The Senior HR Business Partner (HRBP) acts as a trusted advisor to the retail and commercial leadership teams, ensuring the people strategy supports business objectives, performance, and growth. This role balances strategic partnership with hands-on HR delivery, supporting leaders through organisational change, employee relations, talent acquisition, talent development, and key annual HR cycles.

Working closely with retail leadership and the other HR functions, this role will influence leadership behaviours, strengthen employee engagement, and ensure effective and compliant people practices across the business.

What Will You Do?

Strategic Business Partnering

• Act as a trusted advisor to commercial and retail leaders, aligning people strategies with the wider business plan and commercial objectives.

• Influence and coach leaders to strengthen management capability, improve decision-making and drive high-performing teams.

• Provide insights and recommendations using HR data and workforce trends to support operational performance and employee experience.

• Build strong partnerships across different functions to work collaboratively to deliver outstanding outcomes for the business.

Employee Relations & Case Management

• Lead and manage complex Employee Relations cases, including disciplinary, grievance, absence and performance management issues.

• Conduct investigations and ensure all cases are managed fairly, consistently and in line with employment law and internal policies.

• Provide advice to managers to mitigate legal exposure and reputational risk.

• Support leaders in building proactive people management practices to reduce ER escalations.

Organisational Change & Transformation

• Lead and support organisational change initiatives including restructuring, organisational design, redundancies and redeployment processes.

• Partner with leadership teams to design effective structures and ways of working that improve commercial performance.

• Support change communications and coach leaders through periods of transformation and cultural change.

HR Annual Cycles & Projects

• Manage and deliver key HR cyclical processes including:

• Engagement surveys and action planning

• Performance review cycles

• Salary and reward reviews

• Talent and succession reviews

Talent Management

• Support workforce planning and recruitment for key roles across the commercial function.

• Support hiring managers on first-line recruitment for critical roles.

• Contribute to job evaluation and grading frameworks in partnership with Reward and HR teams.

• Collaborate with Learning & Development to identify capability gaps and support leadership development initiatives.

Commercial Acumen

• Demonstrate strong commercial awareness, understanding the retail business plan, operational drivers and financial targets.

• Support workforce planning and headcount management in line with budget and business priorities.

• Provide people insights that support operational productivity and cost management.

Compliance & Employment Law

• Maintain strong knowledge of employment legislation and upcoming regulatory changes.

• Ensure HR policies and practices comply with legal requirements and industry best practice.

• Provide guidance to managers on policy interpretation

The Perfect Candidate:

Experience

• Significant HR Business Partner experience within a retail & multi-site commercial environment.

• Proven track record of managing complex Employee Relations cases and supporting organisational change initiatives including restructures.

• Experience working closely with senior leaders in a commercially focused business function.

Skills

• Strong stakeholder management and influencing capability.

• Commercial mindset with the ability to connect people strategy with business outcomes.

• Strong employment law knowledge and risk management capability.

• Experience managing HR programmes and cyclical people processes.

• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on delivery in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• CIPD qualification (Level 5 or above) or equivalent HR experience.

• Degree in Human Resources, Business, or related discipline (Desirable).

What We Offer You!*

• Discretionary Company Bonus scheme 

• Contribution Pension Scheme  

• Holiday Allowance – above statutory  

• Flexible Bank Holidays  

• Enhanced Maternity (20 weeks full pay) and Paternity leave (12 weeks full pay) after 1 year 

• Hybrid working for Office based staff– 3 days in the office   

• Work from Anywhere Policy – up to 4 weeks a year   

• Volunteering 1 Day  

• Half day leave for Birthday

• One day’s holiday for Newly Weds 

• Discount Scheme

• Product allocation

• Company benefits platform

• Cycle to work scheme through Reward Gateway 

• Travel Loan through Reward Gateway

• Subsidised health & wellbeing plan

• Long service awards