Head of HR Business Partnering & Employer Relations

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Head of HR Business Partnering & Employer Relations to join a large, complex and values-driven organisation during a significant period of transformation and change.
We are seeking a Head of HR Business Partnering & Employee Relations to lead a high-performing team responsible for delivering strategic people partnering, workforce planning, organisational change and employee relations support across a diverse organisation.

This role offers the opportunity to shape people strategy, influence senior stakeholders and drive organisational effectiveness at a senior level.

You will be a key member of the wider People leadership structure, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring people initiatives align with organisational priorities and long-term strategic objectives.

The Role You will lead both the HR Business Partnering and Employee Relations functions, overseeing a team of HR Business Partners, Employee Relations specialists and advisers. Working closely with senior leaders, finance colleagues and specialist people teams, you will provide expert guidance on:

Strategic People Partnering
Complex employer relations, case management and workforce risk
Organisational change, design and transformation
Trade Union engagement, relationship and consultation
Leadership coaching and management support
Organisational effectiveness and performance improvement
Strategic workforce planning

You will also lead the people aspects of organisational change programmes, ensuring robust workforce planning, effective stakeholder engagement and legally compliant implementation.
About You We are looking for an experienced HR professional with a proven track record of leading HR Business Partnering and Employee Relations functions within a large, complex unionised organisations.

You will bring:

Significant experience operating at a senior HR leadership level
Expertise in complex employee relations and organisational change
Strong experience working with recognised Trade Unions and staff representatives
The ability to challenge constructively and influence senior stakeholders
Strong knowledge of UK employment law and employee relations best practice
Experience leading and developing professional HR teams
A pragmatic and solution-focused approach to people issues
Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder management skills

Most importantly, you will be comfortable operating in a complex environment, able to balance risk with pragmatism and have the confidence to drive progress, clarify accountability and deliver positive outcomes.
This is a great opportunity to join a team which is still forming under a new structure.

The Offer

Initial 11-month fixed term contract with a likely scope of longer term potential.
Start ASAP in August/September
Excellent benefits of holiday entitlement, pension scheme.
3 days per week on-site in Dorset is a general norm, but a senior leader will be expected to be on-site when needed as part of the role.

If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.
If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.

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