People Operations & Business Partner (12 month Maternity Cover)

About the role

This role combines business partnering with key responsibilities across our People Operations Team.

As a Business Partner, you will act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders within specific divisions across the business, shaping and delivering the people strategy to drive business performance, talent development, and cultural alignment.

As a People Operations Partner you will bridge the gap between day-to-day HR administration and broader, strategic people management, focussing on efficient service delivery, process improvement and employee relations.

You will also work closely with the wider People team, co-creating and delivering initiatives and solutions to support the business in delivering its objectives.

We are looking for a resilient and results-driven professional with strong thinking skills and an organised approach to work. You will be adaptable and able to thrive in a fast-paced, changing environment, using your flexible communication style to connect effectively with a wide range of stakeholders. As a personable and empathetic team player, you will collaborate with others to influence outcomes and drive meaningful results, while maintaining a clear focus on goals and long-term success.

This role is being offered on a fixed-term basis to provide maternity cover.

Key responsibilities will include:

Business Partnering – across specific divisions/departments

• Partner with stakeholders and leadership teams to align the people strategy with business objectives and regulatory expectations.
• Serve as a trusted advisor on organisational design, workforce planning, and succession planning to ensure future readiness.
• Lead people aspects of transformation programmes.
• Coach, guide, challenge and provide feedback to key stakeholders to reach solutions and drive performance.
• Shape and influence cultural change programmes, embedding values and desired leadership behaviours.
• Drive talent strategies, ensuring critical roles are identified, succession pipelines are strong and capability frameworks and learning pathways are defined.
• Enable leaders to drive a high-performance culture through effective performance management, recognition, and career development.

People Operations Partnering

• Act as a point of escalation for the People Operations Specialists, handling complex employee queries and escalated casework.
• Manage mid to complex ER casework, coaching line managers on employment law and ensuring consistent policy application.
• Support the HR Data & Reporting Analyst in the monitoring, reporting and analysis of workforce metrics and people-related KPIs to identify key trends, gaps, and opportunities that support informed decision-making.
• Work with our internal communications team to manage the delivery of our annual DEI and wellbeing calendar of activity, engaging with leaders across the business to champion inclusive leadership and DEI practices across the business.
• Support the People Operations & Transformation Lead in the design and delivery of initiatives to enhance employee experience and drive efficiency across all People related processes and procedures.
• Support in the delivery of organisational wide, cyclical activity such as pay and performance review processes, pulse and engagement surveys, policy review and statutory reporting.
• Manage key employee benefit arrangements and relationships with insurers, brokers and other external providers, including renewals, eligibility queries, claims issues and process improvements.

What success looks like

• Alignment of people strategy to growth and regulatory objectives.
• Succession pipelines are strengthened, with improved depth, readiness and visibility for internal talent.
• Team member engagement and overall employee experience show measurable improvement across key metrics.
• Workforce insights and people analytics are used consistently to inform decisions and shape proactive action plans.
• Cultural initiatives, values, and inclusive behaviours are embedded and demonstrated across teams.
• Delivery against People Operations metrics show measurable improvement.

Our ideal person

• Proven experience in HR Business Partnering role - 3+ years (essential).
• CIPD Level 5 or 7 qualified or equivalent (desirable).
• Strong stakeholder management, influencing skills, including at Executive Committee/Board level.
• A solid understanding of HR/People processes and disciplines, including talent development, organisational effectiveness, and employee experience.
• You excel at fostering cross-functional alignment and uncovering opportunities others may overlook.