Senior Human Resources Business Partner

Are you an experienced HR professional who loves to drive positive change? As our Senior Human Resources Business Partner, you'll be instrumental in translating our business goals into people centred solutions. You’ll play a key role in driving our strategic change agenda, helping to challenge and influence existing practices to ensure our people solutions are aligned with future objectives. You’ll oversee the valuable contributions of our junior HR business partners by providing clear direction, guidance and coaching to enhance their capabilities and impact.

Essentially, you'll be the go-to HR expert for designated directorates, providing high level people management and development support to boost efficiency and cost effectiveness through innovative and agile strategies. If you're ready to make a significant impact on our people and our business, this is the role for you!

Main Responsibilities

• You’ll be leading the delivery of our overarching People Plan's strategic initiatives across relevant business areas, acting as the primary contact for managers throughout the entire employee lifecycle.
• You’ll deliver key HR initiatives across the whole HR spectrum, including workforce planning, restructuring, resourcing, talent management, pay and reward, employee relations, employee engagement, and performance management.
• You’ll directly influence, advise, and support senior managers through complex change initiatives.
• You’ll support the development and implementation of our pay and reward strategy, assisting with pay negotiations, salary benchmarking, and our annual performance review and bonus allocation processes.
• As a trusted business partner, you’ll proactively cultivate strong working relationships with teams, managers, and key stakeholders across the organisation.
• You’ll foster a collaborative environment that promotes effective and positive change.
• You’ll also provide day-to-day performance management guidance to line management, covering coaching, counselling, career development, and disciplinary actions.
• You’ll identify training needs within business units and engage with our Organisational Development (OD) teams to deliver appropriate programmes.
• You’ll participate in evaluating and monitoring training programmes to ensure their effectiveness, making sure training objectives are met and a strong return on investment is achieved.
• You’ll also support broader OD initiatives, including succession planning and annual appraisals.
• You’ll conduct thorough analysis of HR trends and metrics to identify potential issues, then develop tailored solutions, programmes, and policies that align with business needs.
• You’ll take responsibility for meeting all Directorate reporting obligations by delivering comprehensive and precise HR management information.
• You’ll promote best practice ways of working across our HR policies and facilitate the resolution of people-related conflicts and issues.
• As needed, you’ll provide coaching to various stakeholders within the organisation to enhance their skills and capabilities in all people-related activities.
• You’ll actively participate and contribute to monthly Directorate meetings and senior management meetings.
• You’ll proactively identify and address any people-related concerns, collaborating with senior managers to develop effective solutions that align with the overall business strategy.

You’ll Need

• CIPD Level 7 or equivalent qualifications.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical capability.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and people management skills.
• Intellectual curiosity, tenacity, and patience.
• Proven negotiation and influencing skills.
• A keen sense of commercial awareness.
• Strong coaching skills.
• To be a strong team player.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects and relationships simultaneously.
• A proven ability to collaborate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Demonstrable experience of grasping issues quickly and delivering effective and efficient solutions.
• In-depth knowledge and experience of managing complex employee relations cases.
• Demonstrable expertise in cultivating organisational culture and driving transformative change.
• Proficiency in leading and supporting change management initiatives.
• Proven experience in managing professional, effective, and proactive relationships with senior leaders.
• A proven track record of delivering value-adding HR solutions, leveraging data-driven approaches to achieve impactful outcomes.
• Experience managing a team of junior business partners.
• A driving licence is required for this role.

We want to be the water company people want to be supplied by and want to work for. We know the communities we serve are diverse. We recognise creativity comes from diversity not similarity. That’s why we are enthusiastic about creating inclusion across age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion and identity. You will experience our dedication to equal opportunities and fair treatment for all: through your recruitment, employment and career progression with South East Water.

Benefits package:

• Excellent Stakeholder pension scheme, up to 10% employer contribution.
• 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays per annum, increasing to 6 weeks with length of service.
• Flexible annual leave policy to buy or sell holiday leave.
• Paid volunteering days.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Health cash plan.
• Life assurance.
• Wellbeing related benefits.

What can you expect from your recruitment?

To apply for this position, please submit your CV on our career’s website. It is necessary for you to have the legal right to work in the UK when you begin employment with South East Water. Additionally, as part of the employment offer, you will need to pass background, identity, and employment referencing checks.

If this sounds like the opportunity you’ve been looking for, apply now!