HR Business Partner

St Elizabeth's College; Much Hadham; On-site; GBP 51,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Contributory pension

Life Assurance

On-site parking

Enhanced DBS

Learning opportunities

Job summary

St Elizabeth's Centre in Much Hadham, Hertfordshire, is seeking an experienced HR Business Partner for a permanent, full-time, on-site role. You will partner with senior leaders to translate priorities into practical people plans, using data to identify risks and opportunities and support organisational change.

CIPD Level 5-7 and strong ER experience are essential. You’ll be based with the People function, collaborating across HR Services, Recruitment and Learning to shape how we manage our

Qualifications

• CIPD Level 5-7 qualification or equivalent.
• Experience operating at HR Business Partner level in a complex environment.
• Strong employee relations expertise and handling sensitive cases.
• Experience supporting organisational change and restructuring.
• Up-to-date knowledge of employment and equality legislation.
• Ability to influence senior leaders and develop management capability.

Responsibilities

• Partner with directors and managers to translate priorities into people plans.
• Use workforce data to identify risks and opportunities and challenge decisions.
• Support restructures, service redesign and consultation processes.
• Coach managers to handle employee matters with fairness and consistency.
• Contribute to the delivery of the People Strategy and policy improvement.

Skills

HR strategy

Influencing leaders

Employee relations

Workforce planning

Data analysis

Coaching

Education

CIPD Level 5-7

Tools

iTrent

Job description

HR Business Partner

Salary: £51,210.68 - £53,667.62 per annum

Location: Much Hadham, Hertfordshire (SG10 6EW)

Contract: Full-time | Permanent

Working arrangements: On‑site, Monday‑Friday

Less HR from a distance. More influence where it matters.

Are you an experienced HR professional ready to move beyond managing cases and start shaping how an organisation manages its people?

Ple hly you're already working as an HR Business Partner and looking for somewhere you can have a more visible impact.

Or maybe you're an experienced Senior HR Advisor, ready to take that next step into a broader, more influential role.

You understand that great HR isn't just about policies, processes and employment legislation. It's about relationships, sound judgement, challenging constructively and helping leaders make better decisions.

At St Elizabeth's, we're looking for an HR Business Partner who can bring all of that together.

Someone who is equally comfortable advising on a complex employee relations matter, challenging a senior leader, supporting organisational change or using workforce data to identify where we could be doing things differently.

This is an opportunity to be more than an HR adviser. It's an opportunity to become a genuine partner to the organisation.

This isn't a hybrid role - and here's why.

You’ll be based with us on‑site in Much Hadham, Monday to Friday.

We appreciate that hybrid working has become the norm across many HR roles, but this opportunity offers something different.

You’ll be working directly alongside the leaders and managers you support. You'll see our services in action, understand their operational challenges and build relationships that go beyond a scheduled Teams meeting.

You’ll be there for the conversations that matter, whether that's helping a manager navigate a difficult situation, supporting a service through change or spotting an opportunity to improve how we work.

We believe that being present, visible and accessible makes a real difference in an organisation like ours.

About St Elizabeth's

Set within 60 acres of beautiful Hertfordshire countryside, St Elizabeth's is a specialist charity supporting children, young people and adults with epilepsy and other complex needs.

Our services span education, children’s residential care, adult residential care, supported living and day opportunities.

With such a diverse range of services, our People Team supports an equally diverse workforce, bringing plenty of variety, complexity and opportunity.

Everything we do is underpinned by our values:

Aspirational | Collaborative | Joyful | Compassionate

And those values are just as important in how we support our colleagues as they are in the care and education we provide.

Why this role is different

We don't want someone who simply waits for an HR issue to land on their desk.

We want someone who asks questions, understands the bigger picture and works with managers to address challenges before they become problems.

As our HR Business Partner, you'll work closely with Directors, Heads of Service and managers, helping them translate their operational priorities into effective people plans.

You’ll provide trusted advice, constructive challenge and practical solutions across the employee lifecycle.

You’ll still be involved in complex employee relations matters, but your role will go much further.

You’ll help shape workforce planning, support organisational change, strengthen management capability and contribute to the delivery of our wider People Strategy.

You’ll also work alongside an experienced People function, collaborating across People Relations, People Services, Recruitment, Learning & Development and HR Systems.

