Deputy Director People & Culture Specialist Services Division Permanent Whole Time Post UCC wishes to appoint an experience individual to the role of Deputy Director.
The Deputy Director of People & Culture Specialist Services has a strategic role within the People and Culture Department leadership team and is responsible for leading teams focused on strategy and organisational development and effectiveness to drive improved outcomes across the people agenda.
You will be responsible for setting the direction to support the university to deliver its People and Culture plan.
This is a role for someone who thinks and acts strategically, embraces change and challenge, works collaboratively and openly with others, and is confident engaging with and influencing a range of senior stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities Support the Chief People and Culture Officer and UCC's senior leadership teams, coordinating the collaborative working throughout the Department and beyond to anticipate and address people issues and achieve the UCC Strategic Plan outcomes.
Line manage the People and Culture Specialist Services leads.
Work across the university to develop and implement the UCC People & Culture Plan aligned to the University's Strategic Plan.
At the forefront of driving organisational culture change through people activities and creating an amazing place to work.
Providing people solutions design and learning and development to support effective workplace and workforce plans.
Build capability in organisational development and design, and deliver a service to UCC that is holistic and future focused.
Implementing a workforce and succession plan for UCC to ensure a refreshed resourcing approach, to proactively identify and prepare for future talent needs.
Enable talent identification management and development across UCC to support the central talent management strategy and business programs.
Identify current and emerging learning and development trends to strengthen organisational capability.
Enable the implementation of learning solutions to broaden the reach of the learning offering to colleagues and engage with stakeholders as a consulting partner in the design of learning solutions.
Research culture inclusion and engagement best practices and develop initiatives to ensure UCC leads in best practice.
Enabling a coordinated approach to business partnering working closely with Colleges, and professional service units to develop a greater understanding of their working needs through collaborative working and gathering intelligence on what matters, providing insight on how the People and Culture Department can add value and bring our people plan to life.
Effectively use our people analytics and insights to contribute to shaping people practices, policy and strategy and, through a coaching approach, build this capability in the People & Culture team.
Develop a scorecard for measuring the effectiveness of all the People & Culture Department programmes of work that drive the UCC People & Culture Plan.
Co-lead in developing People & Culture capability as well as developing own capability to deliver against organisational needs so that you and your team are performing Lead on the development and implementation of programmes to support key strategic initiatives, particularly around cultural change and leadership /senior leadership development.
Prepare and present HR metrics, reports and updates at University committee meetings as required.
Work in close partnership and collaboration with the Deputy Director of People Operations.
Essential Criteria Education: Master's degree in Organisational Development, Human Resources, Psychology, or a related discipline; Experience: Proven experience in organisational development, People and Culture, or a related role; Experience providing high-quality customer service and strategic direction in a complex setting; Certifications: Member CIPD or equivalent, or relevant certification in OD, Change Management, or people and culture practices is desirable; Technical Skills: Proficiency in MS Office and experience with HR systems, data analysis tools, and project management software.
Proven leadership skills with a demonstrated ability to coach, develop, and inspire individuals and teams to achieve high performance in a complex organisational environment.
In-depth understanding of organisational culture and change management, with a track record of initiating innovative practices and delivering well-resourced, pragmatic plans that drive meaningful institutional improvement.
Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with a solution-focused mindset and a commitment to delivering high-quality service to internal and external stakeholders.
Proficiency in interpreting and communicating people analytics, with the ability to translate data insights into evidence-based practices that support strategic decision making across people services and academic/business units.
Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective, collaborative relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders across and beyond the University.
Sound knowledge of learning and development theory and practice, with experience in designing and delivering impactful development initiatives.
Up-to-date expertise in facilitation techniques, development methodologies, and best practices in professional learning.
Comprehensive understanding of organisational design, development, change management, and leadership theory, including application of relevant models and frameworks.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a track record of delivering practical and sustainable solutions to complex People & Culture issues.
Experience working in a public sector or regulated environment, with understanding of governance and accountability frameworks.
Ability to manage competing priorities effectively, working under pressure while maintaining a focus on high-quality outcomes and service delivery.
Proven record of Continuous Professional Development to maintain currency in OD, Change Management and HR practices.
Demonstrated experience in developing, reviewing, and implementing People & Culture policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with legal obligations and alignment with best practice.
A high level of professionalism, underpinned by appropriate qualifications and substantial experience in a progressive people and organisational development environment.
Desirable Criteria Knowledge of the Higher Education or Public Sector, including relevant HR/ People & Culture practices.
Understanding of Irish public service agreements and the broader employee relations context in the public sector.
Experience implementing continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma) in HR processes.
Understanding of financial and budgetary management as it relates to workforce initiatives.
Candidates are requested to make a personal assessment of these criteria against their own qualifications, skills and abilities to assess whether they should apply for the post.
Salary: Appointment may be made on the Admin IIA Salary Scale: €127,097 - €149,266 (Scale B) / €120,744 - €141,807 (Scale A).
Candidates should apply, in confidence, before 12 noon (Irish Local Time) on Tuesday, 17th June 2025
Informal enquiries can be made in confidence to Ms Ashley Flaherty, email:
No late applications will be accepted.
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER
Please note that an appointment to posts advertised will be dependent on University approval, together with the terms of the employment control framework for the higher education sector
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