CANDIDATE BRIEF Head of Equality and Inclusion Human Resources - Salary: Grade 9 - £51,034 - £59,135 p.a. Closing date: Wednesday, 25 March 2020 ...

CANDIDATE BRIEF
Head of Equality and Inclusion
Human Resources

Salary: Grade 9 - £51,034 - £59,135 p.a.
Closing date: Wednesday, 25 March 2020, 5:00pm
Long List Interviews: w/c 6 April 2020
Interviews: 30th April 2019

February 2020

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Contents

Introduction to the University of Leeds……………………………….……………….3
Head of Equality and Inclusion …………………………..……………………………5
Job Details…………………………………………………………………………...…..7
Person Specification…………………………………………….……………………...9
Application Process……………………………………………………………………10

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Introduction
The University, established in 1904, is one of the largest higher education institutions in
the UK. We are renowned globally for the quality of our teaching and research.
The strength of our academic expertise combined with the breadth of disciplines we
cover provides a wealth of opportunities and has real impact on the world in cultural,
economic and societal ways.
The University strives to achieve academic excellence within an ethical framework
informed by our values of integrity, equality and inclusion, community and
professionalism.
Further information about the University of Leeds and its Values and Responsibilities
can be found here: Values and Responsibilities

About the University
The University of Leeds is a large, global university, where our exceptional approach to
education and student experience, and our outstanding research, make a real difference
to the world we live in.
The University supports a proud community of more than 38,000 students and 8,700
staff, from more than 100 countries.
The UK Higher Education landscape offers a dynamic context for this role. In a sector
that is being scrutinised and challenged to ensure the UK remains a global leader, our
ambitious strategy drives our commitment to increasing knowledge and opportunity.
We focus on developing critical, independent students who graduate as global citizens
prepared for the future, and we are determined to maintain and improve our position in
the UK’s top ten research institutions.
We create and enhance strategic partnerships in education, research and innovation to
support our civic roots and to maximise the University’s powerful international reach and
influence.
Our activities are underpinned by world-class facilities, infrastructure, and a significant
commitment to further investment, to support our outstanding student education and
research.
These challenges require us to create a working environment that enables all staff to
make a full contribution to these ambitions, and in doing so to be guided in all that we
do by our values.

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Facts and Figures
•   The University of Leeds is the 3rd largest employer in Leeds, with 8,700 staff

•   We are a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities

•   We are a top 10 university for research power in the UK according to the 2014
    Research Excellence Framework

•   We were The Times and The Sunday Times’ University of the Year in 2018 and are
    currently ranked 13th in its Good University Guide 2020

•   Our staff have been awarded 25 National Teaching Fellowships – more than any
    other university in the UK

•   In the 2019 National Student Survey, 86% of final-year Leeds students said they
    were satisfied or very satisfied with the overall quality of their course

•   The latest High Fliers report, The Graduate Market in 2020, has ranked Leeds in the
    top 10 most targeted universities in the UK by graduate recruiters

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Head of Equality and Inclusion
Human Resources

Welcome from Linda Mortimer Pine
Director of HR Service and Organisational Change

Thank you for your interest in the role of Head of Equality and Inclusion.

We are looking for a professional, pragmatic, influential and collaborative leader who
will enjoy working in a diverse organisation and will relish the challenge of using their
professional experience and expertise to deliver change where it is required, and to
consolidate and extend good practice where it exists.

As an HR team we are proud of our reputation and contribution and we work together
in a supportive and constructive manner.

We are keen to welcome a new team member to provide leadership and direction in
relation to Equality and Inclusion (E&I) to support the development of a consistent
approach to our Service activity and to activities across the breadth of the University.
This will help us ensure that the credibility of our HR function remains high and that our
partnership approach with academic and service leaders is supportive, constructive and
forward looking.

We would be delighted to discuss the role with you further and, should you require a
conversation in advance of submitting an application, don’t hesitate to contact Emma
Wilkins at Dixon Walter initially, details on page 10.

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Introduction
We are ambitious in our plans for how Human Resources continues to enhance its role
and contribution as a strategic partner in the University. With responsibilities spanning
both staff and student communities, the Head of Equality and Inclusion is a key role in
the HR leadership team, bringing relevant expertise to ensure better informed decision
making and the embedding of equality and inclusivity across all activities.

At the University of Leeds we passionately believe in delivering an inclusive experience
for staff and students. The Head of Equality and Inclusion will play a key role as leader
of the Equality Policy Unit, the University’s centre for strategy, policy and guidance
development on staff and student equality and inclusion matters. Further information
about the Unit, its policies, initiatives and approach can be found at
https://equality.leeds.ac.uk/.

The Head of Equality and Inclusion will primarily be responsible for the development
and delivery of the University’s Equality and Inclusion Strategy and Framework, and for
ensuring that the governance arrangements for E&I are effective and our statutory
requirements are met. Our equality and inclusion strap line ‘Everyone Included,
Everyone Involved’ reflects our commitment to ensure that effective engagement and
consultation are at the heart of all aspects of University activity.

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Job details

Summary:
As a member of the HR leadership team, this key role will lead the University’s Equality
and Inclusion agenda and provide wider cross-University leadership support.
Continuously enhancing our approach to creating an inclusive environment, you will
also support the delivery of the University’s Research and Innovation, Student
Education and International strategic priorities.

