HR Business Partner

The Co Operative Academies Trust; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Co-op Academies Trust is seeking a Strategic HR Business Partner to lead the South Cumbria hub and support expansion across the Trust. The role focuses on executive partnering, workforce design, TUPE, and strategic workforce planning in a multi-site education context.

You will advise on UK employment law, negotiate with unions, coach senior leaders, and drive regional capability building while upholding cooperative values and safeguarding commitments.

Qualifications

• CIPD Chartered status or equivalent experience.
• Substantial strategic HRBP or HR Manager experience delivering large-scale change.
• Proven track record leading end-to-end TUPE transfers.
• Deep knowledge of UK employment law and union negotiations.
• Experience in multi-site or Education/Multi-Academy Trust settings.
• Strategic workforce planning and organisational development experience.
• Executive stakeholder management and strong analytical skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to cooperative values, inclusion and safeguarding.

Responsibilities

• Strategic partnering with Regional Directors and school leaders to embed a modern HR operating model.
• Design, deliver and evaluate multi-school restructuring programmes and organisational redesigns.
• Lead end-to-end TUPE consultations and integration for academy joiners.
• Collaborate on 3-year workforce planning, succession planning, and recruitment strategies using HR analytics.
• Provide authoritative advice on UK employment legislation, STPCD and NJC terms; manage ER caseloads and union negotiations.
• Provide executive coaching and capability development for academy leadership teams.

Skills

Strategic HRBP

TUPE leadership

UK employment law

Stakeholder management

Workforce planning

Change management

Education

CIPD Chartered status or equivalent

Job description

HR Business Partner (South Cumbria with wider Trust responsibilities)

Hybrid (1 day/week in South Cumbria, 1 day/week at One Angel Square, Manchester, plus flexible/remote working)

About the Role

Are you a high-performing HR strategist with a proven track record of driving complex organisational transformation?

Co-op Academies Trust is embarking on a significant phase of regional expansion, introducing a new South Cumbria hub comprising six academies. We are seeking a resilient, authoritative Strategic HR Business Partner to lead this critical growth, execute seamless TUPE transitions, and build long-term regional capacity.

This is a high-impact role designed for a forward-thinking HR leader who thrives on executive partnering, structural design, and change management. Moving beyond day-to-day generalist administration, you will focus on high-level strategic alignment, workforce planning, and complex ER escalation, serving as the Trust's authoritative expert on UK employment law.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Partnering & HR Model Alignment: Partner directly with Regional Directors, Headteachers, and Central SLT to embed a modern HR operating model aligning multi-academy people strategies with Trust-wide vision and educational performance targets.
2. Organisational Design & Change Management: Design, deliver, and evaluate multi-school restructuring programmes and organisational redesigns aligned with capacity and Trust culture.
3. TUPE Leadership & Expansion: Lead end-to-end TUPE consultations and integration processes for academy joiners, mitigating risk while driving cultural integration.
4. Strategic Workforce Planning: Collaborate with Executive Directors on 3-year strategic workforce plans, succession planning frameworks, and targeted recruitment/retention strategies using HR data analytics.
5. Complex ER, Legal & Safeguarding Advice: Provide authoritative advice on UK employment legislation, School Teachers' Pay and Conditions (STPCD), and NJC terms while managing complex ER caseloads and formal trade union negotiations.
6. Leadership Coaching & CPD: Provide executive coaching and capability development for academy leadership teams across performance management and continuous professional development.
7. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Wellbeing: Champion inclusive workplace practices, equal opportunities, and proactive staff wellbeing aligned with co-operative values.
8. Project Leadership: Lead Trust-wide strategic HR projects and mentor HR Advisors and Admin Partners to build regional capacity.

What We Are Looking For

1. CIPD Chartered status or equivalent experience.
2. Substantial experience as a Strategic HR Business Partner or HR Manager delivering large-scale change initiatives and restructures.
3. Proven track record of leading complex end-to-end TUPE transfers.
4. Deep expert knowledge and practical application of UK employment law and union negotiations.
5. Multi-site or Education / Multi-Academy Trust experience in geographically dispersed settings (desirable).
6. Strategic workforce planning and organisational development experience (desirable).
7. Executive stakeholder management, strong influence/negotiation skills, analytical capability to translate metrics into strategic decisions, and resilience tailored to regional contexts.
8. Demonstrated commitment to co-operative values, diversity, equity, inclusion, and child safeguarding.

Safeguarding & Equal Opportunities

Co-op Academies Trust is committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults as its number one priority. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and encourage applications regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, and marriage or civil partnership status.

Notice to Recruitment Agencies:

We kindly request that recruitment agencies do not send unsolicited CVs or speculative applications, as we prioritise direct recruitment for our roles. Any unsolicited profiles submitted will be treated as direct applications to Co-op Academies Trust, and agency terms or fees will not apply. We appreciate your cooperation.