Senior HR Business Partner

Cranfield University; Cranfield; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Cranfield University, based at Cranfield Campus, Bedfordshire, invites applications for a Senior HR Business Partner. The role focuses on partnering with stakeholders to realise people priorities and improve staff and student experience, with hands-on delivery and strategic initiatives.

You will be a senior HR generalist, MCIPD qualified (or equivalent), with demonstrable ER experience, and will have line management responsibility within a team of Business Partners.

Qualifications

• Senior HR generalist with ER experience.
• MCIPD qualified or equivalent experience.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and partnering.
• Operational delivery with a view to implementing strategic initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Partner with stakeholders across the University to realise people priorities.
• Provide hands-on HR support with operational delivery and strategic initiatives.
• Line manage Business Partners and support centralised university services.

Skills

HR generalist

ER experience

Stakeholder engagement

People partnering

Education

MCIPD qualified

equivalent experience

Job description

Organisation: Cranfield University
Faculty or Department: People and Culture
Based at: Cranfield Campus, Cranfield, Bedfordshire
Hours of work: 37 hours per week, normally worked Monday to Friday. Flexible working will be considered.
Contract type: Permanent
Salary: Full time starting salary is normally in the range of £49,735 to £59,837 per annum
Apply by: 26/10/2026

Role Description

We are a University with ambitious and distinctive characteristics and welcome applications from enthusiastic HR professionals to join our community.

About the Role

To support our ambitions we are seeking a Senior Business Partner with the ability and experience to help realise our people priorities and make a real impact on our staff and student experience through partnering with stakeholders across the University within Professional Service Units.

About You

We welcome applications from individuals who are able to influence and partner successfully with a range of stakeholders. You will be a senior HR generalist who is MCIPD qualified, or equivalent experience, with demonstrable ER experience. This role is hands on and will have a strong focus on operational delivery as well as ensuring strategic initiatives are put into action. Reporting to the Lead Senior Business Partner, you will have line management responsibility Business Partners, and as a team will support a range of centralised university services.

About Us

As a specialist postgraduate university, Cranfield's world‑class expertise, large‑scale facilities and unrivalled industry partnerships are creating leaders in technology and management globally. Learn more about Cranfield and our unique impact here .

Our Values and Commitments

Our shared, stated values help to define who we are and underpin everything we do: Ambition; Impact; Respect; and Community. Find out more here .

We aim to create and maintain a culture in which everyone can work and study together and realise their full potential. We are a Disability Confident Employer.We are committed to actively exploring flexible working options for each role and have been ranked in the Top 30 family friendly employers in the UK by the charity Working Families . Find out more about our key commitments to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Flexible Working here .

Working Arrangements

Collaborating and connecting are integral to so much of what we do. Our Working Arrangements Framework provides many staff with the opportunity to flexibly combine on‑site and remote working, where job roles allow, balancing the needs of our community of staff, students, clients and partners.

Closing date for receipt of applications:

26 October 2026

Please note that we reserve the right to close this advert prior to the stated closing date should we receive sufficient numbers of applications. Therefore, we would encourage you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible.