Senior HR Business Partner

arriva; Southend-on-Sea; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Arriva UK Bus is seeking an experienced Senior HR Business Partner to help deliver the people strategy across the Southern Counties, partnering with senior leaders to drive performance, engagement and development.

You will lead HR initiatives, advise on employment relations, change programmes and talent management, ensuring a professional, inclusive HR service aligned with Arriva values.

Qualifications

• Significant HR experience in a large, 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 and employee engagement.
• Excellent stakeholder management and data-driven decision making.

Responsibilities

• Partner with senior leaders to develop HR strategies aligned to regional objectives.
• Provide guidance on organisational design, workforce planning, and change management.
• Lead employee relations matters with fair, legally compliant outcomes.
• Support organisational change programmes, restructures, and transformation initiatives.
• Drive talent acquisition, succession planning, and leadership development.
• Promote employee engagement and inclusive culture.
• Analyse HR data to identify trends and risks.
• Collaborate with Reward, L&D, and Recruitment to deliver integrated solutions.
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation and HR policies.
• Promote Arriva values and continuous improvement of HR processes.

Skills

Strategic HR leadership

Stakeholder management

Employee relations

Organisational change

People analytics

Education

CIPD Level 7

HR/Business degree

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.