HR Business Partner – ER

Oakleaf Partnership; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 44,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious cultural institution in Central London is seeking an experienced HR Business Partner for a fixed-term contract of 3 to 4 months. In this role, you will support organisational change, embed people-focused solutions, and address complex employee relations matters. Candidates should hold a CIPD Level 5 qualification and possess a strong HR background with excellent stakeholder management skills. This position offers a collaborative environment with a hybrid working model.

Qualifications

• Strong generalist HR background with business partnering experience.
• Proven success in managing complex employee relations cases.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.

Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic partner to business leaders influencing people-related decisions.
• Deliver effective workforce planning and organisational development solutions.
• Lead complex employee relations cases including dismissal processes.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Employee relations

Project management

Coaching skills

Knowledge of employment law

Education

CIPD Level 5 qualification or equivalent experience

Job description

HR Business Partner – Fixed Term Contract (3-4 months)
Location: Central London (hybrid working model with some UK travel)
Salary: £44,094 – £51,063 per annum (pro rata)
Contract: Fixed Term – 3 to 4 months
Start: ASAP
Recruiting on behalf of a leading UK cultural institution

Are you an experienced HR Business Partner who thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative and purpose-led environment? We’re working with a prestigious arts and culture institution to recruit an HR Business Partner on a short-term contract based in London, with occasional national travel.

In this key strategic role, you’ll work closely with senior leadership across several directorates, providing expert people advice and coaching to approximately 250 colleagues. You’ll support organisational change, embed people-focused solutions, and help drive forward inclusive and impactful business outcomes.

You’ll lead on high-level employee relations matters, shape workforce planning, and champion engagement, wellbeing and EDI initiatives. This is a fantastic opportunity to join a passionate and mission-driven People Team, operating at the heart of one of the UK’s most influential cultural organisations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as a strategic partner to business leaders, influencing people-related decisions and supporting organisational goals.

• Deliver effective workforce planning and organisational development solutions.

• Lead or support complex employee relations cases, including dismissal and appeal processes.

• Coach managers in effective people leadership, enhancing team performance and capability.

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders on resourcing, learning and development, and employee engagement projects.

• Contribute to developing and implementing HR policies and strategies aligned to business priorities.

• Act as an escalation point for a People Advisor and support the development of HR capability across the organisation.

• Promote a culture of inclusion, openness and wellbeing.

About You:

To succeed in this role, you’ll need to bring:

CIPD Level 5 qualification (or equivalent experience)
A strong generalist HR background with experience in a business partnering capacity
Proven success in managing complex employee relations cases
Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills
Up-to-date employment law knowledge
Strong project management and coaching capability
A collaborative, pragmatic, and proactive approach

Experience in unionised settings and delivering change programmes is highly desirable.

Why Join?

You’ll be joining a warm, ambitious and supportive People Team committed to building a workplace where employees can thrive. This is an opportunity to contribute to meaningful, values-led work with national impact, supporting a respected cultural institution through a critical period of change and dev