Senior HR Business Partner

Arriva UK Bus Limited; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Professional development

Career progression

Collaborative environment

Impact on business performance

Job summary

Arriva UK Bus Limited is seeking a Senior HR Business Partner to act as a strategic partner to the operational business, aligning HR initiatives with business objectives and leading significant people projects. You will support talent development, organisational change, and the delivery of a professional HR service.

You will partner with senior leaders, provide expert guidance on planning, employee relations, and change management, and champion an inclusive, high-performing culture across the

Qualifications

• 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.

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, 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.

Skills

Senior HR leadership

Stakeholder management

Data analysis

Employment relations

Education

CIPD Level 7 qualification (or equivalent)

Degree in Human Resources or related discipline

Job description

Location: Stockton-on-Tees Bus Depot (with travel across the North East & Yorkshire Region) Contract: Full Time, Permanent Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday

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.

Why Arriva?

At Arriva, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment where employees can thrive and develop their careers.

Competitive salary and benefits package

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Opportunities for professional development and career progression.
• A collaborative and supportive working environment.
• The opportunity to make a significant impact on business performance and employee experience.
• The chance to work as part of a forward-thinking HR team within one of the UK's leading transport operators.

Closing Date: 21 August 2026

About Arriva

Arriva is a leading provider of passenger transport across Europe, employing around 34,400 people and delivering around 1.6 billion passenger journeys. With buses, trains, coaches, trams, waterbuses, bike-sharing systems, on-demand transport solutions and a rolling stock leasing company, Arriva proudly connects people and communities safely, reliably and sustainably across 11 countries, delivering these services in a better way, every day. The activities of Arriva are divided into four business units: UK Bus, UK Trains, The Netherlands and Mainland Europe. Arriva has passenger transport operations in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom, and also operates a rolling stock leasing company in Romania.