People Strategy Manager

Publicis Sapient; Greater London; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellness program

Paid leave

Health benefits

Flexible work

Learning & development

Diversity & inclusion

Job summary

Publicis Sapient in London seeks a Manager, People Strategy (HR Business Partner) to partner with business leaders and shape people priorities in a complex, matrix organisation.

This 12-month fixed-term contract requires strategic thinking and hands-on delivery, spanning talent management, workforce planning, DEI, and leadership development, with executive-level stakeholder exposure.

Qualifications

• Experience as HR Business Partner or people-focused strategic HR role.
• Experience supporting senior leaders (Director/VP level).
• Proven success in talent management and employee relations.
• Ability to translate business needs into people initiatives.
• Experience in international matrix organisations.

Responsibilities

• Partner with business leaders to define people strategies.
• Deliver core HR programmes including talent reviews and performance management.
• Use data and analytics to inform leadership decisions.
• Support workforce planning and organisational design.
• Coach managers and drive culture and inclusion.

Skills

Business acumen

Stakeholder management

Strategic HR

Analytical thinking

Communication

Job description

Job Description

As a Manager, People Strategy (HR Business Partner), you will partner closely with business leaders and work alongside the UK People Strategy (HR Business Partnering) team to shape and deliver people initiatives that support business growth, organisational effectiveness and enable our people to thrive. In a complex, matrixed environment, you will collaborate across the business and wider People team to deliver key talent and people priorities.

You will act as a trusted advisor to Director and above level leaders, providing strategic guidance across talent management, organisational design, workforce planning, employee engagement and performance management. This role requires a strong balance of strategic thinking and operational execution, with the ability to independently drive initiatives while remaining hands-on in the day-to-day delivery of people programmes and business priorities.

12-month Fixed-Term Contract: Designed for a 12-month duration, this role offers the chance to immediately step in, partner with business leaders, and drive critical people initiatives.

Responsibilities

Strategic Partnership

• Build trusted relationships with business leaders and provide guidance on people strategies aligned to business priorities.
• Partner with leaders to drive workforce, organisational and talent priorities that enable business performance and growth, including organisational change, business transformation and people-related decision making.
• Build a high-performance culture, coaching managers on leadership effectiveness, feedback, engagement, inclusion and accountability.
• Lead or contribute to strategic people initiatives across areas such as employee engagement, DEI, learning, career development, AI/skills transformation and ways of working.
• Translate business challenges into actionable people solutions using data, insight and strong business acumen.

Talent Management & Employee Experience

• Lead the delivery of core people programmes, including talent reviews, succession planning, performance management, compensation cycles and workforce planning activities.
• Partner with leaders to identify capability gaps, retention risks and development opportunities, driving actions that strengthen organisational effectiveness and employee engagement.
• Manage complex employee relations matters, ensuring appropriate risk management and compliance with employment legislation and company policies.
• Collaborate with Centres of Excellence and shared services teams to deliver integrated people solutions across talent, learning, rewards and employee experience.

Data, Insight & Delivery

• Leverage people data and analytics to identify trends, support decision making and drive measurable outcomes.
• Independently produce reports, analyses, presentations and leadership materials that enable effective business discussions and decisions.
• Develop compelling senior-level communications and presentations to support people initiatives and business reviews.
• Monitor organisational metrics and provide proactive recommendations to address opportunities and risks.

Qualifications

Required Experience

• Relevant experience as an HR Business Partner, People Partner or in a strategic HR role.
• Experience supporting senior leaders, ideally Director and VP-level stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success leading talent management initiatives, including talent reviews, succession planning and performance management processes.
• Experience managing employee relations matters and applying employment legislation in a practical business context.
• Experience working within a complex, international matrix organisation.

Skills & Capabilities

• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect people strategies to business outcomes.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.
• Highly analytical with the ability to interpret data, identify trends and provide practical recommendations.
• Comfortable operating at both strategic and operational levels, transitioning seamlessly between long-term planning and day-to-day execution.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills.
• Strong presentation development and storytelling skills, with the ability to create executive-ready materials and insights.
• Collaborative approach with a track record of building strong partnerships across functions and geographies.
• High levels of judgement, discretion and professionalism when handling sensitive matters.

Additional Information

• Wellness program and employee assistance.
• Generous paid leave and holidays.
• Comprehensive health benefits for you and your family.
• Flexibility to support work-life balance.
• Competitive compensation and benefits package.
• Access to ongoing learning and development opportunities.
• An inclusive workplace that promotes diversity and collaboration.

As part of our dedication to an inclusive and diverse workforce, Publicis Sapient is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity without regard for race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, protected veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [e-mail]

Company Description

Publicis Sapient is a digital transformation partner helping established organizations get to their future, digitally enabled state, both in the way they work and the way they serve their customers. We help unlock value through a start-up mindset and modern methods, fusing strategy, consulting, and customer experience with agile engineering and problem-solving creativity. United by our core values and our purpose of helping people thrive in the brave pursuit of the next, our 20,000+ people in 53 offices around the world combine experience across technology, data sciences, consulting, and customer obsession to accelerate our clients’ businesses through designing the products and services their customers truly value.