Senior HR Business Partner

Job description

Post Title:Senior HR Business Partner - Projects, Policy and Reward

SBU/Department: Human Resources

FTE: 1 FTE (working 37 hours per week)

Duration of Contract: Permanent

Salary: Please note the starting salary is £58,225.00pa.

Annual Leave: 30 days plus standard public holidays and an additional 4 days including the closure of our office between Christmas and New Year

Location: Bishop Square, Hatfield

We particularly welcome applications from suitably qualified men and individuals from black and minority ethnic backgrounds as they are currently underrepresented in our wider HR team.

Main duties and responsibilities

As an experienced, forward-thinking HR Professional, you will line-manage a small team working closely with our Business Partnering, L&OD and EDI colleagues to lead on HR Projects, Organisational Policy and Reward.

You will lead on HR-related projects and reward initiatives for the organisation, working closely with senior leaders and other stakeholders to ensure the best outcomes for our people. You will drive the development, review and implementation of University policies, ensuring that we adopt best practice, remain compliant and provide a positive staff experience.

You will also provide HR leadership support to Unobus Ltd, line-managing the Assistant HR Business Partner assigned to this subsidiary company.

Skills and experience required

You will have had appropriate proven HR case work experience, including but not limited to disciplinary processes, grievance, absence management and claims of harassment and bullying as well as leading the HR support for change management projects. You will also have had experience of working with trade unions and experience of working in the public sector environment. You will have experience of developing and executing workshops for staff and managers and have experience of managing people.

You will have good presentation skills with the ability to convey complex information and data in a way that is understood and helpful to a variety of audiences including senior management. You will have good operational knowledge of UK Employment Law and its practical application to HR processes and administration.

Experience of working with key stakeholders in a partnering relationship and the ability to prioritise several sometimes-conflicting demands is essential. You will have excellent communication skills as well as the ability to negotiate and persuade colleagues and develop professional working relationships. Proven ability to work independently on own initiative whilst contributing to the team and demonstrating consistency is essential.

Qualifications required

You will be educated with a Degree or equivalent, or substantial proven work experience. You must also hold a professional HR qualification and current CIPD membership as you will be joining an experienced, qualified team.

Please view the job description and person specification for a full list of the duties and essential criteria.Please attach a personal statement showing clearly how your skills and experience match the Person Specification.

Please note: The starting salary is £58,225p.a.

Internal applicants - please ensure you apply via your employee self-service portal.

We regret that we are unable to offer UKVI sponsorship for this post; applicants will either hold UK Right to Work or demonstrate access to UK Right to Work before an offer is made.

Contact Details/Informal Enquiries: Karen Withers, Assistant Director HR (Strategy and Partnering), [email protected]

Closing Date: 04th October 2026

Interview Date: TBC - Likely to take place in October

Reference Number: REQ000850

Date advert placed: 17th September 2026

Our vision is to transform lives: UH is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and building a diverse community. We welcome applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of their protected characteristics and recognise there are different ways applicants may achieve the criteria in this document. We particularly welcome applications from suitably qualified men and individuals from black and minority ethnic backgrounds as they are currently underrepresented in our wider HR team. We offer a range of employee benefits including generous annual leave, flexible location opportunities within the UK, discounted Sports Village memberships and free Active Staff sessions, personal and professional development and family-friendly policies. #GoHerts.