Workforce Business Partner

• Partner with your operational leaders to deliver our People Strategy and drive workforce performance.
• Lead on reducing sickness absence through data-driven interventions and early support.
• Collaborate with Occupational Health, Wellbeing, and Union representatives to ensure fair, consistent and preventative practices.
• Provide expert advice across the full employee lifecycle - including Employee Relations, performance, organisational change and workforce development.
• Champion a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion, and psychological safety.
• Design and deliver impactful training, particularly around absence management and leadership capability.
• Utilise workforce data to provide insights that shape strategic decisions and improve staff experience.

• CIPD Level 5 qualified (Level 7 desirable).
• Experienced in delivering Workforce support in a complex, fast-paced environment - including employee relations, organisational change, and workforce planning.
• Comfortable being a visible presence on-site - engaging with staff and managers directly to build relationships.
• A confident communicator with strong influencing skills - able to build trust at all levels, including senior leadership.
• Skilled in data analysis and using workforce metrics to drive improvements.
• Experienced in a unionised environment, with strong negotiation skills.

Essential

• Extensive HR experience: Proven track record of managing complex employee relations cases, organisational change, and workforce planning. Must be confident in applying employment law and HR best practices in a fast-paced, operational environment.
• Line management or mentoring experience: Ability to lead, coach, and develop HR professionals, ensuring high performance and continuous professional growth within the team.
• Experience in a unionised environment: Skilled in building constructive relationships with trade union representatives and managing consultations and negotiations effectively.

Essential

• Data-driven decision-making: Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret HR metrics (e.g., absence, turnover, engagement) and translate insights into actionable strategies that improve workforce outcomes.
• Training and facilitation skills: Experience in designing and delivering engaging training sessions and workshops for managers and staff, with a focus on practical application and measurable outcomes.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and report-writing skills
• Problem-solving and coaching ability: Demonstrated capability to support managers through complex situations, offering practical solutions and coaching to build capability and confidence.
• Comprehensive knowledge of employment law and HR best practices: Up-to-date understanding of UK employment legislation and its practical application in a business context.
• Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing: Passionate about creating a fair and inclusive workplace. Experience in leading or supporting EDI initiatives and promoting a culture of wellbeing and psychological safety.