We are Wolves. Progressive, determined, bright, unified and humble. A pack that is hungry for success. Wolves is one of the fastest growing professional football clubs in the UK, and also boasts one of the richest histories in the beautiful game.

Formed in 1877, Wolves was a founder member of the Football League, and was one of the country’s most successful sides in the fifties and sixties. During a two decade spell the Black Country’s most decorated side won three First Division titles and one of its four FA Cups.

Fast forward 70 years and Wolves are back among football’s European elite, but this time we will compete as a sports and entertainment business across multiple brand verticals. As a challenger club, Wolves dare to be different, which is why creating world class propositions in esports, fashion and music are all part of our ambitious plans.

At Wolves, we don’t simply look to the future, we seize it.

We take seriously our commitment to the safeguarding of children and adults at risk and to ensuring that Wolves is free from discrimination and harassment.

Job purpose

This is a generalist role with responsibility for providing advice and support to senior managers on all aspects of Human Resources activity.

This is one of three HR Manager roles (2 x club and 1 x Foundation), with the HR Director making up the 4th generalist business partner.
In addition to this, the role holder will also have the opportunity to work on HR and club-related projects to drive the club forward in achieving its strategy and business plan.

Acting as a business partner, the HR Manager will focus primarily upon specific departments but will be a support across all areas, if required.

Key responsibilities

• Working closely with Heads of Department and their line managers to provide advice, guidance and support on all HR matters, ensuring practical and relevant solutions are provided in line with legislation and company policy. This includes (but is not limited to) supporting processes in line with sickness absence, holiday entitlement, employee relations issues, performance appraisals, redundancy, contractual terms, probation review, disciplinary, grievance, changes of terms, family leave and performance management.
• To oversee recruitment activity for designated areas, in collaboration with the Recruitment and Onboarding Specialist including conducting interviews and sifting.
• To ensure the club’s EDI and sustainability strategy make progress in conjunction with the EDI Manager and Facilities Director.
• Contribute to the development and improvement of HR processes and policies by proactively keeping up to date with employment law and best practice.
• Demonstrate expertise in regard to appraisal processes by advising and coaching managers on performance calibration best practice.
• Drafting, peer checking and signing off on all HR-related correspondence, which includes employment contracts, offer letters, casual agreements, consultant agreements, third party supplier agreements, ad-hoc letters, maternity letters, return to work documentation and changes of terms.
• To understand and identify the different types of contract and ‘worker’ types applicable in different scenarios in order to advise managers on the correct employment relationship applicable.
• Keep up to date and accurate records on the central HR system as well as the respective trackers.
• Check all new starter, changes, leavers and overtime for designated areas before sending to payroll.
• Manage employee relations issues to ensure the best outcome, taking into account the needs of the business and the individual, in line with legislation and company policy.
• Provide guidance to managers on organisation structure and job design, including appropriate remuneration (with the support of the HR Director and Reward and Benefits Consultant) to ensure consistency across the organisation and against appropriate external benchmarks.
• This role carries a specific safeguarding responsibility – disclosure manager for the DBS service. This means that the post-holder is required to apply all relevant policies and uphold the club’s commitment to safeguarding children and adults at risk.
• Provide advice to managers on learning and development solutions, including sourcing and arranging appropriate external training, devising and delivering workshops on HR topics and delivering the induction of new staff.
• Contribute to the annual HR and payroll budget-setting.
• Lead on specific HR-related projects, either as project manager or member of a project team, as required.
• Be a role model for the club’s values and behaviours and EDI standards in order to preserve the One Pack culture.

General responsibilities

• Compliance with club policies
• Compliance with the club’s health and safety procedures
• Compliance with the club’s safeguarding policies
• To promote the club’s values
• To work consistently to embed equality & diversity into the club
• To undertake such other duties as may be reasonably expected
• To maintain professional conduct at all times

Key relationships

• Heads of Department – there will be designated stakeholders for primary responsibility, however, will need to work across all departments and have a good working relationship with all Heads of Departments, to build trust and credibility when providing advice to assist them with decision making on people related matters.
• Line Managers – contact will range from advising to coaching depending upon the level and experience of the manager.
• Employee Population – this includes permanent employees as well as casual workforce, consultants, volunteers and bursary students.
• HR & Payroll Team – contributing to the overall development of the team and individual team members.
• External training and recruitment partners.

Scope of job

Complex workforce:
• Staff population circa 320 FTE / matchday casual workers circa 400, plus volunteers / consultants / bursary students.
• This role will support approx. 1/3 of this population, across numerous business areas across three campuses: football, non-football and warehousing.

Person Specification

Knowledge

Essential

• Sound and up to date knowledge of employment law and current HR practice
• Best practice with performance appraisal processes
• Employment law, Equality Act 2010

Desirable

• The History of Wolves
• Understanding of how a football club operates internally
• Apprenticeship programmes and university bursary schemes
• Knowledge of the 9-box grid used in Talent Management processes

Technical

Essential

• Skilled in the use of Microsoft packages and HR information systems
• Able to produce and deliver interesting and engaging training material and presentations and assess the impact
• Project management skills (co-ordinating resources, managing deadlines)
• Recruitment skills; sifting, scoring, interviewing, onboarding

Desirable

• HRIS implementation
• Coaching qualification
• Insights practitioner
• Psychometric testing accreditation
• Safer recruitment including DBS checks and online verification

General Skills

Essential

• Promote, adhere to and implement the club’s Equality Policy and to work consistently to embed equality, diversity and inclusion
• Highly effective written and verbal communication skills, articulate and persuasive
• Conscientious and motivated with high level of personal initiative
• Resilient and cheerful
• Strong team player, prepared to take on whatever work is required to support the team but remain focussed on personal goals and priorities
• Confident and enthusiastic with strong influencing and coaching skills
• Ability to build trust and credibility cross departmentally, able to develop effective working relationships at all levels
• Understanding of how to work safely with children and/or adults at risk and uphold generally accepted practice when working with those participants
• Role model for the club’s values and behaviours
• A willingness to engage and motivate others, supporting others with their development and role modelling through own personal development
• A good understanding of how core business functions work in order to advise on smooth operations from a people perspective.
• Strong questioning and listening skills, as well as knowing when to flex style to suit the individual.
• Coaching and mentoring skills, knowing the key differences between each and when they apply
• Problem solving approach with a strength in finding the most effective way forward
• Proactively keeps knowledge up to date through ongoing personal development

Experience

Essential

• Proven experience as HR generalist in relevant commercial organisation
• Experience of the entire range of HR generalist responsibilities as listed under the key responsibilities
• Working as a business partner with senior leadership teams, providing advice and coaching to influence decision-making
• Experience of working in a HR department both face to face as well as remotely – over the phone or virtually
• Experience of advising and supporting managers with complex employee relations issues
• Experience of recruitment at all organisational levels
• Extensive experience of performance management including developing and implementing appraisal systems
• Awareness of highly confidential information and how it should be managed and maintained

Desirable

• Working with children and/or vulnerable adults

Qualifications

Essential

• Graduate level education
• CIPD qualified – ideally level 7 or level 5 supplemented with significant experience in role
• Clean driving licence and car

Desirable

• Post-graduate level qualification