Formal Process Operations Partner

Are you looking for a new opportunity to develop your career in Higher Education? Do you have strong legal knowledge and an interest in supporting people through change with professionalism and empathy? We have a temporary assignment for a Formal Process Operations Partner to join our client, a leading Education Institute in Milton Keynes.

Role: Formal Process Operations Partner
Location: Home-based, on-site once a month & when required
Duration: 3 month assignment, with potential to extend
Hours: Full-time
Salary: £19.83 per hour
Start date: 1st September

Job Description

This role is based within The Open University’s People Services team, providing critical support to the University’s severance and redundancy schemes. You will play a vital role in managing settlement agreements, liaising with legal advisors, and supporting colleagues through complex processes with care and professionalism.

Your work will ensure that the University meets its legal obligations, while also maintaining a fair and transparent process for colleagues leaving under voluntary severance and redundancy schemes.

Main Responsibilities

• Prepare and manage settlement agreements to support OU severance and redundancy schemes.
• Liaise with solicitors, legal advisors, and colleagues to ensure timely completion of agreements, addressing queries and challenges promptly.
• Draft and manage Reaffirmation Letters, ensuring compliance with legal requirements.
• Provide guidance on complex employment law queries related to voluntary severance and redundancy.
• Oversee invoices and legal fee processing linked to settlement agreements.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records and trackers.
• Confirm colleagues’ eligibility for severance payments, including tax allowance status, and communicate any adjustments.
• Ensure all scheme-related documentation is accurate and up to date.
• Collaborate with colleagues across People Services and wider stakeholders to finalise exits under the schemes.

Expectations

• Ensure accuracy and compliance in all settlement agreements and legal documentation.
• Communicate complex information clearly, empathetically, and in a timely manner.
• Work both independently and collaboratively to meet deadlines.
• Uphold the professional reputation of the University in all interactions with colleagues and external partners.
• Undertake any other duties as reasonably required.

Person Specification

Essential

• Strong legal knowledge and practical experience with redundancy processes.
• Proven ability to understand and interpret settlement agreements and associated legal terminology.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex information clearly and empathetically.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments and with external stakeholders.

Desirable

• Previous experience managing large-scale voluntary severance schemes.
• Experience working in Higher Education or a similar complex organisation.

About Us and Our Client

As a flexible employee of Pertemps Recruitment Partnership Ltd, you will be joining a company that holds the distinction of being one of the largest and most successful independent recruitment agencies in the country. Our pioneering spirit and ability to tap into the uniqueness of everyone's talents have enabled us to open doors for our employees, our clients, and our applicants too. Our philosophies and rewards are built very much on mutual trust and respect within the style of a partnership in which we hope you will feel both fulfilled and valued as a person.