HR Business Partner - Ipswich

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals and over 600 staff based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client. We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face. Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do. RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 6th best law firm to work at in 2026. With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 45% of our partnership.

Our HR team sits within the wider Business Services Division, providing expert guidance and trusted advice to managers and employees to support the effective delivery of HR processes across the firm. As we continue to grow and evolve, the team plays a key role in shaping a future-focused firm driving positive change, fostering a high-performance culture, and ensuring our people strategy aligns with the firms long-term ambitions. By proactively partnering with the business, the HR team champions innovation in people practices, supports leadership capability, and enables an engaging and inclusive employee experience. Through continuous improvement and a forward-looking approach, the team helps build a resilient, adaptable workforce that is equipped to meet future challenges and opportunities as we expand.

Reporting to the HR Director, this role will act as a strategic and trusted HR Business Partner to designated client groups, delivering expert advice on people issues and supporting leaders to build and retain high performing, engaged and resilient teams. The role will focus on enabling strong leadership capability, effective performance management, talent development and proactive workforce planning, while ensuring alignment with employment legislation, firm values and HR best practice. This role works closely with the other HR Business Partner(s), HR Operations Manager, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits Manager, Wellbeing & Inclusion Manager as well as the L&D and Talent Acquisition teams to ensure a joined up, consistent and high quality HR service.

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 firms 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 leadership and support on HR projects and wider business change initiatives.
• 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, 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 teams 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.

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.

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our 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.

As a Birketts colleague, you will be eligible to receive a wide range of 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 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance, Paid CSR Day, Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave, Subsidised gym membership, Electric car scheme, Dress for your Day Policy.

At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth. 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.

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At Birketts, we recognise the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal profession and recruitment. We welcome innovation and understand that candidates may use AI tools to support their job applications. However, we expect all applicants to use AI responsibly and ethically.

Our expectations regarding AI use in applications: Your application should reflect your own voice, experiences, and insights. AI may assist in structuring or refining your responses, but it must not replace your personal input. Do not use AI to misrepresent your qualifications, experiences, or skills. Any form of exaggeration or fabrication may result in rejection from the process. If you have used AI tools to assist with your application, be prepared to discuss how and why you used them during the interview process. Do not submit content generated by AI tools that may include personal or sensitive data not intended for public disclosure. AI-generated content should be reviewed and edited by you to ensure accuracy, relevance, and alignment with the role and our firms values.

We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment practices. The use of AI should enhance, not compromise, your application. We encourage candidates to demonstrate critical thinking, commercial awareness, and a genuine interest in our firm. If you have any questions about our expectations or the use of AI in your application, please contact our Talent Acquisition Team.