Title: People Manager
Division: Human Resources
Location: London
Reporting to: Head of People and L&D
Why RLB?
We value your skills, talents and unique perspectives - we think they are priceless.
Bring them to RLB and you’ll be empowered to shape our future and your career in new and meaningful ways.
We’ll give you opportunities to work on some of the most ambitious and exciting projects currently being designed and developed in the built environment sector.
You’ll continue to learn and advance as everyone who works for us is provided with a tailored training programme. Our mentoring and reverse mentoring schemes will enable you to share your expertise while gaining fresh insights.
What makes RLB unique is our inclusive culture. As an independent, employee-owned business, teamwork and collaboration lies at the heart of everything we do. Hybrid and flexible working arrangements and family-friendly policies are just some of the ways we invest in employee wellbeing.
Join us and you will thrive personally as well as professionally.
Department Overview:
RLB is a major international construction and property consultancy, currently embarking on an exciting expansion journey with challenging growth plans to meet our 2030 strategy. We are currently searching for a generalist People Manager to help us build and improve for the future as we continue to grow in the UK and internationally.
Our focus at Rider Levett Bucknall is to create value for our customers, through the skills and passion of our people, and to nurture strong long-term partnerships. The People strategy supports the delivery of this through the attraction, development and retention of our exceptional and diverse colleagues. We strive to create an inclusive culture where everyone can be the best version of themselves through effective HR practises and the development and coaching of our teams.
Overview of Role:
This is a generalist People Manager role, supporting all regions of our UK business – primarily London.
You will partner with the business to deliver the People strategy and help drive business performance, while also providing high-quality, hands-on support across core people activities.
The purpose of the role is to:
- Partner with business leaders to deliver the People strategy, translating business priorities into practical people plans that support growth, performance and retention.
- Provide expert, pragmatic advice across the employee lifecycle (including employee relations), coaching managers to build confidence and capability.
- Use people data and insight (e.g. headcount, turnover, absence, engagement themes) to identify risks and opportunities and influence actions with your client group.
- Role model and challenge behaviours to ensure they align with our values, creating an inclusive, high-performing and customer-focused culture.
The responsibilities listed below are intended to be a broad but not exhaustive list.
Strategic Partnering
- Build strong relationships with Partners and managers, acting as a trusted advisor and first point of contact for people-related matters.
- Identify trends and provide clear recommendations, escalating risks and proposing action plans as needed.
Employee Relations (risk-manged, coaching-led)
- Provide support and advice on a full range of employee relations activities including performance management, absence management, discipline and grievance procedures, flexible working and equal opportunities.
- Manage Occupational Health referrals and long-term absence cases, coaching managers on best practice and ensuring appropriate documentation and follow-up.
- Drive consistency in the application of absence management practices, identifying themes and recommending preventative actions.
Performance, Talent & Leadership Capability
- Coach and support managers with performance management, goal setting, feedback and development conversations, promoting consistency and best practice.
- Contribute to talent and succession discussions, supporting actions that build capability and retain key skills.
- Identify development needs within your Stakeholder group and partner with L&D and People Ops colleagues to shape interventions and learning plans.
Commerciality
- Develop a good understanding of your business areas and priorities, and how HR contributes to achieving business goals.
- Coach and influence our line managers to create high performing teams and help people be the best they can be to support the growth of our business.
Projects
- Lead or contribute to People projects and change initiatives that improve colleague experience, manager capability and/or operational effectiveness.
- Work with the Head of People and L&D, and the wider People team, to identify opportunities for improvement, developing and implementing pragmatic solutions.
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Proven experience in a generalist HR Manager/Business Partner role, ideally within a professional or commercial environment.
- Strong employee relations capability, with the confidence to coach and support managers while promoting fair, consistent outcomes.
- Able to build trusted relationships with leaders and managers, working collaboratively to deliver effective people solutions.
- Commercially aware, with an understanding of how people decisions support business performance and growth.
- Committed to fostering an inclusive, supportive culture, role modelling RLB’s values and behaviours.
- Comfortable using people data and insight to identify trends and inform decision-making.
- Strong working knowledge of UK employment law and best practice.
- Proactive, organised and detail‑focused, with strong communication skills and a commitment to continuous learning and improvement.
Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Promise
We believe in building a diverse and inclusive environment where each person can be themselves, feel valued for their contribution and be challenged and supported to reach their full potential. We have a responsibility to support the communities in which we live and work, and that our workforce should reflect these communities and our clients. Our talent strategy should enable us to overcome bias in the construction industry by recruiting, retaining, developing, and promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Find out more here: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - RLB | Europe
If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you during any stage of the application or interview process, please contact our recruitment team at:
[email protected]
With a network that covers the globe and a heritage spanning over two centuries, Rider Levett Bucknall is a leading independent organisation in cost management and quantity surveying, project management and advisory services.
Our achievements are renowned: from the early days of pioneering quantity surveying, to landmark projects such as the Sydney Opera House, HSBC Headquarters Building in Hong Kong, the 2012 London Olympic Games and CityCenter in Las Vegas.
We continue this successful legacy with our dedication to the value, quality and sustainability of the built environment. Our innovative thinking, global reach, and flawless execution push the boundaries. Taking ambitious projects from an idea to reality.
