Strategic Business Partner

Railpen; Tees Valley; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Railpen Pension Scheme

Private Medical Insurance

Annual bonus

Life Assurance 4x

Hybrid and flexible working

Employee assistance programme

Health cash plan

Eye care vouchers

Job summary

Railpen is seeking a Senior Strategic Business Partner to shape people strategy at the highest level. Based in London with hybrid working and travel to Darlington as needed, you will influence organisational capability and deliver business objectives through strong governance and stakeholder engagement.

You will partner with Executive Committee members and senior leaders, bringing deep experience in Financial Services or regulated environments, to drive change and people-focused strategy across

Qualifications

• CIPD qualification required.
• 7+ years experience in senior HR or People partnering roles.
• Experience in Financial Services or regulated environments is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Partner Executive Committee members and senior leaders to develop people strategies.
• Provide coaching and support on organisational and people matters.
• Lead workforce planning and organisational change initiatives.
• Translate long-term objectives into actionable outcomes.
• Advise on governance and risk related to people.
• Use data and market trends to improve effectiveness.
• Identify risks and opportunities and propose solutions.
• Build relationships to influence outcomes and drive accountability.
• Support and develop People Business Partners.
• Assist with annual people cycle including performance, talent, and succession.
• Collaborate with unions and employee representatives.

Skills

CIPD qualified

People partnering

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Commercial awareness

Change management

Governance & risk

Education

CIPD qualification

Job description

SENIOR STRATEGIC BUSINESS PARTNER

Intro

Shape the future of people strategy at Railpen.

As we evolve our People function to support Railpen's future ambitions, we're looking for an experienced Senior Strategic Business Partner to join our People Business Partnering team.

This is a permanent role, based in London with hybrid working. Some travel to our Darlington office will be required. You'll have the opportunity to influence people strategy at the highest levels of the organisation, partnering with Executive Committee members, senior leaders and key stakeholders to shape organisational capability, drive people-focused change and support the successful delivery of our business objectives.

We're particularly interested in candidates who have built their careers within Financial Services or other highly regulated environments, bringing strong commercial awareness, governance and risk capability, and the confidence to influence senior stakeholders.

Who we are

Railpen is responsible for the safekeeping and investment of around £36 billion in assets and the administration of several pension schemes, including the Railways Pension Scheme, one of the UK's largest and longest established pension funds.

Our heritage of looking after the pension needs of the rail industry and its employees gives us our name and our unique outlook on how we serve our members. Railpen takes a holistic view, focusing on how we serve members today and how we can positively impact the communities and the world they will retire into.

To learn more about Railpen including our values, culture and purpose, visit our LinkedIn Life page here.

The role

This role will particularly suit experienced People Business Partners looking to operate at a strategic level, influencing organisational direction and partnering with senior leaders to deliver meaningful business outcomes.

As a trusted adviser to Executive and senior leadership teams, you'll use your understanding of people strategy, workforce planning, organisational effectiveness and change management to help shape the future of Railpen. Working closely with People colleagues and Centres of Expertise, you'll ensure our people priorities remain aligned to the evolving needs of the business.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Partnering with Executive Committee members, senior leaders and leadership teams to develop and deliver people strategies aligned to business objectives.
• Providing coaching, challenge and support to senior stakeholders on organisational, leadership and people matters.
• Leading workforce planning and organisational change initiatives to ensure Railpen has the capability required to meet its future ambitions.
• Driving the delivery of strategic people plans and translating long-term objectives into actionable outcomes.
• Advising leaders on people-related governance, organisational risk and workforce implications to support informed decision-making.
• Using data, insight and external market trends to influence decision-making and improve organisational effectiveness.
• Identifying risks, opportunities and performance challenges, recommending practical and commercially sound solutions.
• Building strong relationships across the organisation to influence outcomes and drive accountability.
• Supporting and developing People Business Partners, helping to build capability and consistency across the team.
• Supporting the successful delivery of the annual people cycle, including performance, talent and succession activities.
• Working with trade unions and employee representatives to support positive employee relations and organisational change.

This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK.

The person

We're looking for a highly experienced People professional with a strong track record of strategic business partnering, organisational influence and leadership support within complex organisations.

You'll be comfortable operating at senior levels, building credibility with Executive and senior leadership teams, and providing constructive challenge that delivers positive business outcomes. You'll bring a combination of strategic thinking, commercial awareness and strong organisational partnering expertise, enabling you to navigate complexity and support organisational transformation with confidence.

You'll Bring

• CIPD qualified (essential).
• Significant People Business Partnering experience, typically gained over 7+ years in senior HR or People partnering roles.
• Experience operating within Financial Services/professional Services is desirable, ideally within banking, pensions, asset management, legal services, consulting or another highly regulated environment
• Experience working closely with Executive Committees, senior leadership teams and complex stakeholder groups.
• A proven track record of developing and delivering people strategies that support business objectives.
• Strong understanding of governance, risk management and operating within a regulated environment.
• Proven experience managing, influencing and constructively challenging highly complex stakeholder groups, including Executive Committee members and senior leaders.
• Strong commercial awareness, with the ability to balance organisational objectives, people priorities and regulatory considerations.
• Experience leading or supporting large-scale organisational change and transformation programmes.
• Strong workforce planning, organisational development and talent management experience.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence, coach and constructively challenge senior leaders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate insight into meaningful action.
• Exceptional communication skills and the ability to build trusted relationships at all levels.

Our values of integrity, community and alignment are the guiding principles that influence our behaviour. They help us make decisions and shape our relationships with others. They’re what we stand for. You will actively demonstrate our values, helping to create a safe environment, to place the needs of the community above oneself and, through a culture of ‘fair challenge’, align to the best interests of our members.

What we can offer you

Rewarding you

• A competitive salary (depending on experience)
• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Generous annual bonus plan
• We provide membership of the Railways Pension Scheme, a Defined Benefit arrangement under which you get a pension for life and a lump sum when you retire, based on your length of service and pay
• 4x Life Assurance cover

Health & Wellbeing

• Private Medical Insurance
• Employee assistance programme
• Health cash plan
• Eye care vouchers
• Flu vaccination

Lifestyle

• We support hybrid and flexible working along with very generous family leave including 12 months full pay maternity leave and 6 months full pay paternity leave
• Buy and sell holidays
• Give as you earn scheme
• Paid volunteering days
• Flexible half days leave
• Electric vehicle leasing
• Cycle to work scheme

Railpen is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse environment, we value diversity and welcome people from all backgrounds and walks of life