People and Culture Generalist

The Abbey Theatre is a registered charity and the National Theatre of Ireland. It occupies a unique position in the hearts and minds of Irish people. Comprised of two theatres, the Abbey Theatre, with a capacity of 492 seats, and the Peacock Theatre, with a capacity of 132 seats, the company produces a year-round programme of productions, public reading, talks, workshops and artistic development work. Role overviewAn exciting opportunity has arisen at the Abbey Theatre for an experienced and dynamic People and Culture Generalist to join our People & Culture team. This is a hands-on, broad-ranging role that will suit a proactive, motivated self-starter with a positive approach and the ability to work flexibly in a fast-paced environment.The successful candidate will bring proven experience working within a busy People and Culture department at Generalist level, demonstrating a strong grasp of end-to-end people operations, employee relations, recruitment, performance management, and people compliance.Payroll experience or a genuine desire to develop in this area is essential. While day-to-day payroll is primarily managed by our P&C Administrator, we welcome a collaborative partner to provide support and shared ownership of this critical function.Working closely with the P&C Director, this role offers the opportunity to contribute to both strategic people and culture initiatives and day-to-day operational delivery.The ideal candidate will possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills, sound judgment, and the ability to balance empathy with business needs.A strong understanding of HRIS systems, employment legislation, and data-driven methods will be key to success in this positionKey Responsibilities Employee RelationsActing as a point of contact on all employee relations issues.Supporting and advising all Heads of Departments and staff on the Abbey Theatre’s policies and procedures.Providing support on a variety of Industrial Relations issues including but not limited to disciplinary issues, performance issues and general compliance with the Abbey Theatre’s policies and procedures.Support the full employee lifecycle, including onboarding new employees, probation, performance reviews, and offboarding leavers.Employee EngagementPromoting good internal regular communications with all staff, keeping all staff regularly updated on any People and Culture initiatives and processesManaging the exit interview process including processing resignations or terminations in line with the defined notice period, as well as completing all exit interviewsWorking with the People & Culture Administrator on innovative engagement activity ideas.Recruitment and SelectionWorking closely with Senior Managers and Heads of Departments on workforce planning as well as on an ongoing basis by facilitating the recruitment process as well as the probation period process.Managing the end-to-end recruitment process, by utilizing the recruitment systems (Recruit Genie) and ensuring GDPR compliance with candidate informationThis includes signing off on advertising new posts, support with screening CV’s, partnering with the P&C administrator to guide on interview scheduling & participating on interview panels where necessary.Partner with the P&C Administrator to ensure documentation such as employment contracts etc., are accurate for sending.Training and DevelopmentDeveloping and delivering relevant training throughout the organisation.Identifying training and skills gaps, reacting to same with training and development proposalsManaging the compliance of all mandatory training requirements and ensuring effective tracking and reporting of same. People and Culture Projects and Initiatives.Reviewing current policies and procedures and making recommendations to update, improve and enhanceContributing to the ongoing development of Employee Handbook.Leading on development programmes (work experience and internships and Transition year programme) as required.Proactively developing and implementing various other People and Culture initiatives as required – E.g DEI program.HR AdministrationSupport the People and Culture Administrator with some ad hoc people and culture related administration.Management and control of all employee data in line with European GDPR requirementsMaintain P&C metrics and provide regular reports (e.g. turnover, absence, headcount).Ensure P&C practices comply with Irish employment legislation and company policy.Support internal and external audits as required.Preparing with P&C Director Board/ management reports as required.Payroll Ensure all staff are paid correctly and on time.Responsible for ensuring that all payroll data is downloaded from Softworks and is complete and accurate before being made available for payroll processing by Finance.Working collaboratively with P&C Administrator, and finance team with all related payroll issues/queries as appropriate.Collect, verify, and process payroll-related data (e.g. new starters, leavers, salary changes, bonuses, leave, and absences).Support on the input and validate payroll information in a timely and accurate manner for submission to the payroll provider.Liaise with Finance and external payroll partners to ensure smooth and compliant payroll processing.Assist in reviewing payroll reports and resolving discrepancies prior to final submission.Ensure Auto Enrollment is working in tandem with payroll as well as accurate deductions and communications regarding The Abbey Theatre’s PRSA schemeSupport on the annual Payroll budgeting process with P&C DirectorGeneralCarrying out the role with integrity and ensuring the strictest confidentiality within the department.People and Culture Systems compliance, by ensuring all employees data is accurate and up to dateWorking with the Health & Safety Committee on issues relating to Health & Safety including Health & Safety audits and proactively promoting Health & Safety compliance.Any other duties may be deemed reasonable and appropriate.The above is a general guide to the role and is not an exhaustive description of the duties which are associated with the role or tasks which may be assigned to the role. PERSON SPECIFICATION – PEOPLE AND CULTUREQUALIFICATIONSEssentialA third level Business/HR Qualification – if one does not hold a HR Degree, CIPD membership would be essential.6 years plus experience in a similar People and Culture roleStrong knowledge of employment law related to disciplinary and exit processesAbility to work independently with a high attention to detailA good working knowledge of recruitment systems – Softworks, Recruit Genie or otherConfident ability in dealing with a range of employee relations mattersA focus on collaborating with and supporting employees across the team Hands on payroll experienceManaging effective delivery of HR services in an organisation of broadly similar size with a diverse range of skills and employment relationshipsExperience in participating in the development and implementation of organisational people & culture strategiesExperience in full end to end recruitment from role creation to sourcing/headhunting, interviewing and offering candidatesExperience in successfully managing relationships with internal and external stakeholdersThe ability to work flexibly and at different levels in a challenging and demanding environment.Managing effective delivery of HR services in an organisation of broadly similar size with a diverse range of skills and employment relationships DesirableExperience of charity or not for profit sectorExposure to people and culture teams in a Charity SectorExperience with Trade unionsExperience in partnering with senior leadership on the implementation of organisational HR Information Systems and the design and development of policies and procedures Application Process:  To apply, please send the below information:  Up to date CV Cover Letter (Detailing why you are the right candidate for this role, why it appeals to you and what impact you see yourself having).  The closing date for external applications is 5pm on Tuesday 18th November.PLEASE APPLY VIA THIS LINK - Apply for: People and Culture Generalist | Abbey Theatre