelle our Talent Partner — a chance for you to ask questions and for us to get to know each other., • Online skills assessments – we'll send these to you between the discovery call and second stage interview., • Second stage with Head of People & Talent, • Final stage with Head of People &. Talent and a Partner. Who are Goodman Jones LLP? We’re a 90-year-old, Top 60 independent chartered accountancy firm based in Fitzrovia, London. We’re 12 Partners strong, with a team of over 100 people across Audit, Tax, Accounts, Payroll, IT and Business Services. Our mission is simple: to ensure our people, our clients and our industry flourish over the long term. Diversity & Inclusion We believe that diverse teams bring fresh perspectives and better outcomes. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, experiences and identities, and we're committed to building a culture where everyone feels valued and respected. Everyone who applies will receive a response. We're reviewing applications on a rolling basis, so if this sounds like you, don't wait – get in touch. FAO Recruitment Agencies: This role is being managed internally by our Talent Partner. We're not engaging agencies at this stage, so please don't send speculative CVs.
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