Business Partner

West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), join us as a People Business Partner and play a key role in helping our leaders create the conditions for people, teams and services to perform at their best. This role sits at the heart of our People & Culture Strategy, supporting WMCA’s ambition to be the best place to work and belong by enabling confident, inclusive and consistent people leadership across the organisation.

• Act as a strategic people partner to directorate senior leadership teams.
• Provide values‑led advice, guidance and support to senior managers on people issues.
• Translate directorate goals into people priorities aligned with WMCA’s values and People & Culture Strategy.
• Support organisational change through employee engagement, communication planning and alignment with people and organisational strategies.
• Influence change and innovation by ensuring people priorities are embedded into business planning.
• Represent People Business Partnering in directorate planning cycles, leadership forums and change programmes.
• Use workforce data, feedback and insight to identify risks, trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Build trusted relationships with directors, heads of service and senior managers.
• Promote fairness, wellbeing, accountability and consistency in people management practice.
• Coach senior and line managers to develop confidence and capability in managing people issues.
• Support talent management, succession planning, engagement and cultural development in partnership with OD and Talent colleagues.
• Coordinate input from Reward, Organisational Development and Change, Talent, Employment Relations, Inclusion and other People & Culture functions.
• Work with the Employment Relations team as a senior people advisor on complex employment relations cases and appeals.
• Support service redesign, consultation, change and people governance activity.
• Provide guidance on policy interpretation, ensuring consistent and fair application.
• Lead or contribute to People & Culture projects that improve ways of working, support transformation and enable people to thrive.
• Escalate workforce risks or complex issues to the Head of People Business Partnering where appropriate.
• Advise on the people implications of business cases, restructures and workforce changes.
• Contribute to the continuous development of the People Business Partnering model and service offer.

• Proven experience in a strategic HR or people partnering role within a complex organisation.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and shape people responses to business challenges.
• Experience coordinating cross‑functional input from HR specialisms such as Employee Relations, Reward, Organisational Development and Inclusion.
• Evidence of supporting organisational change processes.
• Evidence of using coaching skills to develop managers’ competence and confidence in dealing with people management issues.
• Strong understanding of employment law, people policy and organisational change.
• Skilled in using people data and insight to inform decisions and drive improvement.
• Excellent interpersonal, coaching and stakeholder engagement skills.
• A flexible, consultative and solution‑focused approach.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a high level of tact, discretion and diplomacy.
• A proven track record of delivery in a high‑pressure environment.
• Ability to exercise effective judgement.
• Strong problem‑solving and analytical capability.
• Educated to at least degree level.
• CIPD qualified to Level 5.
• Evidence of continued professional development.

The location for this role is 16 Summer Lane, Birmingham, B19 3SD
with at least 2 days a week spent in the office.

• Local Government Pension Scheme (one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK).
• Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme where you can build an additional pot of money alongside your pension with contributions exempt from Income Tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs).
• 28 days paid annual leave (with an option to purchase more) + Statutory days.
• EV car benefit scheme.
• Healthcare plans.
• Discounted gym membership, will writing, and mortgage…