HR Business Partner - ER

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

Job summary

A leading UK cultural institution is seeking an experienced HR Business Partner for a fixed-term contract of 3-4 months. The role involves strategic partnership with senior leadership, managing employee relations, and delivering HR solutions in a collaborative environment. Ideal candidates will have a CIPD Level 5 qualification and a strong generalist HR background. This position offers a hybrid working model with occasional UK travel.

Benefits

Supportive team environment

Opportunity for meaningful work

Qualifications

• Strong generalist HR background with business partnering experience.
• Proven success in managing complex employee relations cases.
• Up-to-date employment law knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic partner to business leaders and support organisational goals.
• Deliver effective workforce planning and organisational development solutions.
• Lead or support complex employee relations cases.

Skills

CIPD Level 5 qualification

Generalist HR experience

Managing employee relations cases

Stakeholder management

Project management skills

Coaching capability

Education

CIPD Level 5 qualification (or equivalent)

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:

1. Act as a strategic partner to business leaders, influencing people-related decisions and supporting organisational goals.
2. Deliver effective workforce planning and organisational development solutions.
3. Lead or support complex employee relations cases, including dismissal and appeal processes.
4. Coach managers in effective people leadership, enhancing team performance and capability.
5. Collaborate with internal stakeholders on resourcing, learning and development, and employee engagement projects.
6. Contribute to developing and implementing HR policies and strategies aligned to business priorities.
7. Act as an escalation point for a People Advisor and support the development of HR capability across the organisation.
8. 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 development.