Senior HR Business Partner

Hiscox Insurance Company; Lisboa; Hybrid; EUR 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

35-hour workweek

Job summary

Hiscox Insurance Company in Lisbon seeks a Senior HR Business Partner to translate business priorities into practical people plans and deliver value through hands-on HR delivery.

Based in Lisbon with a hybrid schedule, you will partner with leaders across Operations, Finance and Claims, provide credible HR advice, manage projects, and lead transformation initiatives while upholding local employment laws and fair processes.

Responsibilities

• Business partnering with leaders to translate people priorities into practical plans and advise on people matters.
• Coordinate workforce planning with business leaders and Finance, identifying capability gaps and resource needs.
• Manage HR projects and end-to-end workstreams; develop plans, milestones, and success metrics; track delivery and budgets.

Job description

Job Type:

Permanent

Build a brilliant future with Hiscox

About us:

HISCOX is an international insurer specialized in the market of luxury goods & property, and high end professional insurance. As experts in risk we give people and businesses the confidence to realise their ambitions. With offices in 9 European countries we have a very international staff and encourage a culture that fosters inclusion and collaboration, offering exciting opportunities for personal and professional growth. In our Lisbon office we have the privilege of employing approximately 500 exceptional professionals representing 29 diverse nationalities. Despite our central location within the city, we recognize the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. As part of our commitment to our employees' well-being, we provide a 35-hour workweek along with the option for a hybrid working schedule.

The Team:

The European business is supported by Operations based in Lisbon. In this role you will report to the Head of HR Iberia & Ireland and work within the Human Resources team in Lisbon.

The Role:

As Senior HR Business Partner, you will partner with assigned business areas to translate agreed business and people priorities into practical plans and effective delivery. Reporting to the Head of HR, you will contribute business insight and recommendations to the people agenda and take responsibility for implementing agreed initiatives within your remit. Based in Lisbon and working with leaders across Operations, Finance, Claims and Underwriting, you will provide credible HR advice, influence stakeholders and constructively challenge proposals where appropriate. You will combine business partnering with hands‑on delivery, managing assigned HR projects, change workstreams and Employee Relations matters. You will exercise professional judgment within agreed policies and delegated authority, working closely with the Head of HR on priorities, sensitive matters and decisions with wider organisational implications. The role contributes to the HR strategy set by HR leadership rather than holding overall responsibility for defining it, and works with specialist teams and the People Experience Hub to deliver coordinated end‑to‑end solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Business partnering and stakeholder management: Work with business leaders to deliver people plans for assigned areas, aligned with agreed business and HR priorities. Advise managers and senior stakeholders on people matters, present practical options and constructively challenge proposals, seeking alignment whenver necessary on decisions beyond the role's remit.
• Workforce planning and organisational effectiveness: Coordinate workforce planning for assigned areas with business leaders and Finance, identifying capability gaps and resource requirements. Contribute analysis and recommendations to organisational design proposals, with direction and approval from all relevant decision‑makers.
• Project management and delivery: Manage assigned HR projects and people workstreams end-to-end within an agreed scope and sponsorship. Develop plans, milestones and success measures; coordinate contributors; manage risks, issues, dependencies and budgets where assigned; and track delivery and outcomes. Provide progress updates to project sponsors, escalating material changes and decisions for approval.
• Transformation and organisational change: Deliver assigned people workstreams within transformation, restructuring and operating-model initiatives, under the direction of the Head of HR and relevant programme leads. Assess employee impacts, develop implementation and engagement plans with specialist advisers, coordinate applicable consultation activities and track readiness, adoption and outcomes.
• Talent, succession and development: Coordinate talent reviews and succession planning for assigned areas, working with leaders to identify capability gaps and follow through on agreed actions. Advise and coach managers on people management and development, partnering with Learning & Development on relevant solutions.
• Performance, reward and engagement: Coordinate the delivery of performance, reward and engagement cycles for assigned business areas in line with HR frameworks and guidance. Advise managers on fair and consistent application, identify issues requiring review and follow up on agreed actions, involving the Head of HR and specialist teams where appropriate.
• Employee Relations and risk management: Manage Employee Relations cases within agreed authority, including grievances, disciplinary issues, absence and performance matters. Work with the Head of HR, ER specialists and Legal on complex or sensitive cases and proposed settlements. Apply Portuguese employment‑law knowledge and fair process, maintain appropriate records and escalating material risks and decisions.
• End-to-end HR coordination: Apply comprehensive knowledge of the employee lifecycle to assess business needs and coordinate solutions acr