13072 - HR Business Partner

Ministry of Justice; Greater London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A government department is seeking an experienced Human Resources Business Partner to provide strategic HR support within HM Prisons and Probation. The ideal candidate will partner with senior leadership to implement effective people solutions and facilitate innovative HR initiatives. Experience in change management and employee engagement is essential. This role offers a unique opportunity to influence HR strategy in a complex environment, ensuring alignment of people and business priorities.

Qualifications

• Experience in providing HR support to senior leaders in complex environments.
• Ability to facilitate access to central services and implement people initiatives.
• Strong understanding of civil service recruitment principles.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic input on HR topics to support leadership.
• Coach leaders on management of people issues.
• Support the business through restructuring and change initiatives.

Skills

Strategic HR partnering

Coaching leadership

Change implementation

Employee engagement

Education

Qualified HR professional

Job description

Job Title: Human Resources Business Partner
Grade: SEO
Team/Directorate: MoJ People and Capability – HR Business Partnering (HMPPS)

Overview of the role:

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is responsible for everything that goes into running the UK’s criminal and civil justice systems, creating the foundations for a safe, fair and prosperous society. We are one of the largest government departments with over 88,000 staff based across England and Wales, responsible for 500 courts and tribunals, 122 prisons, the policies underpinning the system and much more.
MoJ People and Capability supports the organisation by enabling its people to be the best that they can be. We are continuously reviewing and enhancing the services we provide to ensure the delivery of high‑quality services for our customers. MoJ People and Capability has over 1,400 committed and capable professionals delivering people services across the Justice family, with our people at the heart of delivering these services.

This is an exciting opportunity to provide strategic HR partnering to senior leaders in HM Prisons and Probation (HMPPS). You will be critical to ensuring HMPPS meets its aims in protecting the public and reducing reoffending and will gain unique experience which will enable you to progress in your career. The role sits within the HR Business Partner (HMPPS) Team, the front‑facing arm of the People & Capability Function supporting a number of business units across HMPPS.

The post holder will partner Governors within the Prison Service and equivalent senior leaders within the Probation Service or National Services, depending on the customer groups. It’s an interesting time to join the team with a huge amount of opportunity to be involved in supporting business change in a complex environment.

Working in partnership with senior leaders, this role will support the business to deliver against people priorities. The postholder will act as an implementer, facilitating access to central services and working alongside the business to execute innovative people initiatives. The post holder may be required to support regional or national projects across the London region and beyond.

As a qualified (or aspiring) HR professional, the post holder will use a combination of generalist knowledge, personal skills and experience to advise and partner senior leaders on how best to align people and business priorities. Most roles require line‑management responsibility.

Key Delivery Strands:

• Solving: Provide strategic input on HR topics and help leaders develop effective people solutions.
• Connecting: Help the organisation draw on appropriate People Function Services and shared‑service support.
• Coaching: Coach leaders on how to manage people issues and drive the people agenda effectively.

Change Management

• Understand the business and the drivers for change to support the business with the people elements of change implementation.
• Support the business through reorganisation, restructures and redeployment.

Resourcing & Retention

• Work in partnership with the business and finance to understand the current and predicted workforce picture based on attrition and recruitment forecasting.
• Support the execution of interventions to address resourcing and retention challenges and facilitate access to the right services across MoJ People and Capability.
• Provide support and advice on resourcing vacancies, ensuring compliance with Civil Service Recruitment Principles.

Management & Leadership Capability

• Understand line‑manager and leadership capabilities within the business unit, support the business to access centrally run learning, and help develop the right learning interventions.
• Support senior leaders with the development of their leadership teams.

Attendance & Performance

• Help build management confidence and capability in managing absence, performance, conduct and grievance cases, ensuring the right advice can be accessed.
• Work with the business to understand the casework picture and support senior leaders to drive action to progress cases within policy timelines.
• Ensure policies are understood and embedded in the workplace.
• Understand the role of unions and support managers with union engagement related to people activity.

Employee Experience and Staff Engagement

• Work with senior leaders to analyse and identify the right people priorities through the annual Civil Service People Survey, bringing in other workforce data as required.
• Support the stakeholder group to implement the right employee engagement interventions, accessing the right support from within the people group and drawing on best practice and central offers.

Inclusion & Well‑being

• Ensure diversity and inclusion run through all people strategies and action plans.