To achieve our aims, it is critical that members of the HR Leadership team work together
to define and deliver our shared goals, targeting resource across the HR Service and
providing agility to meet internal priorities and external requirements. You will also be
actively involved in leading activities to improve employee engagement, talent
management, leadership capacity and capability, and organisational design and culture.

As leader of the EPU team, you will create a culture of trusted partnership, providing
specialist expertise and strengthening the professional support and challenge to
leaders.

Main duties and responsibilities:
As institutional lead for equality and inclusion you will:
• Play a key role in shaping and defining the University HR vision and strategic
    priorities as part of the HR leadership team, working collaboratively to ensure their
    delivery;
• Lead the development and delivery of the University’s E&I Strategy and
    Framework, building strong relationships with key stakeholders to ensure effective
    plans are in place and are delivered, to realise the University’s E&I ambitions;
• Provide specialist E&I expertise to others within Human Resources, and to
    academic and professional service leaders across the University;
• Support members of the senior leadership team to determine and advance their
    E&I priorities and act as a strategic business partner to senior stakeholders;
• Ensure that the inclusion voice is represented at the highest levels of the
    University’s governance;
• Pro-actively seek out opportunities where E&I has a relevance and can be
    maximised throughout the University;
• Take a lead role in ensuring that the University meets its Public Sector Equality
    Duty obligations and any other external requirements;

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•   Maximise the effectiveness of the Equality Policy Unit through strong leadership
    skills and behaviours, ensuring the provision of a quality service. Lead and
    manage the team to achieve institutional and local objectives, including enabling
    their contribution to cross-institutional projects and priorities, identifying
    opportunities to influence and support change;
•   Streamline activities, and plan and direct the effective use of resources and
    budgets to meet key priorities and challenges;
•   Deliver innovative ways of developing organisational capability, building on data-
    driven insights into the strategic direction of the faculties and services;
•   Work in partnership and lead consultation and negotiations with recognised trades
    unions and other key parties to agree changes and improvements that bring
    benefit to staff, the faculties/services and the University;
•   Strengthen collaborative working with other key professional services, including
    Organisation Development and Professional Learning, Well Being Safety and
    Health, Student Support Services and Leeds University Union;
•   Represent the University as part of internal or external networks to shape and
    influence sector/E&I developments and to learn from others;
•   Maintain and develop your own professional credibility through engagement with
    CPD, developing strong connections with professional networks and sector
    colleagues for work to be informed by good practice.

These duties provide a framework for the role and should not be regarded as a definitive
list. Other reasonable duties may be required consistent with the grade of the post.

Person specification

•   Successful senior leadership experience in equality and inclusion in a large and
    complex organisation underpinned by appropriate professional qualifications and a
    commitment to CPD;
•   Successful experience of influencing, developing and implementing strategic plans
    for a significant part of an organisation and translating priorities into operational
    plans to facilitate and deliver organisational development and change;
•   Strong, purposeful and inclusive leadership and people management skills with
    proven, sustained experience of leading, motivating and developing teams of highly
    skilled professionals to deliver to their potential and provide a high quality, proactive
    service;
•   Expertise in equality law, policy and good practice;

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•   Evidence of delivering impact and positive change;
•   Ability to relate and translate experience into a University environment across both
    staff and student communities;
•   Understanding of the external landscape and its impact on equality and inclusion;
•   Well networked with the ability to foster positive, sustainable working relationships
    internally and externally and establish a reputation as a trusted subject matter
    expert;
•   Team player, with a collaborative and cooperative approach with the ability to
    influence and persuade at all levels of an organisation;
•   Open communication style with the ability to coach, inspire and motivate others to
    prioritise and embed equality and inclusion across all aspects of University life;
•   Experience and confidence to challenge others and have difficult conversations
    across all levels of an organisation;
•   Ability to translate best practice into high quality resources, initiatives and programs
    aligned to business priorities;
•   Highly organised with the ability to prioritise according to timescales and deadlines;
•   Commitment to continuous improvement.

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How to apply

For more information, please visit:
http://www.dixonwalter.co.uk/higher-education/opportunities/leeds-equalityinclusion/

The contact details for further discussion and to submit applications are:
Emma Wilkins, Executive Search Consultant, Dixon Walter Ltd, Tel: 07741 875289
Email: emma@dixonwalter.co.uk

Applications should be made online by 5pm, Wednesday, 25 March 2020 and must
include on separate documents:
   1. a letter of application setting out your interest in the role and details of how you
      match the person specification (no more than 2 pages A4)
   2. a comprehensive curriculum vitae (CV)
   3. details of three referees, your current remuneration and notice period (Referees
      will not be contacted without your permission)
   4. a completed Equal Opportunities form

Long List Interviews will be held in person/Skype w/c 6 April 2020
Final Interviews are scheduled to be held at the University of Leeds 30 April 2020

Following receipt of your application you will receive an acknowledgement from Dixon
Walter. Within this response you will be required to provide consent to process your
application under the new General Data Protection Regulations. If you fail to provide
this consent your application will not be processed further.

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Additional information

Working at Leeds
Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live
and work in the Leeds area on our Working at Leeds information page.

Candidates with disabilities
Information for candidates with disabilities, impairments or health conditions, including
requesting alternative formats, can be found on our Accessibility information page or by
getting in touch with us at disclosure@leeds.ac.uk.

                                University of Leeds
                              Leeds, United Kingdom
                                       LS2 9JT
                                Tel. 0113 243 1751
                                  www.leeds.ac.uk