Rail jobs in United Kingdom

Location - Peterborough (with travel to other sites/offices as required)

Hours - 37 hours per week

We are seeking a HR Business Partner to collaborate with business leaders and managers, providing HR expertise, strategic solutions, and direction.

You will be responsible for staff wellness, ensuring compliance with employment law and railway regulations, predicting staffing needs, enhancing workforce retention, managing termination processes, coaching line managers, talent management, and assessing resourcing risks.

The ideal candidate will have a solid background in HR generalist roles, with the ability to influence high-level managers in a high-pressure environment. Flexibility for travel within the UK is essential.

• Partner with client group leaders to implement and deliver HR strategies for approximately 200-400 staff, focusing on talent development, succession planning, and change management to support business growth and foster a high-performance culture.
• Conduct regular meetings with business units, acting as a change agent and strategic partner, addressing people challenges and planning for future needs.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with client groups, ensuring issues are identified, reported, and resolved.
• Analyze trends and metrics to develop solutions and policies in partnership with HR team members.
• Manage complex employee relations issues, including investigations, TUPE, redundancies, settlements, and disputes.
• Coach managers on fair culture principles and employment law practices, especially in ER cases.
• Support managers in people management practices and promote the use of self-service tools and HR systems.
• Ensure ED&I targets are met and an inclusive culture is maintained within your area.
• Advise business leaders on HR issues and oversee apprenticeship and trainee development plans.
• Utilize Training Needs Analysis to address skill gaps and create development plans for key roles.
• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition and other HR functions to meet resourcing needs and evaluate future requirements.
• Support operational managers with union matters at the local level.
• Coordinate with other HR Business Partners for consistency in HR practices across the organization.
• Manage projects and initiatives with the HR Manager.
• Monitor and evaluate policies and procedures within your business area.
• Support wellness initiatives, proactively manage absence, and implement innovative wellbeing solutions.
• Assist managers in developing actionable, KPI-driven plans for success.

• Strong business acumen and ability to translate business needs into HR actions.
• Experience in building relationships with senior managers to improve people management.
• Passion for positively impacting employees' working lives.
• Experience with employee relations, including grievances, disciplinary, investigations, and capability issues.
• Coaching and influencing skills.
• Knowledge of talent development and retention strategies.
• CIPD qualification or working towards it.
• Strong writing skills, with experience in investigations and disciplinary documentation.
• Credibility and effectiveness in working with senior managers.
• Excellent knowledge of UK Employment Law; interest in rail and logistics is a plus.
• Proficiency with digital tools and the ability to leverage AI.
• Project management skills are desirable.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced HR environment.
• Effective in managing change and transformation initiatives.
• Leadership development skills.
• Technological proficiency to improve efficiency and drive results.
• Attain a Strengthscope practitioner certificate.

• Adaptability to a rapidly changing environment.
• Proactive, results-oriented, and self-confident.
• Reflective and capable of critical self-assessment.
• Hands-on, analytical, and commercially minded with a proactive approach.