Senior HR Business Partner

Arriva Group; Southend; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Arriva UK Bus is seeking a Senior HR Business Partner to deliver the people strategy across our Southern Counties region. You will advise senior operational leaders and drive initiatives that boost performance, engagement, and organisational capability.

Reporting to the HR People Operations Director, you will lead complex employee relations, design workforce plans, support talent development, and partner with central HR functions to provide a professional and customer-focused HR service.

Qualifications

• Significant HR experience within a large and complex operational environment.
• Experience as a Senior HR Business Partner or equivalent leadership role.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and employee relations best practice.
• Experience leading organisational change and restructuring programmes.
• Demonstrable success in talent management and employee engagement initiatives.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with constructive influence.
• Strong data analytics to inform HR decisions.
• CIPD Level 7 qualification is highly desirable.
• A degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related discipline is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Partner with senior leaders to develop and implement HR strategies aligned to regional and business objectives.
• Provide expert advice on organisational design, workforce planning, talent management, employee relations, and change management.
• Lead complex employee relations matters with fair, consistent, and legally compliant outcomes.
• Support organisational change programmes, restructures, and transformation initiatives.
• Drive talent acquisition, succession planning, retention, and leadership development activities.
• Champion employee engagement initiatives and foster an inclusive, high-performing culture.
• Analyse people data and HR metrics to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Collaborate with central HR functions to deliver integrated people solutions.
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation and company policies.

Skills

HR leadership

UK employment law

Stakeholder management

Organisational change

Talent management

Employee engagement

Data-driven HR

CIPD Level 7

Education

CIPD Level 7 qualification

Degree in HR / Business Administration

Job description

Arriva UK Bus is seeking an experienced and commercially focused Senior HR Business Partner to play a key role in delivering our people strategy across our Southern Counties region.

Reporting to the HR People Operations Director, you will be a trusted advisor to senior operational leaders, providing strategic HR guidance and driving initiatives that support business performance, employee engagement, organisational development, and operational excellence.

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly capable HR professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about building high-performing teams and creating positive workplace cultures.

About The Role

As Senior HR Business Partner, you will act as a key strategic partner to the operational business, ensuring HR initiatives are aligned with business objectives. You will support significant people projects, lead organisational change programmes, and provide expert advice on all aspects of employment relations and people management.

You will play a pivotal role in developing management capability, supporting talent development, and ensuring the delivery of a professional, customer-focused HR service.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with senior leaders to develop and implement HR strategies aligned to regional and business objectives.
• Provide expert advice and guidance on organisational design, workforce planning, talent management, employee relations, and change management.
• Lead complex employee relations matters, ensuring fair, consistent, and legally compliant outcomes.
• Support organisational change programmes, restructures, and transformation initiatives.
• Drive talent acquisition, succession planning, retention, and leadership development activities.
• Champion employee engagement initiatives and foster an inclusive, high-performing culture.
• Analyse people data and HR metrics to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Collaborate with central HR functions including Reward, Learning & Development, and Recruitment to deliver integrated people solutions.
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation, company policies, and best practice HR standards.
• Promote Arriva's values and support the continuous improvement of people processes across the business.

About You

We're looking for a strategic HR professional with the credibility and expertise to influence at a senior level and deliver impactful people solutions.

You Will Have

• Significant HR experience within a large and complex operational environment.
• Proven experience in a Senior HR Business Partner or equivalent leadership role.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and employee relations best practice.
• Experience leading organisational change, restructuring, and transformation programmes.
• Demonstrable success in talent management, organisational development, and employee engagement initiatives.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to challenge and influence constructively.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and make evidence-based recommendations.
• CIPD Level 7 qualification (or equivalent experience) is highly desirable.
• A degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related discipline is desirable.