The Role
The Head of HR will partner with the Leadership Team to help ensure NCH has the organisational structures, people processes and policies enabled by capability and systems to attract, develop and retain the best talent.
As a member of the Senior Management Team, the Head of HR will effectively contribute to the delivery of the organisation’s strategic goals, partnering, developing, directing and advising on HR related activities.
Aligned with Senior Managers and the Leadership Team, the Head of HR will support the development of a people-management ethos which provides a challenging, developmental and diverse work environment in which people can achieve their full potential and are engaged with the goals of the NCH.
Leading and working as part of a wider HR Team, the Head of HR will be responsible for developing progressive HR practices and policies, supporting the achievement of key strategic priorities within a vibrant cultural organisation. They will create opportunities for continued learning and skills development to ensure delivery against individual, team and organisational objectives.
The successful candidate will drive operational and strategic HR delivery, with the aim of providing a supportive and engaging employee experience for all. Critical to success in the role will be making people-related policies and processes easy and intuitive for colleagues by designing people-focused solutions spanning the employee life cycle.
Achieving high levels of staff engagement is an essential part of this key role. This will include developing company-wide initiatives to promote well-being and mental health, embedding NCH’s core values, and measuring and monitoring levels of staff satisfaction.

To succeed in this role, you will have previous experience in a senior role in HR management in the public sector. You will have in-depth, up to date knowledge of employment law, employee tribunal representation experience, and an excellent knowledge of HR disciplines including HR strategy development, recruitment, retention, leadership & development, employee relations & talent & performance management to support the CEO & Senior Management Team.
You will be a confident and skilled communicator with persuasive influencing skills. The ideal candidate will have excellent negotiation skills, and the ability to build relationships with a wide range of people from team members to external stakeholders. You will have strong emotional intelligence with an ability to build confidence and trust through periods of change and conflict management.

Responsibilities
1. Strategy and Change
- Contributing, as part of the Senior Management Team, to strategic planning, business planning, budgetary processes and implementation of the corporate programme.
- Developing and implementing a people strategy for the organization.
- Preparing an annual business plan for the HR team.
- Providing leadership to major change management initiatives.

1. HR Policy and Practice
- Ensure that all the fundamental HR processes, procedures, record keeping and systems are all in place, robust and working at the highest standard.
- Developing and implementing policies and practices to achieve greater diversity and inclusiveness.
- Ensuring HR policies and practices are in line with best-in-class and compliant with legal and public service requirements.
- Ensuring that processes are in place to attract, retain and develop the management and professional talent required in line with best practice for succession planning.
- Managing NCH welfare processes including medical and EAP; and promoting wellness and wellbeing.
- Optimising the use of technology to support the provision of services and to monitor performance.
- Implementing and supporting best practice processes for recruitment and selection; performance management; rewards; grievance, discipline and dignity at work.
- Conducting staff surveys and measurements to enable a tactical approach to improving staff satisfaction, fulfilment and wellbeing.

3. Coaching and Mentoring
- Coaching managers in relation to people management issues.
- Devising new ways to bring people together as cohesive, harmonious, high-performing teams.

4. Stakeholder Management
- Interfacing with Government departments and other cultural organisations to ensure best practice delivery in a public service context.
- Build a positive and constructive relationship with the unions representing the NCH team.
- Creating a positive employee relations environment and managing collective issues with NCH staff and their representatives.

Work relationships
· Reports to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
· The HR team
· Members of the Senior Management Team
· Professional advisors
· All staff
· The NCH Board & Strategic HR Committee

Qualifications and experience
· Qualification in HR, Business Studies, Psychology or other related discipline
· 10+ years’ experience in a senior HR role in a comparable environment
· CIPD membership desirable

Competencies
· Stakeholder management
· HR planning and budgeting
· Public sector people management policies and practices
· HR processes incl. retention, T&D; performance management; employee relations, and recruitment & selection
· Employment tribunal representation
· Employment law
· Influencing skills
· Conflict management
· Negotiation skills
· Change management
· Microsoft Office and relevant HR software systems

Organisational requirements
· To maintain the NCH’s high standard of customer care across all areas of organisational activity.
· To use ICT and digital applications to service the post’s administrative needs
· Work within the framework of the overall objectives of the NCH, in compliance with all NCH policies.
· Remain up to date with, and aware of, developments within the NCH and its work.
· As the role requires handling, processing and recording of personal and restricted information, confidentiality is required at all times and knowledge of GDPR essential.
· Contribute information, analysis, and recommendations to organisational strategic thinking and direction.
· Be a trusted leader, advisor, and subject matter expert.

Key Information about this role
· This is a full-time, permanent role,
· The position holder reports to the CEO and manages two direct reports.
· This role will be based at the National Concert Hall, Earsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Pay: The Assistant Principal salary scale applies (rates effective from 1 October 2022) as follows:
€72,511, €75,181, €77,889, €80,606, €83,318, €84,881, €87,619 (LSI 1), €90,366 (LSI 2).
*LSI 1 is Long Service Increment after 3 years on Max of scale.
*LSI 2 is Long Service Increment after 6 years on Max of scale.
Please note that appointment will be made at the first point on this salary scale.
Pension: Membership of Single Public Service Pension Scheme.
Personal Pension Contribution (PPC): The PPC pay scale will apply where the appointee is an existing civil or public servant appointed on or after 6th April 1995 and is required to make a personal pension contribution. It will also apply to new permanent employees and fixed term un-established employees.
Annual Leave Entitlement: 30 days per annum.

Applicants are requested to submit the following information with their application;

CV and tailored cover letter outlining your suitability and experience in one document
Contact details of two referees

Please format your CV and covering letter in an editable (Microsoft Word) format.

Applicants will be short-listed on the basis of the information contained in their CV.

The NCH reserves the right to make such enquiries as it considers necessary in relation to an applicant before making an offer of a post to him/her.

For further information contact [email protected]

Closing Date: 16th December

It is important to note that the NCH are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of Gender, Civil Status, Family Status, Sexual Orientation, Religion, Age, Disability, Race, Membership of the Traveller Community or any other characteristic protected by the Equality Act.