Salary: Grade 7, £37,694 - £47,389 per annum

Contract: Full-Time (35 hours per week), Open Ended

Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days for all full time staff. Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University. 

Purpose of Role

The Joining the HR Shared Operations (ShoP) team, you will work in close collaboration with all divisions of HR , Systems and our strategic business Planning team.

The Operational ‘Business as Usual’ activities vary from day to day. Although we often work to very tight deadlines which will require you to be adaptable and flexible in your approach you will also be accountable for transforming our approach to HR data, which will require forward thinking and a continuous improvement mindset. . You will be part of a team that constantly strives for service excellence and continually improves service delivery & efficiency to enhance the overall employee experience in line with our values. This  provides an environment where you will learn from a variety of sources, stakeholders and peers.

The role is pivotal in ensuring that HR data is accurate, compliant and insightful, which will be supporting both legislative requirements, business decision-making and stakeholder needs.  Improving data accessibility for employees and managers.  You will support the effective use of HR technologies to ensure accurate data management, streamlined business processes, and high-quality reporting

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Accountable for the production, submission and optimisation of statutory  reports, such as HESA staffing return and the REF return.  Developing and maintaining an expert understanding of the overall requirements, data, processes and systems
• Accountable for the production, optimisation of HR Management information (MI). You will also be responsible for gathering and proposing solutions for HR MI needs of key university and HR stakeholders
• Act as system administrator, ensuring data meets business and legal needs
• Plan and participate in improvement project and regression testing for quarterly system updates, documenting system workflows and developing user guides for end users
• Ensure data accuracy, completeness, and consistency across the HR system
• Design, build and maintain HR dashboards and analytical reports for leadership
• Review and streamline HR system processes and identify automation opportunities to enhance efficiency and user experience 
• Support internal and external audits and FOI requests 
• Manage the various data surveys to ensure HR has access to benchmarking data
• Carry out data reconciliation for annual pay element changes e.g. pay award/increments/real living wage and any additional processes 
• Working with other colleagues in HR to engage in continuous improvement of process and procedures to ensure continued efficient and effective service delivery
• Carry out any other duties which may, from time to time, be reasonably requested within the grade and level of responsibility of the post
   

Research and gather data from different University systems (including our own Cloud ERP system), manipulate and interpret data as required by Strategic People Partners or People Partners, being able to present the data in a manner that is useful to both internal (HR) customers and external customers (e.g. Executive Deans and Directors

Education, Qualifications & Experience

Essential

1. Qualified to degree level or similar or equivalent experience
2. Relevant qualification or experience in Data analysis or similar 
3. Experience of oracle Fusion or similar HR system
4. Understanding of UK employment legislation
5. Familiarity with data governance frameworks and data quality assurance with a high level of digital literacy and system awareness
6. Experience in improving systems and/or processes
7. Highly skilled in the use of the Microsoft suite of applications including Teams, SharePoint, OneNote, Outlook and Excel skills and Digital proficiency
8. Strong interpersonal skills, including stakeholder management, collaboration and problem solving.
9. Demonstrable professional approach with the ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment
10. Good written and oral communication skills, with ability to interact with a range of stakeholders at all levels
11. Good organisational skills and accuracy and attention to detail
12. Flexible and professional approach to work, with the ability to maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive personal data

Desirable

1. Experience within a higher education or other public sector environment
2. Experience of working within HR.
    

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted up to 11:55 PM 16th May 2026

Please submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing your interest and suitability for the post; (2) Full CV. Any questions about the role, please contact Linda Safely [email protected]
 

About Heriot-Watt University 

At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team. 

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community. 

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities.  Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all. 

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ . 

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options. 

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.