Head of HR Business Partnering, UK

Lead HR Business Partner, UK
Lead the UK people agenda, from integration to performance.

Role at a glanceTitle

Head of HR Business Partnering (UK)
Location: London, hybrid (three office days a week)
Reports to: Chief Human Resources Officer
Team : Leads the UK HR Business Partner team
Scope : UK employee population and UK-based leaders across Gresham and ThinkFolio entities
Salary: £85,000 to £90,000 plus discretionary bonus and benefits
Contract : Permanent, full time

About Gresham Technologies

Gresham is a fintech software business backed by Symphony Technology Group (STG), providing data automation, reconciliation and enterprise data management solutions to banks, asset managers and financial institutions.

• Around 800 colleagues across the UK, US, Europe, India and APAC.
• Three acquisitions in under two years, including a carve-out of the EDM and ThinkFolio businesses from S&P Global.
• A single global people framework now in place: one HRIS (HiBob), harmonised levels and bands, and a unified benefits approach across the UK, US and India.

The next phase is about scale and performance: one Gresham operating model, stronger managers and a people function that runs at the pace of a PE-backed growth business.
Our values are Embrace Learning, Create Together, Be the Champion and Make It Simple. You will be expected to lead by them.
Why this role matters nowThis is a strategic leadership role, not a generalist caseload. You will set the standard for how HR partners with the UK business, lead the UK HR Business Partner team, and take decisions and escalations off the Chief Human Resources Officer’s desk.

• The business has integrated three organisations and is now moving from integration to performance.
• UK leaders need a credible partner on organisation design, capability and change, backed by data.
• Employee relations, harmonisation and manager capability need senior ownership in the UK, with judgement and pace.
• The UK HR Business Partner team needs a leader who sets one standard for casework, partnering and use of data.

Key responsibilitiesLeading the UK HR Business Partner team

• Lead, coach and develop the UK HR Business Partners, with clear objectives, regular one-to-ones and case reviews.
• Decide how the team covers the UK business: which partner supports which leaders, functions and entities, including ThinkFolio.
• Set the standard for employee relations advice, people plans and use of data, and review the highest-risk matters before they go further.
• Act for the Chief Human Resources Officer on UK people matters within agreed authority, and keep her briefed on what matters.

Strategic partnering

• Act as trusted adviser to UK-based ELT members and senior leaders on organisation design, workforce planning, capability and succession.
• Translate business plans into people priorities with clear owners, costs and measures.
• Use people data from HiBob and the engagement survey to diagnose issues and present options to leaders with a recommendation.

Employee relations and risk

• Own the most complex UK employee relations casework end to end: disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence and exits, including settlement agreements. Coach the team on the rest.
• Manage legal risk with external counsel where needed, and keep the Chief Human Resources Officer briefed on high-risk matters.
• Lead UK consultation processes, including restructures, TUPE and redundancy, with sound process and clear communication.

Harmonisation and frameworks

• Embed the global job architecture, levels and bands in the UK, including role mapping and pay relativity checks.
• Support policy and contract harmonisation across legacy Gresham, EDM and ThinkFolio populations.
• Partner with Payroll and Benefits on UK pay review, benefits changes and employee communications.

Performance and manager capability

• Drive the performance cycle in the UK: objectives, mid-year and year-end reviews, nine-box calibration and talent reviews.
• Coach managers through difficult conversations and build their confidence in Gresham’s people processes.
• Support Managers Club and leadership development activity in the UK.

Culture, engagement and change

• Help UK leaders embed One Gresham culture and operating principles in how their teams work, decide and are managed.
• Turn engagement survey results into named actions with UK leaders and track delivery.
• Advise on change programmes, including hybrid working, location strategy and AI adoption in the workforce.
• Contribute to global People & Culture projects as a senior member of the team.

What success looks likeBy 6 months

• Every UK ELT member and senior leader has a regular partnering rhythm with you and a people plan for their area.
• The UK HR Business Partner team has clear coverage of the business, agreed ways of working and a shared standard for casework.
• The UK employee relations caseload is owned within the team, with no routine escalations to the Chief Human Resources Officer.
• All UK roles are mapped to the job architecture in HiBob, with relativity issues identified and costed.

By 12 months

• UK engagement scores and manager effectiveness measures have improved on the prior survey.
• Regretted attrition in the UK is tracked, explained and below the business target.
• UK managers run the performance cycle to standard, with calibration and succession plans in place for critical roles.
• Leaders trust the UK HR Business Partner team, with quality and turnaround measures agreed with the Chief Human Resources Officer and met.

Experience and skillsEssential

• Senior HRBP experience in a technology, SaaS or fintech business, partnering directly with executive-level leaders.
• Experience of leading, coaching or developing other HR Business Partners, through formal line management or by leading the work of others.
• Deep, current knowledge of UK employment law, with a strong record of handling complex employee relations cases and settlement agreements.
• Experience of restructures, collective consultation or TUPE in the UK.
• Experience of post-acquisition integration or harmonisation of terms, policies and job architecture.
• Confident with people data: builds a case from evidence and presents options with costs and risks.
• Commercial judgement and the credibility to challenge senior leaders constructively.
• CIPD Level 7 or equivalent experience.

Desirable

• Experience in a private equity-backed business.
• Experience partnering across international teams, particularly the US, Europe or India.
• HiBob or a comparable modern HRIS.
• Practical use of AI tools in HR work.

Package and working pattern

• Base salary of £85,000 to £90,000, depending on experience.
• Discretionary annual bonus.
• Pension, private medical cover and Gresham’s standard UK benefits.
• Hybrid working from our London office three days a week, with occasional travel to other Gresham offices.