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- Tasks: Support managers in building high-performing teams and solve complex people challenges.
- Company: Rowden designs advanced systems for critical operations in challenging environments.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, a hybrid model, and a commitment to inclusivity.
- Why this job: Make a significant impact while working closely with engineering teams in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in fast-paced businesses; strong communication and coaching skills required.
- Other info: CIPD qualifications are a plus, but not essential; we value diverse backgrounds.
The predicted salary is between 51000 - 65000 £ per year.
This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK\’s leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.
Senior People Business Partner
Department: Operations
Employment Type: Permanent – Full Time
Location: Bristol, UK
Reporting To: Faye Turner
Compensation: GBP 60,000 – GBP 70,000 / year
Description
At Rowden, we design and integrate advanced systems that sense, connect, and protect data in challenging environments where quick decisions are vital. Our solutions are built to support mission critical operations critical operations in remote or high-pressure settings.
Headquartered in Bristol (UK), we combine modern engineering methods with cutting-edge commercial technology to create adaptable, mission-critical systems. We focus on solving the tough challenges that others overlook, ensuring our customers can operate effectively in an ever-changing world.
The role: Senior People Partner (HRBP)
As we grow, we\’re looking for a Senior People Partner (HRBP) who will support and challenge managers to build high-performing, engaged teams. We\’re looking for someone who is smart, strategic, and operational – someone who can work closely with senior leaders, build trust quickly, solve complex people challenges, and drive forward pragmatic solutions with speed and confidence. This isn\’t a traditional back-office HR role – you\’ll be a hands-on partner to managers and teams.
You\’ll work within the People & Culture team, reporting to the Head of People, and act as a strategic business partner to our engineering teams, who make up the biggest proportion of our workforce. Your role will span everything from team design and workforce planning, to performance management, coaching, and change leadership. You\’ll bring structure to ambiguity, identify what matters most, and work at pace to make it happen. This is a critical role, with the ability to have a big impact on the company as it grows.
Formal HR credentials are welcome, but not essential. What matters most is your judgment, adaptability, drive, and ability to work with people to deliver high-impact results.
Key areas of responsibility
As Senior People Business Partner at Rowden, you will be responsible for:
Strategic people partnering
- Serve as a trusted advisor to functional leads and managers, providing insight and guidance on people-related matters
- Manage complex employee relations issues in a complex environment
- Support managers in attracting, assessing and selecting the right people for their teams
- Partner with managers to identify high-potential talent and create strong succession plans
- Identify gaps in learning and development and design relevant programs leveraging internal or external resources
- Drive implementation of career development frameworks
Coaching and mentoring
- Coach managers to navigate performance evaluation and development conversations with confidence and clarity.
- Deliver training and tooling that empowers managers to lead well and scale team culture effectively.
Workforce planning
- Lead and support workforce planning initiatives, partnering with Talent and Finance to align headcount with business goals.
- Design scalable people structures and frameworks that can evolve with business complexity.
Supporting change
- Support and lead cross-functional change initiatives, enabling new ways of working and helping teams adopt them successfully.
- Champion Rowden\’s culture, values and behavioural expectations through your overall approach and interactions.
Key skills, experience and behaviours
We are looking for someone that is motivated by impact, passionate about solving people-focused problems and driven to create a culture that enables strong business outcomes. You\’ll gain loads of experience in this role but before you do, you should have:
Essential Skills & Experience
- 5+ years\’ experience operating in a fast-paced, high-growth business (ideally tech, engineering, or similar).
- Experience advising leaders on people, team or organisational matters – whether through HR, operations, consulting or other strategic roles.
- Exposure across the full people lifecycle including effective onboarding, workforce planning, and performance management.
- Strong business acumen to quickly understand skills and responsibilities across technology focused roles and technical project delivery.
- High levels of emotional intelligence and strong coaching mindset.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels and win trust quickly.
- Experience delivering business-critical projects or organisational change involving people.
- The ability to bring structure and sound judgment to difficult problems.
About you:
- Happy to get hands-on and work autonomously.
- Bias for action, strong prioritisation, and comfort with ambiguity.
- Maintains confidentiality and handles sensitive information with discretion.
Highly Desirable (but not essential)
- Experience within People/HR, Operations, or Strategy roles.
- Exposure to employee relations and UK employment law.
- CIPD qualifications
More information about security clearance is available here:
Working at Rowden
We are committed to building a flexible, inclusive, and enabling company. Our aim is to create a diverse team of talented people with unique skills, experience, and backgrounds, so please apply and come as you are!
We also recognise the importance of flexible working and support this wherever we can. We typically operate a flexible, hybrid-working model, with an average 3 days in the office each week (dependent on the role). We welcome the opportunity to discuss flexibility, part-time working requirements and/or workplace adjustments with all our applicants.
Rowden is a Disability Confident Committed company, and we actively encourage people with disabilities and health conditions to apply for our roles. Please let us know your requirements early on so that we can make sure you have everything you need up front to help make the recruitment process and experience as easy as possible.
Finally, if you feel that you don\’t meet all the criteria included above but have transferable skills and relevant experience, we\’d still love to hear from you!
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Senior People Business Partner employer: Rowden
Contact Detail:
Rowden Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior People Business Partner
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with Rowden's mission and values. Understanding their focus on advanced systems and high-pressure environments will help you align your experience and demonstrate how you can contribute to their goals during interviews.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with current or former employees of Rowden, especially those in HR or operational roles. They can provide insights into the company culture and expectations, which can be invaluable when preparing for discussions with hiring managers.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare specific examples of how you've successfully navigated complex people challenges in previous roles. Highlighting your strategic thinking and hands-on approach will resonate well with the expectations for this position.
✨Tip Number 4
Stay updated on trends in workforce planning and employee engagement, particularly in tech and engineering sectors. Being able to discuss current best practices will showcase your expertise and commitment to driving impactful results at Rowden.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior People Business Partner
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience that aligns with the key responsibilities of the Senior People Business Partner role. Focus on your strategic people partnering, coaching, and workforce planning skills.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for solving people-focused problems and how your background in high-growth environments makes you a great fit for Rowden. Mention specific examples of how you've successfully navigated complex employee relations issues.
Highlight Key Skills: Emphasise your emotional intelligence, communication skills, and ability to influence at all levels. These are crucial for building trust quickly with managers and teams, as mentioned in the job description.
Showcase Adaptability: Demonstrate your ability to work autonomously and handle ambiguity. Provide examples from your past experiences where you've successfully adapted to changing circumstances or led cross-functional change initiatives.
How to prepare for a job interview at Rowden
✨Understand the Company Culture
Before your interview, take some time to research Rowden's culture and values. This will help you align your answers with what they prioritise, showing that you're a good fit for their team.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Given the hands-on nature of the role, be ready to discuss specific scenarios where you've successfully navigated complex people challenges. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses.
✨Showcase Your Coaching Skills
As a Senior People Business Partner, you'll need to coach managers effectively. Prepare examples of how you've mentored others in the past, focusing on the impact your coaching had on their performance and team dynamics.
✨Demonstrate Strategic Thinking
Highlight your experience in strategic workforce planning and how you've contributed to aligning people strategies with business goals. Be ready to discuss how you can bring structure to ambiguity and drive change within the organisation.
