Purpose
The HR Business Partner (HRBP) provides a combination of hands-on HR operational support, including employee relations expertise, and strategic business partnering to support leaders and employees across their business area. The role operates primarily as a trusted advisor to managers on all people matters to ensure fair, consistent, and legally compliant employee management, while also contributing to the development of a more strategic, proactive HR function as the business evolves.
Main Duties & Responsibilities
Operational & Generalist HR Support
- Act as a key HR contact for your business area, providing generalist support across the employee lifecycle.
- Build strong relationships with business area leaders to understand team structures, challenges, and priorities.
- Train, coach, support and offer guidance to stakeholders on the application of HR policies and procedures in line with current legislation.
- Manage HR policies, procedures, and compliance with employment legislation.
- Work collaboratively with the wider HR team to review, update, and implement HR policies and procedures, ensuring they are practical, compliant, and aligned with business needs.
Employee Relations
- Support managers in dealing with complex casework, performance, attendance, and employee relations issues.
- Coach and build the confidence of managers to manage day-to-day people issues more effectively and independently.
- Identify patterns or recurring issues and work with the HR team to address root causes through training, communication, or policy changes, which will lead to improved people practices.
- Support investigations and hearings for complex or high-risk cases, sometimes involving external legal or regulatory input.
- Develop and maintain good relations with recognised trade unions, where applicable.
Strategic Partnership
- Partner with senior leaders to understand business goals and align people strategies accordingly.
- Challenge and influence decision-making to ensure alignment with good people practice and company values.
- Work with leaders to improve team effectiveness and engagement.
- Deliver key HR initiatives, including workforce planning, restructuring, resourcing, talent management, pay and reward, employee relations, employee engagement, and performance management.
- Work with business area to provide people data insights.
Change & Culture
- Support organisational changes such as restructures, role design, TUPE; driving engagement and communication strategies.
- Monitor employee engagement through VIBE Survey, identifying themes, and partnering with leaders to improve employee experience.
- Participate in HR projects that support longer-term people objectives (e.g. employee engagement, leadership development, talent frameworks).
- Support the Head of HR in developing and embedding initiatives on culture, leadership capability, and workforce planning.
- Facilitate workshops, training sessions, and manager development programs.
People Data & Insights
- Use HR data and metrics (e.g. turnover, absence, case trends, VIBE survey results, and demographics) to identify patterns and inform decision-making.
- Analyse ER and workforce data to highlight underlying issues and recommend targeted interventions.
- Support the development of dashboards or regular people reports that help leaders understand workforce trends and risks.
- Use insights from data to shape priorities for leadership development, engagement, and policy improvement.
- Collaborate with the HR team to improve data quality, reporting accuracy, and accessibility of people analytics.
Knowledge, Skills, Experience and Qualifications
- CIPD qualification (Level 5 or above) or equivalent experience desirable.
- Proven experience as an HR Business Partner or HR Generalist within a fast-paced, evolving business.
- Strong employee relations expertise with a history of handling complex cases and a solid knowledge of UK employment law
- Demonstrated experience managing TUPE transfers, restructures, or large-scale organisational change.
- Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on delivery.
- Experience supporting change management and organisational transformation.
- Commercial awareness and ability to link people initiatives to business outcomes.
- Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.