Senior HR Business Partner

Ashley Kate HR; Greater London; On-site; GBP 51,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading HR consultancy in London seeks a Senior HR Business Partner to take charge of Employee Relations across a diverse academic portfolio. This role is pivotal, requiring expertise in grievance and disciplinary matters, and collaboration with senior leaders. Candidates should have a CIPD Level 7 qualification and extensive HR experience, particularly in complex employment cases. Salary ranges from £51,573 to £52,500, with a requirement of at least three days on-site work per week.

Benefits

31.5 days annual leave

Bank holidays

Christmas closure

Qualifications

• Significant Higher Education or Further Education HR experience highly advantageous.
• Direct experience of employment tribunals and preparing case bundles.
• A proven track record of leading complex ER cases, including capability and disciplinary.

Responsibilities

• Lead and advise on grievance, disciplinary, and performance management.
• Conduct and lead investigations and prepare tribunal documentation.
• Provide proactive ER insight to senior leaders, anticipating issues.

Skills

CIPD Level 7 or equivalent

Strong organisational change experience

Advanced Microsoft skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

Ability to lead complex ER cases

Practical solutions-focused mindset

Excellent literacy and numeracy

Education

CIPD Level 7 (or MCIPD)

Job description

Senior HR Business Partner

Salary: £51,573 - £52,500 dependent on experience

31.5 days annual leave + bank holidays + 3-4 days Christmas closure

Working pattern: Minimum 3 days a week on-site at the office in Southwest London - non negotiable

We are seeking an exceptional Senior HR Business Partner to join our client's dynamic HR Team and take a lead role in Employee Relations across a large, diverse, and fast‑paced academic portfolio. This is a pivotal position supporting key stakeholders across Education and Recruitment services so you will have a diverse client group of 400+ plus a significant number of hourly‑paid colleagues.

This is an exciting and challenging opportunity for a HR professional who thrives on complexity, variety, and getting ahead of problems before they escalate. If you are solutions‑orientated, confident, and able to navigate nuanced situations with sound professional judgement, we would like to hear from you.

Working alongside another Senior HR Partner, you will be the specialist lead for Employee Relations, including:

• Grievance, disciplinary, and capability/performance management
• Leading and advising on organisational change and complex restructures
• Conducting and leading investigations (not simply supporting them)
• Preparing tribunal documentation and attending/participating in tribunal processes
• Providing proactive ER insight to senior leaders, anticipating issues before they arise
• Supporting complex academic recruitment processes, including panel design and compliance
• Acting as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders across a highly varied portfolio

You will join a high‑performing HR team where each Senior HR Partner has a defined specialism in addition to operational leadership. This role is critical to strengthening the core ER capability during a period of increasing activity and transformation.

Senior HR Business Partner - About You

• CIPD Level 7 (or MCIPD) or equivalent is essential
• Significant Higher Education or Further Education HR experience highly advantageous
• A proven track record of leading complex ER cases, including capability and disciplinary
• Direct experience of employment tribunals and preparing case bundles
• Strong organisational change experience with the ability to manage multiple restructures
• Excellent literacy, numeracy and advanced Microsoft skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• A practical, solutions‑focused mindset and be able to anticipate issues will be key

This role requires regular in‑person collaboration. A minimum of three days per week on site is needed and you must be able to change this as needed by the business.

For more information please contact Jacqui on 0203 8001500

About Us

We are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive community. In line with our Diversity and Inclusion policy, we welcome applications from all qualified individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability. As a Disability Confident Employer and part of the Nicholas Associates Group, we are committed to supporting candidates with disabilities, and we're happy to discuss flexible working options.

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