HR Partner - 15 month absence cover

We are pleased to offer an opportunity for an experienced HR Partner to join our close‑knit team at EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute on a 15‑month absence cover contract. As part of the HR Partnering team, you will support the scientists and professional staff whose work advances biodiversity research, addresses climate change challenges, and drives discoveries that improve human health. You will provide a proactive, practical and people‑focused HR service to UK‑based managers and staff, advising on a broad range of operational and strategic HR matters in an international and multicultural environment.

Responsibilities

• Providing HR support on policies and practices that ensure fairness and expediency, partnering with the organisation to deliver value‑added services and shape People Plans.
• Influencing and developing strong relationships with stakeholders to advise and coach managers on the people agenda, achieving high levels of trust, respect and professionalism.
• Challenging people managers to address root people and business issues, ensuring inclusive staffing and promotion.
• Bringing people expertise to develop solutions that advance organisational strategy and provide data‑driven insights.
• Driving a culture of high performance where talent is recognised, stretched and poor performance managed.
• Collaborating across the HR function to develop integrated solutions and ensure execution for major people‑centred projects with a one‑team approach that boosts employee morale and satisfaction.
• Acting as a change agent overseeing new processes, driving adoption of HR technology, tools and solutions and leading other change initiatives.

Qualifications

• A degree or apprenticeship in Human Resource Management, Public/Business Administration or a related field.
• Experience engaging a wide range of audiences with a flexible, customer‑focused, outcome‑orientated approach and ability to excel in high‑pressure situations.
• Authentic, collaborative and commercially minded professional with ambition and determination.
• Strong business‑partnering experience, project management, analytical and problem‑solving skills, with data‑driven decision‑making.
• Passion for innovation and experience driving employee development, contributing to a positive learning culture.
• Commitment to providing exceptional customer service.
• Effective cross‑functional communication and collaboration, building strong partnerships with colleagues of different cultural backgrounds.
• Internal stakeholder management capability and coaching skills for partnering, problem solving, opportunity spotting and mission advancement.
• Good knowledge of employment legislation principles, application, compliance and current HR best practice.
• Experience navigating conflict and facilitating conversations, and developing and implementing HR initiatives for diverse, dispersed and dynamic teams.
• Prior experience using Workday, HR processes and procedures in international organisations.
• Exposure to multicultural environments, ideally in a science organisation.
• Knowledge of another European language (e.g. French, German, Italian or Spanish).

Contract & Salary

• Contract length: 15 months absence cover.
• Salary: Grade 6 – monthly salary of £3,695.61 after tax (excluding pension and insurance contributions). Plus generous benefits.

Benefits

• Monthly family, child and non‑resident allowances, annual salary review, pension scheme, death benefit, long‑term care, accident‑at‑work and unemployment insurances.
• Hybrid working: three days on‑site and two days from home, with a dedicated desk available every day.
• Flexible working arrangements, including hybrid patterns.
• Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family (prescriptions and generous dental & optical cover).
• Generous time off: 30 days annual leave plus public holidays.
• Relocation package including installation grant (if required).
• Campus life: free shuttle bus, on‑site library, subsidised gym and cafeteria, casual dress code, sports and social club activities, on‑campus and remote.
• Family benefits: on‑site nursery, 10 days of child sick leave, generous parental leave, holiday clubs, monthly family and child allowances.
• Benefits for non‑UK residents: visa exemption, education grant for private schooling, financial support to return home every second year, and a monthly non‑resident allowance.

Interview Schedule

Interviews will be held on Thursday 25th June via Zoom.

Closing Date

Applications will close at 23:59 CET on 07/06/2026.

International Applicants

EMBL recruits internationally and offers visa exemptions to successful candidates.

Equal Opportunity Statement

EMBL is committed to building an inclusive and diverse workforce, encouraging applications from candidates of all genders, identities, nationalities and diverse backgrounds.