People Partner

This is an influential People Partner role supporting leaders and managers across defined areas. You will combine hands-on employee relations casework with workforce planning and manager coaching to translate organisational priorities into practical people solutions. Working closely with stakeholders and People colleagues, you will help shape day-to-day people decisions that improve engagement, performance and wellbeing while ensuring fair, lawful and consistent outcomes.

Responsibilities Lead operational employee relations case management across your portfolio, delivering timely and legally compliant outcomes. Provide expert advice on attendance, performance, probation, disciplinary and grievance matters. Support managers through change, restructures, redeployment and redundancy processes. Coach and develop line managers to improve people management capability and confidence. Design and deliver briefings and practical training on HR policies and best practice.

Use data and insight to identify workforce risks, capability gaps and contribute to workforce and succession planning. Promote positive employee wellbeing and manage absence processes, liaising with occupational health as required. Represent HR on formal panels and work constructively with trade unions and other stakeholder groups. Collaborate across the HR function to ensure consistent, high-quality service and effective use of HR systems.

Essential skills & experience Proven track record of managing operational employee relations casework (disciplinary, grievance, absence, performance). Experience advising and coaching managers through difficult people decisions and change. Strong knowledge of employment law and HR best practice applied in a fast-moving environment. Ability to use HR data and insight to inform decisions and highlight workforce risks. Excellent communication and influencing skills, with credibility at senior stakeholder levels.

Experience working with HR systems and producing clear reports and management information. Desirable skills & experience Experience in the education sector or a similarly complex public-facing organisation. Familiarity with TUPE, redeployment and redundancy processes. Experience designing and delivering manager training and development. Successful collaboration with trade unions and employee representatives. Prior involvement in organisational development or culture-change projects. Preferred education and experience CIPD qualification (Level 5 or equivalent) or demonstrable equivalent HR professional experience.

Typically 3 years’ experience in an HR business partner or senior HR generalist role, with significant employee relations responsibility. If this opportunity matches your skills and ambitions, please submit your CV to Becky Wilson.