HR Casework Manager

Royal College of Art - People and Culture

Location: Kensington (Hybrid: 3 days on-site, 2 days WFH)

Contract Type: Permanent

Line Management: HR Advisors x 2

Reports to: Head of HR Business Partnering

Are you an experienced HR professional with a strong background in employee relations casework? Are you passionate about fostering an inclusive, fair, and values-driven workplace culture? Join the Royal College of Art (RCA), the world’s leading postgraduate university for art and design, as our new HR Casework Manager.

About the RCA

The RCA is home to more than 2,600 postgraduate students from around the world, spanning four Schools: Architecture, Arts & Humanities, Communication and Design. With a global alumni network of over 30,000 creative leaders and a strong research reputation, the RCA sits at the intersection of creativity, science, and technology, addressing today’s complex challenges through interdisciplinary innovation.

The Role

As HR Casework Manager, you will lead and manage employee relations casework across the College, ensuring consistent, legally compliant, and fair outcomes. You’ll be a key advisor to managers on complex issues such as disciplinary, grievance, capability, and absence cases—promoting early resolution and best practice in all aspects of case management.

You’ll also work closely with the Head of Business Partnering to enhance the employee experience by supporting the design and implementation of people-focused processes and policies. Managing two HR Advisors, you will coach, mentor, and support their development while helping to strengthen people management capability across the organisation.

This is a high-impact, varied role that will see you working with trade union colleagues, legal advisors, and managers at all levels to embed a culture of integrity, inclusion, and professionalism across the RCA.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee complex HR casework, providing expert advice to managers and collaborating with Legal and HR Business Partners.
• Drive early resolution through coaching, mediation, and proactive engagement.
• Develop and deliver training to managers on ER topics and effective people management.
• Oversee the RCA’s Report & Support system and case management tool.
• Contribute to the development of HR policies, toolkits, and guidance.
• Manage formal investigations and hearings to ensure procedural rigour.
• Monitor casework trends and produce insightful reports to inform strategic improvements.
• Line manage and develop two HR Advisors to ensure service excellence.

What We’re Looking For

You’ll bring:

• CIPD Level 7 qualification or equivalent relevant experience.
• Extensive HR casework experience, ideally within higher education or the public sector.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law, ACAS codes, and HE sector-wide challenges.
• Excellent interpersonal, coaching, and stakeholder management skills, including trade union engagement.
• Analytical and report-writing abilities with a focus on service improvement.
• Experience of line management and a collaborative, empathetic leadership style.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a values-led HR professional who thrives in a fast-paced, intellectually stimulating environment and wants to make a difference.

Why Join Us?

We offer a vibrant and inclusive workplace, guided by the RCA’s core values of Collaboration, Inclusion, Curiosity, and Integrity. In return, you’ll join a team that is passionate about supporting people and enabling transformation.

Interview date: 18/9/25