Human Resources Business Partner

Ogilvy UK; Greater London; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading creative network in the UK seeks a part-time HR Business Partner to provide strategic HR support for a significant global client account. The role involves navigating complex employee relations, advising leadership teams, and collaborating across international markets. Ideal candidates will have extensive HR experience in demanding environments and possess strong emotional intelligence. This position offers a unique growth opportunity within a vibrant and creative agency culture.

Benefits

25 days annual leave + 1 Volunteer Day

Up to £25.00 per month towards wellness

Flexible Working Model

Life Assurance

Cycle to Work Scheme

Qualifications

• Proven track record as an HR Business Partner in high-pressure environments.
• Experience with complex employee relations issues and UK employment law.
• Ability to build rapport with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide HR counsel to leadership teams and managers.
• Manage complex employee relations issues effectively.
• Support and develop managers through coaching and guidance.

Skills

Emotional intelligence

Resilience

Pragmatic problem-solving

Strong recruitment insight

Job description

Ogilvy UK has been creating iconic ideas that deliver impact at scale for clients ever since David Ogilvy founded the company in 1948. We specialise in bringing together brand advertising, customer experience marketing, PR, influence and consulting, all fuelled by Behavioural Science. Our world‑class award‑winning creative campaigns deliver solutions for clients including Sainsbury’s, Argos, Mondelēz International, Unilever, TK Maxx and Pernod Ricard.

In 2023, we celebrated our 75th anniversary and were the most awarded agency in Europe. Ogilvy is home to the largest influencer marketing practice globally, and hosts the world’s biggest festival of behavioural science and creativity, Nudgestock – now in its 12th year.

At Ogilvy, we pride ourselves on pushing boundaries, delivering exceptional work, and living our core values of Do the Right Thing, Do the Best Work of Our Lives, and Do It Together.

About the Role

Are you an HR Business Partner who thrives on complexity, cutting through noise, and making a tangible difference in high‑pressure environments? If you're looking for a part‑time role (4 days per week) that offers unparalleled growth and impact at one of the world's most iconic creative networks, then this is for you.

We're seeking a highly experienced, resilient, and emotionally intelligent HR Business Partner to support one of our most significant global client accounts. If you're looking to be a genuine strategic partner within a dynamic and fast‑paced team this role could be for you. As this position is primarily focused on supporting one significant client account it is currently structured as a part‑time role, 4 days per week (28 hours).

What makes this role unique?

• Be a strategic advisor: Provide pragmatic, commercial, and solution‑focused HR counsel to the leadership team and managers of this pivotal client account.
• Navigate complexity: Effectively manage and resolve a diverse range of complex employee relations issues, applying your expertise in UK employment law with a keen understanding of commercial context.
• Drive impact globally: While based in the UK, you'll have significant interaction and collaboration with our hubs in the US, South Africa and Asia, bringing a global perspective to your partnership.
• Strong Recruitment Partnership: Work closely with our dedicated Talent Acquisition Partner, providing critical insights and ensuring the recruitment strategy for the account aligns with its unique needs and challenges. While you won't directly manage TA or a recruitment, a strong handle on recruitment best practices is essential.
• Support & Develop: Provide coaching and guidance to managers, helping them navigate team dynamics and client pressures.
• Cut through the noise: Be the calm, objective voice that clarifies situations, offers practical solutions, and helps the team maintain focus amidst demanding situations.
• Be supported: You'll have the valuable assistance of a HR Advisor to help manage day‑to‑day HR operations, allowing you to focus on strategic partnership.

About You

• Resilient & Objective: You are someone with exceptional ability to take emotion out of complex situations, remaining pragmatic and level‑headed under pressure. You understand that direct communication is often a reflection of intensity, not intent.
• Emotionally Intelligent & Credible: You’re adept at building trust and rapport with diverse stakeholders, including direct, driver‑style leaders, but equally confident in your ability to push back constructively and challenge when necessary.
• Pragmatic & Solution‑Oriented: You’re a natural problem‑solver, focused on delivering practical, business‑aligned HR solutions that benefit both our people and the client account.
• Experienced in Complex Environments: You have a proven track record as an HR Business Partner, ideally within a demanding agency, client‑service, or similar fast‑paced global matrix environment. Experience with a high volume of ER cases is a significant advantage.
• Globally Minded: You have experience or a strong affinity for working with international teams and understanding diverse cultural nuances.
• A Self‑Starter: You thrive in an environment where you can make a genuine difference and are motivated by the opportunity to shape culture and outcomes.

