HR Business Partner

Ipsum; Leicester Forest East; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Group Pension Plan

Car allowance

Career development & progression

Virtual GP & mental health support

Cycle to Work

Discount club

Job summary

Ipsum is seeking an experienced HR Business Partner to translate the people strategy into practical, commercially focused plans across the Midlands Water & Infrastructure division. You will advise leadership, lead on workforce initiatives, and ensure changes are compliant and effective.

Collaborating with the HR Director and Heads of HR, you will drive leadership capability, employee engagement, and people analytics, while supporting growth activities and complex change programmes within a

Qualifications

• CIPD Level 5 minimum qualification and a degree.
• Experience leading complex change projects such as restructures, TUPE, or variations to terms and conditions.
• Strong IT skills across MS Office and SharePoint; ability to navigate HR systems.

Responsibilities

• Deliver targeted workshops to enhance line manager capability in leadership, ER, and absence management.
• Champion employee engagement and positive relations with managers.
• Partner with Head of HR (Operations) to implement engagement action plans and drive performance.
• Embed PeopleHR across divisions to strengthen accountability and enable cultural change.
• Maintain real‑time accuracy of operational data within PeopleHR.
• Coordinate with Head of HR (Operations) on TUPE, acquisitions, integration, restructuring and redundancy.

Skills

Employee relations

Stakeholder management

Change management

HR analytics

Education

CIPD Level 5

Degree holder

Tools

Microsoft Office

SharePoint

PeopleHR

Job description

Location: Leicester, LE19 4SA (includes travel)

Employment Type: Full‑Time, Permanent

Working Hours: Monday - Friday

What’s In It For You…

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays with the option to buy more
• Hybrid working
• Group Personal Pension Plan
• Car allowance
• Career development & progression with the opportunity to earn professional qualifications
• 24/7 access to a virtual GPand Mental health support & counselling service
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Discount club - supermarkets, phone bills, gyms & more!
• Life assurance cover
• Long service recognition
• Active local social committees
• Regular social events

About The Role…

As an HR Business Partner, you will play a pivotal role in translating the organisation’s people strategy into effective, commercially focused people plans across the Midlands within the Water & Infrastructure division.

Working closely with the Head of HR and divisional leadership teams, you will act as a trusted advisor, challenger, and enabler of business performance through people. You will be accountable for delivering the divisional people agenda in line with the wider HR strategy set by the HR Director, driving workforce effectiveness, leadership capability, employee engagement, and organisational change. The role also leads on people aspects of business growth activity, including acquisitions, TUPE transfers, and integration programmes, ensuring outcomes are compliant, well‑managed, and commercially effective.

As an HR Business Partner, you will…

• Deliver targeted workshops to enhance line manager capability across key areas including leadership, employee relations, and absence management. Support and enable managers to take ownership of day-to-day people matters, building confidence in managing their teams effectively.
• Champion employee engagement and positive relations through proactive collaboration with managers
• Partner with Head of HR (Operations) to implement engagement action plans that drive performance
• Embed PeopleHR across divisions to strengthen accountability and enable cultural change
• Maintain real-time accuracy of operational data within PeopleHR
• Coordinate with Head of HR (Operations) on TUPE, acquisitions, integration, restructuring, and redundancy
• Coach managers on handling difficult conversations and resolving issues informally
• Provide pragmatic, risk-aware HR advice to managers, escalating to Head of HR (Operations) when needed
• Prepare monthly HR reports for senior leadership and board-level business reviews
• Use HR metrics to generate insights and drive performance improvements across operational teams

About You…

We are looking for a confident and experienced HR Business Partner who thrives in a fast-paced, matrixed environment. Ideally, you’ll bring experience from the utilities sector and have a strong grasp of employment law, with a proven track record of leading complex change projects such as restructures, TUPE, and variations to terms and conditions. You’ll be comfortable building relationships at all levels, influencing stakeholders, and driving meaningful business impact through strategic HR initiatives.

You’ll be CIPD qualified (Level 5 minimum) and educated to degree level, with excellent IT skills across Microsoft Office and SharePoint. Resilience, adaptability, and a proactive approach to personal development are key, as is the ability to navigate change with confidence. If you’re passionate about making a difference and ready to take ownership of your HRBP remit, we’d love to hear from you.

Our commitment to Equal Opportunities…

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