Lead HR Business Partner in Cardiff

Our mission in People Services is to help create an amazing place to work, with flexibilities so that we all thrive and live better and healthier lives through fulfilling work. As part of this, our HR Business Partner team supports leaders to achieve their strategic objectives through collaborative working, helping to deliver a great employee experience by co‑creating impactful people initiatives that respond to both current priorities and future workforce needs.

As our Lead HR Business Partner, you’ll shape and strengthen our HR Business Partnering function, ensuring a consistent, high‑quality and impactful service across the University. Working closely with executive leaders, Deans and Directors, you’ll operate at a strategic level to support decision‑making and align people priorities with the University’s strategic direction. You’ll use insight, critical thinking and professional judgement to address both current and emerging workforce challenges, enabling a proactive and forward‑looking approach.

In this role, you’ll also:

• Lead and develop the HR Business Partnering team, ensuring an aligned approach across the University.
• Coach and influence leaders to build capability, shape decision‑making and enable high performance across the organisation.
• Support organisational change and strategic workforce planning, using data and insight to deliver sustainable, well‑informed outcomes.
• Provide oversight of complex employee relations matters, ensuring fair, consistent and legally compliant approaches while supporting a resolution‑focused culture.

What you’ll bring:

• You’ll bring significant experience of operating at a senior strategic HR level, with accountability for leading and developing HR teams, enabling organisational impact through others.
• You’ll have a strong track record of supporting organisational change and transformation, alongside the ability to coach and influence senior leaders, building trust and credibility to shape decision‑making.
• You’ll apply your expertise in HR best practice across key areas including workforce planning, organisational design, transformation and employee relations to deliver impactful outcomes for the University.
• Additionally, you’ll bring strong employment law knowledge, with confidence in supporting complex employee relation matters.
• Bring project management capability, with the ability to plan, prioritise and deliver meaningful outcomes.
• Have experience of working within a complex organisation, including partnership with Trade Unions or other employee representation groups.
• Demonstrate a data‑driven mindset, with the ability to interpret people insights and support evidence‑based decision‑making.

Benefits:

• Annual leave of 35 days, plus 12 bank holiday / concessionary days.
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer monthly contributions.
• Excellent family friendly policies – take a look on our Policy Hub page.
• Opportunities to learn and develop your skills with access to library and digital services facilities.
• Excellent sports and fitness facilities with subsidised membership.
• Free family access to our independent specialist wellbeing support provider, Health Assured.

Cardiff Metropolitan University is proud to be a Disability Confident employer and a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant. All applicants with disabilities, or those who are part of the Armed Forces community who during the shortlisting process meet the essential criteria for the role will be progressed to the next stage. The University is committed to creating a highly inclusive culture. We offer family friendly and flexible working arrangements and a range of staff networks, forums and events to support and develop our people. We warmly welcome applications from those traditionally underrepresented in the higher education sector.