About the role
The HR Business Partner reports directly to the HR Director and will act as a strategic and trusted partner to designated client groups. The role will provide expert advice on people issues, support leaders in building and retaining high performing, engaged, and resilient teams, and ensure alignment with employment legislation, firm values and HR best practice.
Strategic Partnering
- Build strong relationships with Partners, Heads of Divisions and team leaders, acting as a trusted adviser on all people‑related matters.
- Understand business priorities and workforce needs, using insight and judgement to shape people plans and interventions that support firm and departmental objectives.
- Provide coaching to leaders to strengthen capability in managing performance, engagement, wellbeing, and team dynamics.
Performance, Talent & Workforce Planning
- Support leaders with effective performance management, including feedback conversations, addressing underperformance and strengthening high performer development.
- Lead talent discussions with client groups, identifying succession risks, development needs and opportunities to grow internal capability.
- Partner with managers and the Talent Acquisition team on resourcing needs, role scoping, selection decisions and onboarding quality.
Employee Relations
- Advise and guide managers through complex or sensitive ER issues, ensuring timely, fair and legally compliant outcomes.
- Take a solutions‑focused approach that balances legal risk, commerciality and the firm’s values.
- Ensure cases are well documented and progressed in partnership with the HR Operations team.
Change, Engagement & Leadership Support
- Support organisational and departmental change initiatives, ensuring effective communication, consultation and people impacts are well managed.
- Produce and deliver written proposals, ad hoc research and formal presentations to senior management and colleagues on HR issues and best practice.
- Provide actionable insight and feedback to leadership on cultural themes, morale, engagement (via Q12 survey) and retention risks.
- Contribute to and deliver leadership workshops, manager toolkits and people‑related development sessions where relevant.
Reward and Salary Review
- Coordinate and run the annual salary review process for designated client groups, working closely with the HR Director and HR Operations Manager.
- Provide guidance to Partners and Heads of Divisions on reward principles, market benchmarking, internal equity and pay governance.
- Review salary proposals, identify anomalies or risks, and prepare structured recommendations for sign‑off.
- Support communication of salary outcomes in partnership with line managers.
Policy Application & Employment Best Practice
- Ensure managers understand and apply HR policies consistently, escalating policy improvement suggestions to the HR Operations Manager as needed.
- Keep up to date with employment law developments and HR best practice, ensuring advice is accurate, pragmatic and risk‑aware.
Data, Insight & Reporting
- Use people data and MI to identify trends, diagnose issues and develop targeted solutions.
- Develop, produce and share regular KPI reports for Team Leaders and Heads of Departments.
- Prepare succinct reports, briefing papers and presentations for senior stakeholders.
Collaboration Across HR
- Work closely with colleagues across HR to ensure seamless delivery across all workstreams (Operations, DEI, Talent Acquisition, Payroll and Systems).
- Line‑manage the HR Adviser/s, providing coaching, guidance, workload oversight and support with professional development to ensure consistent, high‑quality delivery of advisory and first‑line HR support.
- Contribute to the wider HR team’s goals, projects and continuous improvement initiatives.
General
- Ensure compliance with information security policies, GDPR requirements and internal governance standards.
- Represent the values and culture of Birketts in all interactions.
Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.
What we are looking for
- Strong experience as an HR Generalist or Business Partner within a legal, professional services or comparable environment.
- Excellent knowledge of HR best practice and employment law, with the ability to apply this in a balanced, commercial way.
- Proven success in advising, coaching and influencing senior stakeholders.
- Credibility, confidence and the ability to build trusted relationships quickly.
- Strong judgement and problem‑solving skills, with a proactive and solutions‑driven mindset.
- Excellent communication skills and ability to produce high quality written work.
- Highly organised, able to manage multiple priorities and work at pace.
- CIPD qualification (Level 5 or above) desirable.
Hybrid Working
Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. This role attracts a split of 60% office days and 40% working from home days per week. We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part‑time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application.
Benefits
- 25 days holiday (FTE) rising to a maximum of 30 days (FTE) plus Bank Holidays
- Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
- Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
- Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% employee)
- Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
- Salary sacrifice (pensions, staff profit share)
- Life Assurance – 4× salary / Permanent Health Insurance
- Paid CSR Day
- Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
- Subsidised gym membership
- Electric car scheme
- Dress for your Day Policy
Equal Opportunity Employer
Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.
