Location: Monmouthshire, with hybrid working and travel across multiple sites
Contract: Fixed-term contract until August 2027
Reports to: Head of HR
We are recruiting an experienced HR Business Partner for a confidential, multi-site organisation in South Wales.
This is the most senior business partnering role within the HR department and a highly visible appointment, working directly with the senior leadership team. You will provide credible, pragmatic advice, lead complex employee relations matters and help senior leaders deliver effective people plans.
The role offers significant autonomy. You will manage your own priorities, exercise sound judgement and support managers and senior leaders directly. You will also have an allocated HR administrator providing dedicated administrative support.
You will be employed directly by the organisation on a fixed-term contract covering adoption leave.
Key responsibilities
- Partner directly with senior leaders and managers, translating organisational priorities into practical people plans.
- Lead complex employee relations casework, including disciplinary, grievance, capability and other sensitive matters.
- Manage complex cases involving recognised trade unions.
- Build constructive relationships with union representatives and lead sensitive discussions and negotiations.
- Provide expert advice on contractual and employment matters, ensuring legal, policy, operational and reputational risks are appropriately managed.
- Coach managers to improve their confidence and capability when applying HR policies and managing people issues.
- Support organisational change, including restructures, workforce planning and cultural change initiatives.
- Use HR data and management information to identify trends, understand root causes and recommend measurable improvements.
- Lead or contribute to the development and review of HR policies and procedures.
- Support employee engagement, learning and development, talent and succession-planning activity.
- Manage your workload independently while making effective use of your allocated HR administrator.
You will be an accomplished and credible HR professional who is comfortable working independently and advising senior leaders directly.
You will bring:
- Substantial generalist HR experience, ideally gained as an HR Business Partner, HR Manager or in a comparable senior role.
- A strong track record of independently leading complex employee relations casework.
- Experience of working in a unionised environment and managing sensitive relationships with trade unions.
- Current, practical knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
- The confidence and credibility to influence senior leaders and directors.
- Strong judgement, negotiation and influencing skills.
- A calm, pragmatic and solutions-focused approach.
- Experience of organisational change, workforce planning and policy development or implementation.
- The ability to analyse HR data, identify trends and develop short, medium and long-term plans.
- The initiative, organisation and resilience to manage competing priorities with minimal supervision.
- CIPD Level 7, progress towards it or equivalent senior-level experience.
- A degree-level qualification is preferred.
Experience of iTrent, multi-site organisations, learning and development, succession and talent management or project management would be advantageous. The ability to communicate in Welsh would also be beneficial.
Practical requirements
You must be able to travel between sites as required and work flexibly where business needs occasionally require evening or weekend activity.
Why apply?
This is an opportunity to step into a genuinely senior and influential HR role, work closely with an organisation’s leadership team and make a visible contribution across employee relations, organisational change and people management.
You will have the independence to lead your portfolio, supported by a dedicated HR administrator.
Apply today!
