People Business Partner (NHS AfC: Band 8a) - Human Resources - Health Research Authority

Health Research Authority; Bristol; Remote; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A public health organization in Bristol is seeking a People Business Partner to enhance HR strategies and support business areas. This senior role involves providing expert HR advice, managing a talented team, and driving impactful HR solutions to foster a positive workplace culture. Ideal candidates will have a strong HR background, excellent communication skills, and experience in the public sector.

Benefits

NHS pensions

Flexible working arrangements

Personal development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience of business partnering in an NHS or public sector context.
• Ability to communicate effectively across all levels.
• Experience in handling complex employee relations in a unionised environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice to leaders ensuring alignment with HR strategy.
• Deliver an HR service that supports business goals.
• Lead HR team in tackling complex workforce challenges.

Skills

HR management

Employee relations

Business partnering

Analytical skills

Education

Post graduate level qualification in HR Management

Chartered MCIPD or working towards this

Tools

HR information systems (ESR/NHS Jobs)

Job description

The HRA is a dynamic organisation, delivering excellent services through its committees, simplifying the health research process and championing research in the NHS. We hope that you are as enthused by our vision, our plans and our operations as we are.

The HRA is a Non Departmental Public Body with the remit to protect and promote the interests of patients and the public in health and social care research. We do this by supporting and promoting a robust and efficient regulatory and governance framework in the UK. We provide the Research Ethics Service (RES), Confidentiality Advice function, assessments and assurances on behalf of the NHS, and learning, guidance and advice for the research community. Our ambition is to make the UK a great place to do research, where more money invested in research goes into carrying out relevant, good quality research.

Our purpose is to ensure that research involving NHS patients and members of the public is approved through a proportionate and robust system, that they are provided with the information they need to help them decide whether they wish to take part, and that their opportunity to do so is maximised by simplifying the processes by which high quality research is assessed. We have already delivered significant improvements by centralising and simplifying the approval of research in the NHS in England, and are undertaking a range of significant programmes to deliver further improvements.

Job overview

People Business Partner

This is an exciting time to join us as a People Business Partner. The Health Research Authority is leading the development of new services that will digitise the end-to-end research journey, allowing users to plan and prepare new research, make changes to existing research and review and approve research applications in a seamless way. We'll also improve the support offered to users. We’ve recently launched our new organisational strategy and are at the early stages of developing a three year people strategy in support of this.

As a senior member of our HR team, you’ll be at the heart of delivering the people strategy and partnering with key business areas, delivering innovative HR solutions and driving real impact across the organisation.

If you’re a credible and pro-active People professional with relevant business partnering / HR experience, thrive on challenge and want to be part of a people focused organisation with consistently high levels of staff engagement, we look forward to receiving your application.

Interview date: 21 or 22 October

Main duties of the job

What you’ll do:

• Provide expert, pragmatic advice to leaders and teams, ensuring our people practices are aligned with our strategy and the latest employment legislation.
• Deliver a value-adding HR service that supports business goals and fosters a positive, high-performing culture.
• Lead a small and talented HR team, supporting their growth and development.
• Tackle complex workforce challenges, support organisational change, and help shape our approach to employment as the landscape evolves.
• Be a trusted advisor to senior managers, guiding them through change, transformation, and workforce planning.

Please see the People Business Partner job description for further details.

Working for our organisation

Working at the HRA, we are reminded daily of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for you, not just us and the work we do.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know from experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger, more creative workplace that helps us to deliver the best services. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of our community: age, disability, gender identity and expression, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and other diverse characteristics, and we have policies in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process.

When applying to work here, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement – if it works for us, we will do our best to make it work for you.

Please note, if applying to our Manchester, Nottingham or Bristol locations, we are only able to offer the role as home based.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the People Business Partner job description for further details of main responsibilities.

Qualifications

Post graduate level qualification in HR Management / similar or equivalent senior HR experience, with evidence of continuous professional development

Chartered MCIPD or working towards this level of membership

Knowledge, Skills and Expertise:

HR manager / business partner with highly specialist knowledge and relevant experience of a range of HR topics in an NHS or other public sector context, underpinned by practical application of HR policies, current UK employment law and best practice. Expertise in handling a range of complex employee relations issues in a unionised environment.

Expertise in Agenda for Change job evaluation including job matching and job analysis

Experience:

Experience of business partnering, understanding the strategic and commercial context of the business, building effective relationships and working with managers up to director level. Communicating effectively and able to work across all levels, using tact, persuasion and astuteness to present complex information or proposals to a range of audiences and achieve buy-in

Evidence of successfully supporting organisational change processes including restructures and redeployments

NHS or Arms Length Body HR experience (Desirable)

Analytical and Judgement Skills:

Experience of using HR information systems (eg ESR/NHS Jobs) including data analysis, interpretation and insight and presenting it to support decision making

Other:

Commitment to inclusivity and valuing diversity

Able to travel occasionally to other HRA offices or meeting venues, which may include very occasional overnight stays

Person specification

Qualifications:

• Post graduate level qualification in HR Management / similar or equivalent senior HR experience, with evidence of continuous professional development
• Chartered MCIPD or working towards this level of membership

Knowledge, Skills and Expertise:

• Expertise in Agenda for Change job evaluation including job matching and job analysis

Other

• Commitment to inclusivity and valuing diversity
• Able to travel occasionally to other HRA offices or meeting venues, which may include very occasional overnight stays

Knowledge, Skills and Expertise:

• HR manager / business partner with highly specialist knowledge and relevant experience of a range of HR topics in an NHS or other public sector context, underpinned by practical application of HR policies, current UK employment law and best practice. Expertise in handling a range of complex employee relations issues in a unionised environment.

Experience

• Experience of business partnering, understanding the strategic and commercial context of the business, building effective relationships and working with managers up to director level. Communicating effectively and able to work across all levels, using tact, persuasion and astuteness to present complex information or proposals to a range of audiences and achieve buy-in
• Evidence of successfully supporting organisational change processes including restructures and redeployments
• NHS or Arms Length Body HR experience

Analytical and Judgement Skills:

• Experience of using HR information systems (eg ESR/NHS Jobs) including data analysis, interpretation and insight and presenting it to support decision making

In return for your commitment, we offer excellent opportunities for personal development and a healthy work-life balance. The HRA is committed to promoting and enhancing inclusion, diversity and equality. We welcome and encourage applications, who meet the criteria for the role, regardless of age, gender identity and gender expression, disability, race, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy, sex or sexual orientation or any other personal circumstances. Reasonable adjustments to the interview process can be made upon request, for candidates with a disability. The HRA welcomes applicants who are interested in flexible working including job share, part time work, secondments or home-based working. Please discuss any preferred flexibility at your interview.

The HRA reserves the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a sufficient number of applications.

The HRA does not hold a sponsor licence in respect of skilled worker visas and so is unable to employ candidates requiring sponsorship.

In order to be considered for this position you must address the criteria outlined in the person specification in your supporting statement. You will be considered based on the information in your application form. CVs will not be considered. All contact is made via our Trac recruitment system. Please check your account regularly.

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our Third-party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. If you are appointed to a post, information will also be transferred into the NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

If you have a query relating to your application, please contact the recruitment team on [e-mail] or 0300 330 9416.

The NHSBSA is responsible for the processing of your application; a privacy notice is available at the following link to advise you on how we will process your personal data.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The HRA offers a variety of career paths for its staff as well as a wide range of benefits, including NHS pensions and discounts.

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