HR Business Partner

Macmillan Davies; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 72,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A major UK retailer is seeking an experienced HR Business Partner to lead the people agenda across its national retail operations. This role carries true Head of HR-level scope and influence. Key responsibilities include strategic HR partnering, organisation design, and talent development. The ideal candidate should have significant experience in a fast-paced, multi-site environment, and possess strong commercial acumen and emotional intelligence. A company car is provided due to frequent travel requirements.

Benefits

Company car or allowance

Comprehensive benefits package

Qualifications

• Credible HR Business Partner operating at senior/Head of HR level in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong commercial acumen able to translate people strategy into operational success.
• Experience across organisational change, talent development, and employee relations.

Responsibilities

• Partner with senior operational leaders to drive HR strategy.
• Lead the HR practices across multiple UK regions.
• Drive organisation design and workforce planning.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Emotional intelligence

Stakeholder influence

Organisational change

Talent development

Education

CIPD Level 5

CIPD Level 7

Job description

HR Business Partner (Head of HR Level)

UK-wide (home-based with frequent travel)
£85,000 + Company Car (or allowance) + Benefits

A major UK retailer undergoing significant growth and transformation is seeking an experienced HR Business Partner to lead the people agenda across its national retail operation. Although titled HRBP, this role carries true Head of HR-level scope, influence and responsibility.

With more than 20,000 employees, 600+ sites and a rapid expansion plan, this is an opportunity to step into a business at a pivotal moment shaping the HR strategy, partnering closely with senior operational leaders and driving meaningful organisational change.

The Opportunity

The organisation is fast-paced and commercially driven, with a culture that values pragmatism, autonomy and trust. The HR function is partway through a strategic reset, with new leadership in place and a clear mandate to modernise, professionalise and strengthen the people agenda.

As the senior HR partner for the national retail division, you will:

• Partner directly with senior operational leaders including Regional Managers, Area Managers and central retail leadership.
• Build credibility quickly in an environment where HR is evolving towards a more strategic, commercially aligned model.
• Lead the people strategy across eight UK regions, influencing the performance, capability and culture of a large, complex field population.
• Play a central role in organisation design, workforce planning, talent development and leadership capability.
• Drive more structured, consistent and scalable HR practices - but with pragmatism and sensitivity to what will "land" in a fast-moving retail environment.

This is not a first step-up role. You will already operate confidently at scale and at senior level.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic HR Partnering
• Organisation Design & Change Leadership
• Talent, Performance & Capability
• Employee Relations & Engagement
• Data, Insight & Workforce Analytics

What Makes This Role Unique

• Scope equivalent to Head of HR, with direct access to senior operational and people leadership.
• A business with huge growth ambition - moving toward 700+ and ultimately 1,000 sites.
• A chance to shape a function mid-transformation, with significant freedom to influence, build, design and modernise.
• A field-based, relationship-driven role with genuine impact and autonomy.
• A company car is provided due to the national travel requirement.

What We're Looking For

• A highly credible HR Business Partner already operating at senior/Head of HR level in a fast-paced, multi-site environment.
• CIPD Level 5 minimum, Level 7 preferred.
• Strong commercial acumen able to translate people strategy into operational success.
• Emotionally intelligent, pragmatic and able to influence senior stakeholders with balance and maturity.
• Experience across organisational change, talent development, ER, leadership coaching and OD.
• Someone energised by complexity, pace and building something better than what currently exists.
  

This role will suit someone who enjoys creating order from ambiguity, building relationships at pace, and raising standards pragmatically rather than idealistically.