On behalf of UKRI, we are looking for a Senior HR Business Partner (Inside IR35) for a 9 month contract on a hybrid basis (3 days per week from London or Swindon, with occasional expensed travel to other UK locations, as and when required)
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the national funding agency investing in science and research in the UK.
UKRI invests £8 billion of taxpayers’ money each year into research and innovation and the people who make it happen. They work across a huge range of fields - from biodiversity conservation to quantum computing, and from space telescopes to innovative health care. They give everyone the opportunity to contribute and to benefit, bringing together people and organisations nationally and globally to create, develop and deploy new ideas and technologies.
As a Senior HR BP your main responsibilities will be to:
- Provide strategic HR insight and advice to senior leaders, contributing to business strategy and ensuring HR priorities align with operational objectives.
- Lead the delivery of HR and people strategies across designated business areas, translating organisational priorities into effective people plans.
- Coach and advise senior leaders and managers on people capability, performance, motivation, behaviours, culture and organisational effectiveness.
- Build leadership and line management capability through coaching, advice and targeted people interventions.
- Provide expert guidance on employee relations, complex casework, performance management and workplace issues, applying ACAS best practice.
- Lead and support organisational change, transformation and workforce initiatives, helping managers and employees navigate periods of significant change.
- Develop and implement talent strategies and workforce plans to ensure the organisation has the appropriate capability and capacity to meet current and future needs.
- Provide HR expertise across the employee lifecycle, including organisational design, resourcing, performance, development, employee relations and change.
- Lead or sponsor HR and business change projects, ensuring effective stakeholder engagement and delivery of agreed outcomes.
- Use HR insight, data and workforce information to identify trends, risks and opportunities and inform business decision-making.
- Support managers in improving employee performance, engagement, motivation and overall business effectiveness.
- Build strong relationships across the HR function and wider organisation, promoting collaborative and consistent approaches to people management.
- Lead and support a team of HR professionals, providing direction, clarity, coaching and support during a period of organisational change.
- Create an inclusive and supportive team environment, demonstrating empathy and maintaining effective communication throughout periods of uncertainty.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of HR processes, systems and approaches to ensure effective delivery of business-as-usual activity and change.
Essential:
- Significant experience working as a senior HR Business Partner or equivalent senior generalist HR professional.
- Strong experience providing strategic HR advice and influencing senior leaders and managers.
- Proven experience managing complex employee relations casework, including performance, conduct, capability and workplace issues.
- Strong knowledge and practical application of ACAS best practice and UK employment relations principles.
- Demonstrable experience supporting organisational change, transformation and workforce planning.
- Experience developing and delivering people strategies, talent strategies and workforce plans aligned to business objectives.
- Strong coaching and influencing skills, with the ability to build leadership and line management capability.
- Proven experience leading, managing or supporting an HR team through a period of significant change or organisational uncertainty.
- Excellent problem-solving, communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to provide clear and pragmatic HR advice.
- Strong collaborative approach, with the ability to work effectively across HR teams and wider business functions.
Desirable:
- Experience operating at Band F / senior management equivalent level within a complex organisation.
- Experience working within a large, multi-functional or highly regulated organisation.
- Professional HR qualification such as CIPD Level 7 or equivalent.
- Experience using HR data, workforce analytics and insight to inform strategic decision-making.
- Experience leading or sponsoring large-scale organisational transformation or culture change programmes.
- Experience developing leadership, management or organisational capability programmes.
- Knowledge of organisational design and restructuring approaches.
- Experience supporting employee engagement, culture and behavioural change initiatives.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.
Disability Confident
As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, UKRI guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.
In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following "this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different".
