Senior People Partner (maternity cover)

Mint Velvet; High Wycombe; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Company-funded private health

Life assurance

Discretionary bonus

Staff discount

Season ticket loan

Summer hours

Induction and development support

Yoga classes

Job summary

Mint Velvet is seeking an experienced Senior People Partner to cover a 12-month maternity leave at Head Office. The role partners with senior leaders to shape the people agenda, aligning strategy with business priorities and delivering exceptional employee experience across the Head Office function.

You will blend strategic thinking with hands-on delivery, leading talent, succession, engagement initiatives and governance to support growth while maintaining high-performing teams.

Qualifications

• Significant HRBP experience within fast-paced retail or consumer environments.
• Experience partnering senior leaders and influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and ER best practice.
• Demonstrated coaching skills and ability to develop leaders and future talent.
• Data-led approach to decision-making and people analytics.

Responsibilities

• Act as trusted advisor to Head Office leadership, aligning people strategies with business objectives.
• Partner with leaders to build development plans and leadership capability.
• Drive employee experience and engagement across the Head Office.
• Lead and contribute to people projects and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Manage employee relations issues with commercial pragmatism and compliance.
• Oversee governance, GDPR, and right-to-work compliance across the function.

Skills

HR business partnering

Senior leadership partnering

UK employment law

Coaching

Data-driven decisions

Change management

Job description

Senior People Partner (maternity cover)

Department: People

Employment Type: Fixed Term - Full Time

Location: High Wycombe

Description

12-month maternity cover

Mint Velvet began when founders Liz Houghton and Lisa Agar-Rea set out to create an unfailingly chic collection of contemporary, great quality staples and elevated fits that they felt were missing from their wardrobes. Feeling frustrated that they didn’t find anything they wanted to wear, or the great customer service they craved, they started fusing relaxed comfort with glamorous yet wearable fashion trends. Relaxed Glamour was born.

As collaborative creatives, we take untold pride in our work, designing with heart and soul. We want to be a force for good and are committed to becoming a more circular and responsible business, from the fabrics we choose to our considered processes. We are an agile and growing business, and we work hard to create an environment which allows for growth and progression, balanced with the support and flexibility needed to meet the challenge of a high-performance culture.

Our leadership teams and founders sit amongst the teams and encourage a culture of balance and passion. MV is a very special place, and our values are anchored by three main pillars: people, planet, and community.

Our Values:

With Soul. Courage & Resilience. Passion & Drive. Entrepreneurial Spirit. Collaborative.

The Role

Here is a chance to step into a role that shapes how Head Office people experience Mint Velvet. As we continue to grow and evolve, we're looking for an experienced and commercially minded Senior People Partner to join us on a maternity cover basis and play a key role in shaping the Head Office people agenda. At Mint Velvet, our people are at the heart of everything we do, and you'll help us prove it.

This is an exciting opportunity for a trusted People Partner who thrives in a fast-paced, evolving retail environment. You'll work closely with senior leaders across the business to drive organisational effectiveness, develop exceptional talent, strengthen leadership capability and deliver a brilliant employee experience.

You'll blend strategic thinking with hands‑on delivery, helping leaders achieve their business objectives through their people. From talent and succession planning to organisational design, employee relations, engagement initiatives and people projects, you'll be a key contributor to both our day‑to‑day success and our long‑term growth.

No two days are the same at Mint Velvet. One day you may be coaching leaders through a complex people challenge, the next facilitating a talent review, analysing people insights or leading a business‑wide people initiative. Alongside this you'll keep the brilliant basics, from employee relations to compliance, running smoothly, so you'll need to be as comfortable with the detail as you are with the big picture.

If you're passionate about creating high‑performing teams, building strong relationships and delivering great people outcomes, this is a chance to make a visible impact on Head Office during an important period for the business. We'd love to hear from you.

Main Responsibilities

Strategic Business Partnering

• Act as a trusted advisor and coach to Head Office leadership teams, supporting them to achieve business objectives through effective people strategies.
• Build strong partnerships across the business, developing an in‑depth understanding of commercial priorities and organisational challenges.
• Support organisational initiatives, ensuring people impacts are effectively considered, communicated and managed.
• Use people data, insights and trends to influence decision‑making and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

Talent & Leadership

• Own the Head Office talent and succession planning process, ensuring high‑potential talent is identified, developed and retained and any development needs are addressed with the team.
• Partner with leaders to build robust development plans and leadership capability across the business.
• Support performance and potential discussions and succession planning activity.
• Drive a culture of high potential and continuous learning and development.
• Work alongside the Talent Partner and hiring managers to shape vacancies and source the best talent to fill any gaps.

Employee Experience & Engagement

• Partner with the Retail People Partner to ensure a consistent and engaging colleague experience across the business.
• Champion employee engagement initiatives and support leaders in creating high‑performing, inclusive teams.
• Support and continuously enhance key employee lifecycle processes, ensuring every colleague interaction with the People Team is positive and impactful.
• Help shape and strengthen Mint Velvet's employer brand across attraction, recruitment, onboarding and retention.

Projects & Continuous Improvement

• Lead and contribute to people projects that improve the employee experience and support business growth.
• Review existing policies, processes and ways of working, identifying efficiencies and opportunities for improvement.
• Help shape and deliver the People strategy alongside the Head of People and wider People Team.
• Drive excellence in our "brilliant basics" while continually challenging how we can do things better.

Employee Relations & Risk Management

• Lead and support complex employee relations matters, balancing commercial pragmatism with fairness and compliance.
• Identify trends and themes from ER cases and engagement activity, proactively recommending solutions and interventions.
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation and best practice across all markets.
• Keep abreast of legal developments, market trends and emerging people practices, sharing insights with the wider team.

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure robust Right to Work compliance across employees, freelancers, contractors and other off‑payroll workers.
• Lead the organisation’s approach to key legislative responsibilities including the prevention of sexual harassment, ensuring appropriate policies, risk assessments, training and preventative measures are maintained.
• Maintain and regularly review People policies and procedures, ensuring they remain legally compliant, current and fit for purpose.
• Ensure GDPR and employee data protection compliance across People processes, systems and record keeping.
• Oversee compliance relating to freelancers, contractors and off‑payroll workers, including worker status and IR35 requirements.
• Ensure appropriate employment documentation, records and audit trails are maintained in line with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Identify and proactively manage People‑related compliance risks, escalating material risks and recommending appropriate controls.

What You’ll Bring

You’ll be an experienced HR Business Partner or Senior People Partner who combines strong technical expertise with commercial acumen and exceptional relationship‑building skills.

• Significant HR Business Partnering experience within a fast‑paced retail, consumer, lifestyle or customer‑focused environment.
• Experience partnering senior leaders and influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and employee relations best practice.
• Demonstrable experience leading talent, succession, engagement and organisational development initiatives.
• Experience supporting organisational change and transformation projects.
• A data‑led and commercially minded approach to decision‑making.
• Strong coaching skills with a passion for developing leaders and future talent.
• The ability to balance strategic thinking with operational delivery.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• A growth mindset and passion for continuous improvement.

You’ll Be Rewarded With

• Competitive starting salary and great career prospects in a fast‑paced and growing business
• 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays and a day off on your birthday
• Company‑funded private health insurance and access to Smart Health
• Life assurance
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• 50% staff discount
• Interest‑free Season ticket loan
• Summer hours - 3pm finishes every Friday throughout June, July & August
• Bespoke induction support and ongoing development to help you thrive in your new role
• A welcoming and inspiring work‑environment - take advantage of Yoga classes, social activities, an early finish on pay day and more