HR Policy Specialist

Post Title: HR Policy Specialist
Team: Human Resources
Ref No: 202549
Grade: S (SEO)
Type of appointment: 1 Year Fixed-term

This post will have a base in either Peterborough or Aberdeen.

JNCC has adopted a hybrid working approach, allowing colleagues to benefit from time in the office, with the flexibility also to work from home. Employees are expected to work from one of our office bases for a few days a month as a minimum with attendance expected at regular face to face team meetings. Arrangements will vary by team and the exact balance will depend on the nature of your role. We can provide more details at the interview and offer stages.

Who are JNCC?

Established in 1991, we’re the UK’s statutory advisor on issues affecting the natural environment across the UK and internationally. Our primary role is advising all four Governments of the UK. We also work with private sector organisations to support decision making on the sustainable use of marine waters and natural resources around the UK. JNCC is led by the Joint Committee, which brings together members from the nature conservation bodies for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and independent members appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under an independent Chair. Support is provided to the Committee by approx. 300 people who bring together scientific and technical expertise, extensive knowledge of policy at global, European and national levels, and skills in working with other organisations. Staff are based in two main offices in Peterborough and Aberdeen.

Why JNCC?

We’re small enough (c.300 staff) that your voice is heard by everyone including the CEO, but big enough that we have all the skills, resources and people you’ll need to get the job done. All our staff are passionate about conservation and making a difference to the world we live in. We have a very flexible, inclusive and welcoming organisational culture. Our Executive Management provides employees with the freedom and tools you will need, and our friendly team will assist you in your role.

JNCC is committed to maintaining employee health and wellbeing, whether it is physically, emotionally, financially or socially, and offers a range of benefits to support employees in this. Such benefits include the option to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme, professional and personal development opportunities as well as an exciting job in a unique environment.

Hours of work: Full-time

Normal minimum hours of attendance for the post are 36 hours per week over a 5-day period, Monday to Friday.

Flexi time is available. This post may also be suitable for part time working, with a minimum of 4 days per week (or equivalent).

Annual Leave:

The annual leave allowance is 25 days per year, rising to 30 days per year after 5 years’ service. There are also 12 days public and privilege leave. Part-time staff will receive this on a pro rata basis.

Post background:

This is an exciting opportunity to join JNCC’s HR team as we deliver our new People Strategy. We’re looking for a skilled and detail-oriented HR Policy Specialist to lead the development and modernisation of our HR policies—ensuring they are clear, inclusive, and aligned with best practice and organisational values. This vacancy is open for all applicants, and we would particularly welcome applications from employees in other public or civil service bodies who would like to take the role on a secondment basis.

In this role, you’ll take ownership of the full policy lifecycle, from drafting and consultation through to approval and implementation. You’ll work closely with trade union representatives and senior stakeholders and will collaborate with our Learning and Development team to embed policies through targeted training for managers and employees.

You will also play a key role in building internal capability by coaching and mentoring junior HR colleagues in policy writing and interpretation, helping to grow confidence and consistency across the team.

As part of a small, supportive HR team providing full lifecycle support to around 300 employees, you will also contribute collaboratively to wider HR priorities—including supporting employee relations casework when additional capacity is needed.

Post Duties:

• Lead a comprehensive review of our HR policies and procedures, using your technical expertise to ensure clarity, legal compliance and alignment with organisational values.
• Contribute to horizon scanning and benchmarking activities to ensure emerging developments in employment law, Civil Service HR frameworks, and inclusive policy practice inform the development of new or revised policies.
• Conduct and document Equality Impact Assessments and Data Protection Impact Assessments for all new and revised policies.
• Support the policy sign-off process, including the preparation of documentation for the relevant governance committees and tracking approvals.
• Work with the Learning and Development team to design and deliver training sessions for managers and employees following policy implementation.
• Liaise with Trade Union representatives to support meaningful engagement with policy changes.
• Build effective working relationships with colleagues across HR, Learning & Development, and the wider organisation.
• Provide additional capacity to HR Business Partners in managing complex employee relations (ER) cases, supporting line managers and employees with policy application and supporting formal documentation where necessary.
• Coach and mentor junior HR colleagues, particularly in policy writing and interpretation, helping to ensure consistency of application across the team.
• Contribute to a collaborative, inclusive and supportive HR team culture.

Technical and Experience Requirements:

To be a successful candidate you will have:

• A strong understanding of UK employment legislation and HR best practice, ideally CIPD qualified.
• An understanding of Civil Service protocols and HR policies, ideally gained through previous experience in a civil service or public sector environment.
• Proven experience in drafting, reviewing and implementing a wide range of HR policies, demonstrating the ability to produce clear and concise policy documents and training materials.
• Experience managing employee relations casework, supporting line managers and employees in the application of relevant policies.
• Commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion, with a track record of embedding inclusive practices into HR policies and procedures.

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Developing Self and Others
• Changing and Improving

In the event that we receive a large volume of applications we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on the Technical and Experience Lead Behaviour of Communicating and Influencing

Please see the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade

Nationality requirements 

This job is broadly open to the following groups: 

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

JNCC do not provide sponsorship.

Closing date and interview date

The closing date for this post is 23:55 on Sunday, 09 November 2025

The anticipated interview date is week commencing Monday 24th November 2025 or Monday, 01 December 2025