What's in it for you?

• Unrivalled Growth: This is a fantastic growth opportunity for an HRBP to gain unparalleled experience on a high‑profile, complex global account – a truly exceptional addition to your CV.
• Make a Real Difference: Your expertise will be critical in navigating challenges and fostering a positive, productive environment for a flagship team.
• Part‑Time Flexibility: As this role is dedicated to mainly one client account we’re able to offer a 4‑day working week, allowing for a better work‑life balance while still engaging in a highly impactful role.
• Global Exposure: Work closely with colleagues and leadership across our UK, US, and Asia markets.
• Supportive Environment: Benefit from the support of an HR Advisor and a collaborative wider HR team.
• Vibrant Agency Culture: Be part of an agency known for its creativity, innovation, and commitment to its values.
• 25 days annual leave + 1 Volunteer Day plus the option to buy up to 5 extra days leave per year.
• Enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Shared Parental Leave.
• We have a Flexible Working Model with core working hours: 10am – 4pm.
• Wellbeing and Health: Up to £25.00 per month towards physical or online exercise class membership, Unmind membership, LifeWorks tool and annual eye tests and development budgets and Wellbeing incentives and activities throughout the year.
• Season Ticket Loan and Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Life Assurance.

Our ambition is to attract the very best diverse talent to Ogilvy, and to be the employer of choice in the UK. We want everyone to feel welcome when they join us, and once they’re here, for them to want to stay with us, grow their career, and to feel they belong with us.

We are an equal opportunity employer and we’re committed to creating an inclusive, welcoming environment for everyone who wants to work at Ogilvy. For us, diversity, equity and inclusion is integrated into everything that we do. We believe that for creativity to flourish, everything about how we work must have diversity at its core. Your race, colour, ethnic, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, have no bearing on our hiring decisions, but we encourage everyone to feel free to express their true selves in an environment we are consistently striving to make as inclusive as possible.

We aim to facilitate an accessible and positive application experience for all candidates. If you require any adjustments from us to support you through the process or expect to require any adjustments to working conditions to be able to best perform in the role, please let us know. We are happy to consider all reasonable adjustments.

If you live with a disability and you would like to take advantage of our offer of a guaranteed interview under the Disability Confident Scheme, please ensure you fill out our voluntary Equal Opportunities Questionnaire when applying.

Your privacy is important to us, you can find out more information on how we handle your data for recruiting purposes in our Privacy Notice.

Voluntary Equal Opportunities Questions (UK)

At Ogilvy we pride ourselves on being an inclusive and equal opportunities employer. We believe in creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity, equity and inclusion. We strive to recruit from a diverse range of candidates and create an environment which provides the right conditions for belonging. We welcome all applications regardless of race, colour, religion or belief, gender, gender identity, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation and physical or mental disability etc. (please note this is not an exhaustive list). We are also actively focussed on encouraging greater representation by bringing more under‑represented talent into our organisation. This is hugely important to us and Ogilvy has a thriving network of employee communities that exist to help everyone, no matter their background, succeed here.

In order to help us achieve this and hold ourselves accountable for progress and monitor our efforts, we invite you to answer the following questions. You are not required to answer any of them, as they are entirely voluntary. They will also not be viewable to those interviewing you as part of your application or candidate profile. If you choose to answer, please know that all data is stored separately, used in aggregate for reporting purposes and handled as per GDPR regulations.

How old are you? What is your gender identity? Do you identify as trans? What is your ethnicity? How would you describe your sexual orientation? Do you consider yourself to have a long‑term health condition, impairment or disability?