It's a role with genuine variety, professional autonomy and the opportunity to influence how we work.

What you’ll be doing

No two days will look quite the same, but your key responsibilities will include:

Business partnering and workforce planning

• Build trusted, credible relationships with senior leaders and managers across our services.
• Understand operational priorities and workforce challenges, providing proactive, practical people solutions.
• Use workforce data, including absence, turnover, retention and employee relations trends, to identify risks and opportunities.
• Constructively challenge and influence decision‑making, balancing organisational needs with employee experience and employment legislation.

Organisational change and development

• Work alongside the Head of People Services and Director of People to support restructures, organisational change, service redesign and consultation processes.
• Support workforce planning and organisational development initiatives.
• Contribute to projects that improve culture, engagement, leadership capability and organisational effectiveness.

Employee relations and manager capability

• Provide expert advice on complex disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence and other employee relations matters.
• Support employment‑related legal matters, including ACAS early conciliation and Employment Tribunal cases.
• Coach managers to handle people matters confidently, consistently and fairly.
• Encourage early resolution and help managers take greater ownership of their people responsibilities.
• Provide coaching, mentoring and professional support to our HR Advisor.

People strategy and continuous improvement

• Contribute to the delivery of our People Strategy and wider organisational priorities.
• Review and improve HR policies, processes and guidance.
• Work with colleagues to develop and deliver practical management training.
• Champion inclusive, consistent and values‑led people management.
• Identify opportunities to improve the way our People function supports the organisation.

About you

We're looking for someone who combines strong technical HR knowledge with commercial awareness, emotional intelligence and the confidence to influence others.

You’ll understand that effective business partnering is about more than giving the right advice. It's about understanding the organisation, asking the right questions and helping leaders achieve better outcomes.

You’ll bring

• CIPD Level 5‑7 qualification or equivalent.
• Experience operating at HR Business Partner level within a complex, fast‑moving environment.
• Strong employee relations expertise, including managing complex and sensitive cases.
• Experience supporting organisational change and restructuring.
• Up‑to‑date knowledge of employment and equality legislation.
• Confidence in building relationships with, coaching and constructively challenging senior leaders and managers.
• Experience mentoring colleagues and developing management capability.
• The ability to balance strategic priorities with hands‑on operational HR support.
• A proactive, solution‑focused approach and the resilience to manage competing priorities.

Experience of TUPE, using iTrent or working within education, health, social care or another regulated environment would be advantageous.

Most importantly, you'll be someone who wants to make a difference, not simply maintain the status quo.

Why join St Elizabeth's?

We're not going to pretend that HR here will always be straightforward.

We're a large, diverse organisation delivering specialist services, and that brings its own challenges, competing priorities and complex people matters.

But that's also what makes this opportunity so rewarding.

You’ll have the chance to work closely with senior leaders, influence important decisions and help shape the way we support and develop our workforce.

You’ll be joining a People function that is continuing to evolve, with opportunities to contribute ideas, challenge existing approaches and make meaningful improvements.

And you'll be doing all of that in an organisation where the work of our colleagues genuinely changes lives.

You’ll also enjoy

• From 25 days' annual leave plus Bank Holidays, increasing with service.
• Contributory pension with up to 6% employer contribution.
• Life Assurance.
• Blue Light Card eligibility.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Discounted gym membership.
• Free on‑site parking.
• Fully funded Enhanced DBS.
• £1,000 Recommend a Friend Scheme for eligible roles.
• Ongoing learning and professional development opportunities.

Getting here

St Elizabeth's Centre is located in a beautiful rural setting in Much Hadham, Hertfordshire.

Reliable transport is important due to our location, but we offer subsidised staff transport routes and affordable on‑site accommodation options to help make commuting easier.

Ready to make an impact?

If you're looking for an HR Business Partner role where you can combine strategic thinking with practical, hands‑on HR, build meaningful relationships and have a genuine influence on how an organisation manages its people, we'd love to hear from you.

Whether you're an established HR Business Partner looking for a fresh challenge or a Senior HR Advisor ready to take that next step, we'd welcome a conversation.

Safeguarding & Inclusion

St Elizabeth's is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This role is subject to an Enhanced DBS check.

We are proud to be an Investors in People and Disability Confident employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

If you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Join St Elizabeth's and help shape the people practices behind the care, education and support that change lives.