Head of HR, Publishing UK

Bauer Media Group Heinrich Bauer Verlag KG; Peterborough; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dynamic Head of HR for Publishing UK. This role is pivotal in bridging the gap between business needs and HR strategies, ensuring effective implementation of people solutions. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in HR business partnering, change management, and employee engagement. With a hybrid working model, you'll collaborate with teams across Peterborough and London, driving initiatives that enhance employee satisfaction and operational efficiency. Join a forward-thinking company where your contributions will make a significant impact on the workforce and culture.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Access to Bauer Academy for training

Enhanced Maternity/Adoption and Paternity Leave Pay

Flexible working options

2 volunteer days

Qualifications

• Proven experience in HR business partnering and project management.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to implement HR best practices.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic HR support to leaders of the Publishing UK business unit.
• Drive organizational change and improve HR processes aligned with business goals.

Skills

HR Business Partnering

Change Management

Employee Engagement

Leadership Development

People Analytics

Communication Skills

Analytical Skills

Education

University degree in Economics or Psychology

Professional training with additional qualification

Job description

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As our Head of HR for Publishing UK, you’ll be a critical bridge between our UK Publishing business and people, driving the successful execution of HR strategies and initiatives - working directly with our managers and the Senior Leadership team.

You’ll describe yourself as a strategic partner, trusted leader, performance coach, and hands-on change agent. Acting as a reliable executor, you ensure that people solutions are not only designed but effectively implemented to address business challenges and achieve tangible results.

You’ll take ownership of translating strategic objectives into actionable steps, partnering with leaders to guide teams toward achieving their goals, whilst being accountable for all HR-relevant topics in your area, including the implementation and continuous optimization of HR processes, programs, and initiatives.

Beyond advising managers, you’ll proactively execute solutions that drive efficiency, promote employee satisfaction, and deliver measurable outcomes. In addition, you lead and manage cross-national HR projects, ensuring alignment between business needs and HR initiatives across regions.

This role will offer a hybrid way of working, with requirement to attend both Peterborough and London office, and a mix of working from home.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic HR support to leaders of our Business Unit Publishing UK.
• Act as the key liaison between the HR Director Publishing, global HR initiatives and local Leadership Team and business objectives.
• Ensure seamless collaboration and alignment while leading local HR team in effective implementation of strategic objectives.
• Independently drive organisational change, improve processes and implement HR best practices in alignment with the business goals to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
• Partner with senior management to provide solutions for all multifaceted people topics.
• Understand the business strategy and challenges in order to define the people strategy and respective HR priorities together with the Senior Management,
• Deliver on key HR initiatives such as leadership development, performance and talent management.
• Coach our managers in a range of people skills to ensure we retain and develop our key talent.
• Identify training needs and introduce new training formats in close collaboration with our L&D department.
• Leverage the full potential of People Analytics data to drive change and proactively support your key stakeholders.
• Drive our Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives and its corresponding data reporting.
• Acts as a mediator in difficult individual personnel cases.
• Creates and monitors HR-relevant KPIs.
• Manages cross-country HR projects and participates in global HR initiatives.

What You’ll Bring:

• University degree with a focus on economics, psychology or a comparable course of study, alternatively professional training with additional qualification
• A proven amount of professional experience in HR business partnering
• Proven track record in independently planning, developing and implementing people projects (such as: performance management, employee engagement, Talent, change management) across the entire employee lifecycle
• Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• High degree of proactivity, solution orientation and implementation strength
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Feel at home in a fast-paced and demanding environment that develops quickly every day
• Ability to take ownership and act autonomously, but work effectively with the entire HR community in order to leverage on collaborative strengths
• Well-developed leadership skills
• An expert communicator with strong emotional intelligence
• Strong analytical skills, a good business sense and the ability to deliver hands-on and pragmatic solutions in a change environment

Closing Date: Monday 19th May

About Bauer Media Group

We are a media business focused on creating content that matters to millions of people across Europe. Our offering extends from print and online publishing to audio broadcasting and entertainment, alongside investments in other media related sectors. With more than 500 million copies sold each year, we are one of Europe’s largest Publishers. From women’s and celebrities’ magazines to TV listings to food and special interest, we own some of the most popular publishing brands in Germany, UK, Poland and France – both digital and print. But not only that. Reaching over 61 million listeners weekly, we operate over 150 radio and podcast brands in nine countries, spanning the UK, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Portugal. Family-owned in the 5th generation, Bauer Media focuses on the long-term, with a consumer-first mindset that guides us across our diverse portfolio. Our workforce of 12,000 shares a common purpose: to deliver content and services that enrich people‘s everyday lives.

What’s in it for you

• You’ll have 25 days holiday, bank holidays & 2 volunteer days to use.
• Your development matters, so access to our internal training provider – Bauer Academy, is a huge win.
• We have enhanced Maternity/Adoption, Paternity and Shared Parental Leave Pay.
• You’ll have the opportunity for flexible working.
• And much more! Find the full details of our benefits here

Please Note: We are actively seeking this position. You should hear from us within 48 hours of the expiry date. Please note on some occasions the role may be closed before date shown or need to be extended.

If you have any feedback regarding our UK recruitment process, please email [e-mail] we would love to hear from you.

Date: 9 May 2025

Location:

Peterborough, GB, PE2 6EA London, GB, NW1 2PL