Human Resources Business Partner

Ministry of Justice; Boston; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working arrangements

Civil Service pension

Flexible working

Job summary

The Ministry of Justice is recruiting a Human Resources Business Partner to provide strategic HR partnering to senior leaders across the Midlands. You will align people priorities with business goals, partner Governors in the Prison Service and senior leaders in Probation or National Services, and drive key people initiatives within a complex environment.

You will work flexibly with a hybrid model, delivering people solutions, coaching managers, and enabling access to central services to support

Qualifications

• Chartered MCIPD or equivalent HR qualification or willingness to obtain and demonstrate CPD.
• Submit an anonymous CV as part of the application.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic HR partnering to senior leaders in HM Prisons and Probation (HMPPS).
• Advise and partner governors and national service leaders on people priorities.
• Drive people initiatives, access central services, and support business change in a complex environment.
• Support resourcing, retention, leadership capability, and employee experience strategies.

Skills

HR partnering

Change management

Stakeholder engagement

People solutions

Education

Chartered MCIPD or equivalent HR qualification

Job description

Boston, Leicester, Lincoln, Nottingham, Retford, Rugby

Region

East Midlands

Closing Date

09-Sep-2026

Post Type

Permanent

SEO

Number of jobs available

1

Reserve List

12 Months

Job ID

21518

Descriptions & requirements

Job Description

Job Title: Human Resources Business Partner

Grade SEO

Team/Directorate: MoJ People and Capability - HR Business Partnering (HMPPS)

Overview of the role:

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is responsible for everything that goes into running the UK’s criminal and civil justice systems, creating the foundations for a safe, fair and prosperous society. We are one of the largest government departments with over 88,000 staff based across England and Wales. We are responsible for 500 courts and tribunals, 122 prisons, the policies underpinning the system and much more.

MoJ People and Capability supports the organisation by enabling its people to be the best that they can be. We are continuously reviewing and enhancing the services we provide to ensure the delivery of high-quality services for our customers. MoJ People and Capability has over 1,400 committed and capable professionals delivering people services across the Justice family. At the heart of delivering these services are our people.

This is an exciting opportunity to provide strategic HR partnering to senior leaders in HM Prisons and Probation (HMPPS).You will be critical ensuring HMPPS meets it aims in protecting the public and reducing reoffending and gain unique experience which will enable you to progress in your career.This role sits within the HR Business Partner (HMPPS) Team which is the front facing arm of the People & Capability Function supporting a number of business units across HMPPS.

The post holder will partner Governors within the Prison Service and equivalent senior leaders within the Probation Service or National Services, dependent on the customer groups.It’s an interesting time to join the team with a huge amount of opportunity to be involved in supporting business change in a complex environment.

Working in partnership with senior leaders, this role will be responsible for supporting the business to deliver against people priorities. The postholder will operate as an implementer, facilitating access to central services and working alongside the business to execute innovative people initiatives.

The post holder will be required to partner customer groups in various locations across the Midlands region and may be called upon to support regional or national projects across areas of the business.

As a qualified (or aspiring) HR professional, the post holder will use a combination of generalist knowledge, personal skills and experience to advise and partner senior leaders on how best to align the people and business priorities.

The post holder will be required to bring together the people priorities for their prison and probation customer group or National Services at a senior level. They will support on the underpinning activities to enable;

• Solving: Provide strategic input on HR topics and help leaders develop effective people solutions
• Connecting: Help the organisation draw on appropriate People Function Services and shared service support
• Coaching: Coach leaders on how to manage people issues and drive the people agenda effectively

With links to the wider HR specialist functions within MoJ People and Capability, the post holder will facilitate access to the right services to deliver relevant people initiatives.

Key Delivery Strands:

Change Management

• Understanding the business and the drivers for change to be able to support the business with the people elements of change implementation.
• Support the business through reorganisation, restructures and redeployment.

Resourcing & Retention

• Working in partnership with the business and finance to understand the current and predicted workforce picture based on attrition and recruitment forecasting.
• Support in the execution of interventions to address resourcing and retention challenges and facilitating access to the right services across MOJ People and Capability.
• Provide support and advice on resourcing vacancies, ensuring compliance with Civil Service Recruitment Principles.

Management & Leadership Capability

• To understand the line manager and leadership capabilities within the business unit, support the business to access centrally run learning through the learning and development team and/or helping to develop the right learning interventions.
• Supporting senior leaders with the development of their leadership teams.
• Help build management confidence and capability in managing absence, performance, conduct and grievance cases ensuring the right advice can be accessed.
• Work with the business to understand the casework picture and support senior leaders to drive action to progress cases within policy timelines, supporting in the access of advice.
• Work between HR and the business to ensure the policies are understood and embedded
• Understand the role of the unions and support managers with union engagement related to people activity.

Employee Experience and Staff Engagement

• Working with the senior leaders to analyse and identify the right people priorities through the annual Civil Service People Survey. Bringing in other workforce and people data as required to enable the business area to bring together an appropriate engagement delivery plan.
• Supporting the stakeholder group to implement the right employee engagement interventions, accessing the right support from within the people group drawing on best practise and central offers.
• Ensure diversity and inclusion runs through all people strategies and action plan.
• Facilitate access to products and services to help support networks to improve delivery.
• Support the business to access the necessary wellbeing services for staff. Bringing together all that is available through the People Function to provide the right well-being package or service dependent on the need.

Base Location and Travel Requirements

There is 1 Midlands HRBP regional role available. This role will be covering the East Midlands Prisons.

The base location will be agreed with the successful candidate. The available base locations for this role are listed below:

HMP Leicester, HMP Lincoln, HMP Morton Hall, HMP Nottingham, HMP Onley, HMP Ranby and HMP North Sea Camp

There will be an expectation that the successful candidate travels between all sites across the Midlands region.

• The ability to confidently build and manage a diverse range of relationships, including senior stakeholders. (assessed via behaviour Working together)
• Experience of delivering in a HR team; (assessed via Seeing the Big Picture)
• Experience of delivering HR plans, people management, and supporting others to optimise performance of their staff. (assessed via behaviour Managing a Quality Service)
• Excellent communication skills, both in verbal and written formats. (assessed via behaviour Communicating and Influencing)
• Ability to analyse and understand data to ensure evidence-based decisions support business delivery. (assessed via behaviour Managing a Quality Service)

Please provide examples of how you have met each one of the behaviours listed below:

• Seeing the Big Picture (Lead Behaviour)
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together

Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the essential criteria within the application behaviour responses. Please provide examples of how you have met each of the behaviours, with reference to the linked essential criteria as detailed above.

Experience

• Please submit an anonymous copy of your CV

Qualification

You will have completed and achieved your Chartered MCIPD (or have an equivalent HR qualification) or be willing to work towards it and actively demonstrate Continuous Professional Development.

Should we receive a large number of applications, we will sift primarily on the lead behaviour of Seeing the Big Picture. Successful applicants will then be invited to an interview, testing both behaviours and strengths.

Interview:

At interview you will be assessed on the behaviours (below) and Strengths

• Seeing the Big Picture (Lead Behaviour)
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together

Please note that interviews will be held face to face.

Interviews will be held at either HMP Stocken or HMPS College Newbold Revel, the location will be confirmed to those invited to interview.

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised role: all successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale. This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) – See Map . All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity).

For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location’s respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Support

• A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
• Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
• For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices .You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ .
• Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here )

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos .

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

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