HR Manager

Foster + Partners; Greater London; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Foster + Partners is seeking an accomplished HR Manager to join our Human Resources team in London. You will partner with senior leaders, lead strategic HR initiatives, and drive organisational capability across a global practice.

The role requires pragmatic, commercially focused HR advice while balancing employee needs and risk. You will shape policies, manage complex employee relations, and deliver data-driven people solutions.

Qualifications

• CIPD Level 5 qualification and Chartered status desirable.
• Proven experience as HR Manager or HR Business Partner in a complex, fast-paced or matrixed environment.
• Strong employee relations expertise with knowledge of UK employment law and best practice.
• Track record leading HR projects and people initiatives with successful outcomes.
• Excellent stakeholder management, influencing and problem-solving abilities.
• Advanced MS Office skills (Excel/Word) and experience with HR systems/data platforms.
• Experience in professional services, consultancy or architectural environments desirable.

Skills

CIPD Level 5+

HR Manager exp

Employee relations

Stakeholder mgmt

Analytical skills

MS Office (Excel/Word)

HR systems / data platforms

Consultancy/Architectural experience

Education

CIPD Level 5+

Tools

HRIS

Data analytics

Job description

HR Manager

Department: Human Resources

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: London

Reporting To: Eva Kilikitas

Description

As a HR Manager at Foster + Partners, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping the employee experience and supporting business success across our global practice. Acting as a trusted partner to senior leaders, you’ll drive people strategy, lead complex HR initiatives and projects and help build a high-performing, inclusive culture. This is an opportunity to influence decision-making, develop organisational capability, and make a meaningful impact across the full employee lifecycle.

This role is ideal if you want to:

• Partner with senior leaders and HR Centres of Excellence to influence people decisions, drive business performance, and deliver talent, performance, learning, and workforce planning strategies.
• Lead and deliver HR projects and strategic people initiatives, including organisational change, process improvements, and culture-focused programmes across a global organisation.
• Provide expert leadership on complex employee relations matters, offering commercially focused, risk-based advice and solutions.
• Shape and enhance HR policies, processes, and ways of working, using data and insights to inform decision‑making and continuously improve the employee experience.
• Advise managers and leadership on learning and development solutions that support organisational capability and succession planning.

What you will bring to the team:

• CIPD Level 5 qualified or above, with Chartered status desirable.
• Proven experience as an HR Manager or HR Business Partner within a complex, fast‑paced or matrixed environment, providing pragmatic, commercially focused HR advice that balances business priorities, employee needs and risk.
• Strong employee relations expertise, with experience managing complex disciplinary, grievance, performance, absence management and organisational change cases, supported by a thorough knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
• Track record of leading or contributing to HR projects and people initiatives, delivering successful outcomes and driving continuous improvement.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to build trusted relationships, influence and challenge constructively, alongside strong analytical, organisational and problem‑solving capabilities.
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills (particularly Excel and Word) and experience using HR systems and data platforms.
• Experience within professional services, consultancy or architectural environments is desirable.

What we offer:

We offer a benefits package designed to help you thrive professionally and personally. This includes: private medical insurance for you and your family; life assurance; personal travel insurance; access to a range of wellbeing support, comprising virtual GP services, mental health support and lifestyle coaching; as well as discount programmes for various retailers. On our London campus, we have subsidised catering facilities and host regular social events, and sports activities, for everyone to enjoy.

To support you in building a meaningful career, the practice offers opportunities to develop both your technical and non‑technical skills through continuous learning, professional development support, and knowledge sharing and insights from experienced colleagues.

If our designs spark your curiosity and you would like to contribute to solving complex challenges with local and global impact, we invite you to join our team. You’ll be challenged and inspired, collaborating on extraordinary projects in an environment designed to cultivate excellence.