HR Business Partner

Somerset Fire; Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 44,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

Excellent annual leave entitlement

Health and wellbeing support

Family friendly policies

Blue Light Card discounts

Collaborative working environment

Job summary

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is seeking an experienced HR Business Partner to support the People Strategy across the service. You will advise managers, handle complex employee relations, and lead policy development to ensure legal compliance and best practice.

You will also lead workforce planning, talent management, and management development initiatives, while promoting an inclusive, flexible and wellbeing-focused workplace. CIPD Level 7 is required.

Qualifications

• CIPD Level 7 or equivalent qualification demonstrating strategic HR knowledge.
• Experience as an HR Business Partner in a complex HR environment.
• Ability to provide innovative HR support in a fast paced setting.
• Experience in workforce planning including talent management and succession planning.
• Strong planning, prioritisation and organisational skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide proactive HR advice that supports the People Strategy and Service objectives.
• Partner with managers and senior leaders to ensure consistency and best practice.
• Lead policy development, change projects, restructures and contractual changes.
• Manage employee relations cases, hearings and trend analysis for improvements.
• Coach managers and support training for management development.

Skills

HR Business Partner

Employee Relations

Workforce Planning

Policy Development

Coaching & Development

Education

CIPD Level 7

Job description

Location:Based at Service Headquarters, Exeter - work location can be flexible on agreement with Line Manager. Expectation is that you will need to work from a Service location for at least 2 days per week.

Contract:Permanent, Full Time (37 hours per week)

Salary:Starting at£44,253 rising annually to£47,665

Help Shape the Future of Our Workforce.

Join Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, England's largest non-metropolitan Fire and Rescue Service, and play a key role in delivering a modern, inclusive and high performing people service that supports the workforce.

We are seeking an experienced and motivated HR Business Partner to join our HR Business Partnering team.

About the role:

As an HR Business Partner, you will support the delivery of our People Strategy by partnering with managers and teams across the Service. Acting as a trusted advisor, strategic partner and critical friend, you will provide expert HR guidance on a wide range of people matters, helping managers make informed decisions and enabling positive workforce outcomes.

In addition to your business partnering responsibilities, you will take a lead role in one of the team's key areas of focus:

• Policy and Procedures
• Casework
• Change and Trade Union Relations
• Management Development
• Job Evaluation

Find out more:

Key responsibilities:

Strategic HR Partnership and Policy Development:

You will:

• Provide proactive, high-quality HR advice and guidance that supports the People Strategy, workforce plans and Service objectives.
• Build effective partnerships with managers and senior leaders, promoting consistency, fairness and best practice across people processes.
• Support organisational change projects, restructures, reviews, reorganisations, redundancies and contractual changes.
• Lead the review and development of HR policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with legislation and organisational need.
• Contribute to Service-wide projects, providing professional HR expertise and insight.

Employee Relations and Case Management:

You will:

• Manage complex employee relations cases, including disciplinary, grievance, capability and long--term sickness matters.
• Provide HR support and advice throughout formal hearings and meetings.
• Ensure policies and procedures are applied fairly, consistently and in line with legislation and Service expectations.
• Analyse HR Data and trends to identify opportunities for improvement and support informed decision making.
• Maintain positive and constructive relationships with Trade Unions, Service representatives, Speak Up Guardians and Staff Networks.

Workforce Planning and Talent Management:

You will:

• Support workforce planning, succession planning and talent management activities across operational and professional services teams.
• Work with managers to identify capability requirements and develop plans to meet future workforce needs.
• Provide guidance on Job Evaluation processes, including reviewing role requirements and developing job descriptions.
• Partner with operational management teams on workforce-related matters, including working patterns and secondary contracts.

Employee Wellbeing and Development:

You will:

• Promote a positive, inclusive workplace that supports employee engagement and wellbeing.
• Work closely with Health and Wellbeing colleagues to facilitate appropriate workplace support and return-to-work arrangements.
• Coach and support managers to build confidence and capability in managing people issues.
• Research, develop and deliver training to support management development and policy implementation.

To be eligible to apply you must hold:

• CIPD Level 7, or equivalent experience and/or qualification demonstrating a theoretical understanding of Human Resource Management.

At Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, your work will make a real difference to the communities we serve. In addition, we offer:

• Flexible working options.
• Excellent annual leave entitlement
• Health and wellbeing support, including gym access, physiotherapy and counselling services.
• Family friendly policies.
• Blue Light Card membership and associated discounts.
• A supportive, collaborative and inclusive working environment.

Application Requirements:

• Good working knowledge and understanding of day-to-day HR and ER activities and up to date knowledge of employment law.
• Recent experience of working in a complex HR environment as an HR Business Partner, in particular experience of employee relations and case work.
• Experience of providing innovative HR support and advice in a challenging and fast paced environment.
• Experience in workforce planning including talent management processes, specifically including Selection & Assessment and Succession Planning.
• CIPD Level 7 (or equivalent experience / other qualification evidencing theoretical underpinning in Strategic Human Resource Management).
• A proven ability to plan, prioritise and organise own workload effectively in a busy environment.

Closing Date: 2359hrs Sunday 11 October 2026.

Our values

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and all employees must share this commitment and adhere to the Services Safeguarding Policy.

Fire and Rescue Authority roles are listed in Schedule 1 of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974) Exceptions Order and as such it is our policy to require all applicants to disclose any criminal convictions (both spent and unspent) including driving offences, cautions and reprimands.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority are committed to the rehabilitation of offenders, and as such any positive disclosure will incorporate a proportionate response.

As a Service and as individuals:

• We are proud to help.
• We are honest.
• We are respectful.
• We are working together.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service recognise and celebrate the vast diversity of the local communities that we serve, and we aspire for this to be reflected in our workforce. We encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds, experience and beliefs, who share our values to consider working for us.