HR People Business Partner in Theale

Cornerstone is the UK’s leading mobile and digital infrastructure provider, managing over 15,700 sites and holding 35% of the market. Our Mission is to be famous for excellence in delivery, embracing transformation with our people and our customers at its heart.

The People Business Partner provides both operational and strategic HR support across Cornerstone, working with colleagues and leaders to deliver the People Agenda. Reporting to the People Manager, this role is an integral part of the People team, empowered to make decisions that shape the future of Cornerstone.

The People Business Partner provides both operational and strategic HR support across Cornerstone, acting as a trusted advisor to leaders and colleagues. The role covers the full employee lifecycle — from recruitment and onboarding through to development, engagement, performance, reward, succession planning, and exit.

Operating within a fast-paced, matrix environment, the People Business Partner partners with leaders to understand their directorates, commercial drivers, and strategic priorities. They are accountable for organisational effectiveness, talent planning, compensation and benefits, and employee relations, ensuring that People initiatives are aligned to business objectives and OKRs. The role also acts as deputy to the People Manager during periods of absence, ensuring continuity of leadership within the People team.

The People Business Partner delivers the People Agenda by embedding HR processes and initiatives across the organisation. They provide operational expertise across the employee lifecycle, including job design, salary benchmarking, recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and compensation. They lead the annual salary review and bonus payment process, maintain benchmark data, and act as an escalation point for payroll and benefits queries.

They collaborate with leaders to drive organisational effectiveness, identify and nurture talent, and activate succession planning. The role ensures accurate headcount data and reporting, providing insights for CEO reports, People metrics, and board packs. They build strong relationships with SLT and Translate-level leaders, coaching and challenging them to make effective people decisions that improve engagement and performance.

The People Business Partner also manages external supplier relationships (payroll, pensions, medical insurance), supports ISO compliance, and champions the People team brand as approachable, credible, and commercially astute. They lead or support People projects and strategic initiatives, ensuring operational delivery is aligned with Cornerstone’s long-term objectives.

To succeed in this role, the People Business Partner must demonstrate broad HR expertise across the full employee lifecycle, with proven experience in business partnering, employee relations, reward, recognition, and performance management. They should be confident in handling complex ER cases (including TUPE), delivering People projects across multiple disciplines, and influencing senior stakeholders in a matrix environment.

The role requires strong analytical skills to interpret HR data, cut through complexity, and develop practical solutions. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential to build trusted relationships, hold challenging conversations, and provide objective, insightful advice. The People Business Partner must be resilient, adaptable, and able to manage competing priorities, while maintaining a hands-on approach and strong team ethic.

• Broad, generalist HR experience including business partnering, employee relations, reward, recognition, and performance management.
• Experience of TUPE and complex ER case handling.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, matrix organisational structure.
• Delivery of People projects across multiple disciplines (performance management, change, reward, development).
• Ability to prioritise and manage multiple competing deliverables.
• Comfortable dealing with ambiguity and adapting quickly.
• Strong analytical skills, able to cut through complexity and develop practical solutions.
• Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• Strong communication skills, able to hold challenging conversations.
• Objective, insightful, and able to demonstrate sound judgment.
• Team player with a hands-on approach.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office with intermediate Excel skills.

Min CIPD – Level 5

• Competitive salary and an excellent bonus structure
• 30 days holiday + Bank Holidays
• Electric Car Scheme
• Competitive pension scheme
• Hybrid working
• Life insurance
• Cycle to Work
• Retail Discount
• Competitive refer a friend scheme
• Private Healthcare Insurance

Operate and uphold Cornerstone’s values of Everyone Matters, Innovate to Elevate, Do the Right Thing and Customer First by being Professional, Respectful and Open.