Senior HR Partner

Derbyshire Fire & Rescue; Waingroves; On-site; GBP 44,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working hours

Agile working (60% office based)

Annual leave 28 days (33 after 5 years

Free on-site parking

Health & wellbeing services

Employee discounts

LGPS pension

AVC contributions

Job summary

Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service is seeking a Senior HR Partner to lead rewards and resourcing, shaping strategic HR initiatives and partnering with leaders to deliver workforce improvements.

Based at Ripley, this temporary role (up to 12 months) offers agile working, 37 hours a week, and a Grade H salary of £48,738. The post requires Level 5 HR qualification or MCIPD and strong change management experience.

Qualifications

• HR expertise including complex employee relations, change management and employment legislation.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder influencing skills.
• Knowledge of reward, benefits and resourcing.
• HR qualification (Level 5 minimum) and/or MCIPD.
• Experience of shaping strategic HR approaches and driving improvement.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice and guidance on complex employee relations matters, organisational change and employment legislation.
• Partner with leaders and managers to deliver people solutions that support organisational priorities and workforce performance.
• Lead and develop HR colleagues to deliver a high-quality, customer-focused and professional HR service.
• Use people data, insight and workforce trends to inform decision-making and drive continuous improvement.
• Oversee a modern, effective resourcing approach that attracts and appoints talented people to meet current and future workforce needs.
• Champion Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, ensuring fair and inclusive people practices across the Service.
• Support the development and implementation of reward and benefits initiatives that enhance employee experience, engagement and retention.

Skills

Employee relations

Change management

Employment legislation

Leadership

Stakeholder influencing

Reward & benefits

Resourcing

Education

HR qualification Level 5 / MCIPD

Job description

Senior HR Partner (Rewards and Resourcing)

Contract Type: Temporary up to 12 months to cover a secondment

Salary: Grade H Salary £48,738 per annum

Location: Joint Police/Fire Headquarters, Ripley

Hours : 37 hours per week, however you may occasionally need to work beyond normal office hours.

Agile working arrangements can be discussed with the successful candidate.

Department: Human Resources (HR)

Reports to: Head of People

Closing date: midnight on Sunday 22 November 2026

About Us

At Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service, we're more than an emergency service - we're a team of over 850 dedicated people working together to make Derbyshire safer every day. Whether it's responding to emergencies, preventing incidents before they happen, or supporting our frontline teams behind the scenes, every role here makes a real difference.

We're proud to be one of the country's top-performing fire and rescue services, rated 'Good' in 9 out of 11 areas by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS). This recognition reflects the professionalism, progress, and dedication of our people. We continue to strive to be an outstanding Service and we know we have more to do.

What We Are Looking For

An experienced HR professional who thrives on influence, collaboration, and delivering transformational change. This is a great opportunity to step into a high impact role at the heart of Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service.

What You Will Be Doing

• Provide expert advice and guidance on complex employee relations matters, organisational change and employment legislation
• Partner with leaders and managers to deliver people solutions that support organisational priorities and workforce performance
• Lead and develop HR colleagues to deliver a high-quality, customer-focused and professional HR service
• Use people data, insight and workforce trends to inform decision-making and drive continuous improvement
• Oversee a modern, effective resourcing approach that attracts and appoints talented people to meet current and future workforce needs
• Champion Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, ensuring fair and inclusive people practices across the Service
• Support the development and implementation of reward and benefits initiatives that enhance employee experience, engagement and retention

About You

You will bring:

• HR expertise, including complex employee relations, change management and employment legislation
• Strong leadership and stakeholder influencing skills
• Knowledge of reward, benefits and resourcing
• HR qualification (Level 5 minimum) and/or MCIPD
• Experience of shaping strategic HR approaches and driving improvement

If you are passionate about people, inspired by making a positive difference, and ready to help shape the future of an organisation with real community impact - we'd love to hear from you.

In return we offer

• Flexible working hours.
• Agile working (60% office based).
• Family friendly policies.
• Annual leave entitlement of 28 days, increasing to 33 days after 5 years' service.
• Free, secure on-site car parking.
• Health & wellbeing services, including an employee assistance programme and free access to gyms at Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service locations.
• Employee discount scheme and eligibility to apply for Blue Light Card.
• Employee support networks.
• Enhanced maternity pay (subject to meeting eligibility criteria).
• Occupational sick pay subject to length of service, increasing up to 6 months' full & 6 months' half after 5 years' service.
• Ongoing training and development opportunities.
• Eligibility to join the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) with generous employer contributions.
• Eligibility to join Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC) offering highly beneficial tax advantages.

There will be a requirement for some travel.