HR Business Partner

SF Recruitment; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 58,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

A recruitment agency is seeking an experienced HR Business Partner for a role in Manchester. This position involves strategic engagement with senior leaders and operational people leadership in a large organization. Candidates should have strong communication and analytical skills, with a CIPD qualification preferred. The role offers a hybrid working model and an initial 6-month contract that may lead to a permanent position.

Benefits

Hybrid working model

Collaborative HR team environment

Qualifications

• Proven ability to influence and challenge senior leaders.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and translate insight into action.
• Experience operating autonomously as a strategic HR Business Partner.

Responsibilities

• Build strong relationships with senior leaders as a trusted HR Business Partner.
• Lead people planning, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy.
• Analyse workforce data to identify trends and design interventions.

Skills

Written and verbal communication skills

Ability to influence senior leaders

Analytical skills

Education

Chartered membership of the CIPD (or equivalent)

Job description

SF Recruitment are excited to be partnering with a great organisation who are strong believers in people development and encourage solutions focussed ideas.

Salary : £58,225 - £61,759 (dependant on experience) + excellent benefits

Hours : 37 per week - Hybrid working available

My client is seeking an experienced and credible HR Business Partner to join a large, complex organisation on an initial 6-month fixed-term contract, with the potential to become permanent. This is a hybrid role, offering flexibility alongside meaningful, strategic engagement with senior leaders.

The Role

Reporting to a Senior HR Business Partner, you will operate as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, providing strategic and operational people leadership across a designated business area. You will play a key role in shaping and delivering people plans aligned to long-term organisational strategy, while also leading on complex workforce, change, and employee relations matters.

This role suits an autonomous HR professional who is confident influencing at senior level, comfortable working with data, and experienced in delivering people interventions in a large, unionised environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Build strong, influential relationships with senior leaders, acting as a credible and trusted HR Business Partner.
• Lead people planning within your partnering area, ensuring plans align with organisational strategy, resourcing needs, and skills development priorities.
• Analyse workforce and people data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities, and design evidence-based interventions.
• Provide high-quality insight, reporting, and recommendations to support strategic decision-making.
• Support and advise on organisational change, cultural development, wellbeing, and workforce transformation initiatives.
• Work closely with Employee Relations specialists to commission support, oversee complex casework, and agree approaches to risk and tribunal claims where required.
• Ensure compliance with employment law, regulatory requirements, and internal policy.
• Collaborate with other HR Business Partners to ensure consistency, continuity of service, and shared best practice.
• Act as an ambassador for the People function, championing continuous improvement and a positive employee experience.

About You

You will be a senior HR professional with strong commercial and organisational awareness, able to balance strategic thinking with practical delivery.

Essential criteria include

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven ability to influence and challenge senior leaders.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and translate insight into action.
• Experience operating autonomously as a strategic HR Business Partner within a large and complex organisation.
• Up-to-date knowledge of UK employment law, employee relations, and trade union consultation.
• Chartered membership of the CIPD (or equivalent).
• Demonstrable experience of workforce planning, change management, and managing complex employee relations cases.

Experience within a large public sector or highly regulated environment is advantageous but not essential.

What's on Offer

• Hybrid working model
• Initial 6-month fixed-term contract, with potential to become permanent
• Opportunity to work at senior level and influence strategic outcomes
• Supportive, collaborative HR team environment