Senior HR Business Partner - UK Media in London

Dentsu is an integrated growth and transformation partner to the world's leading organizations. Founded in 1901 in Tokyo, Japan, and now present in over 145 countries and regions, it has a proven track record of nurturing and developing innovations, combining the talents of its global network of leadership brands to develop impactful and integrated growth solutions for clients. Dentsu delivers end-to-end experience transformation (EX) by integrating its services across Media, CXM and Creative, while its business transformation (BX) mindset pushes the boundaries of transformation and sustainable growth for brands, people and society.

As one of two Senior HR Business Partners in dentsu's UK Media Practice you will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering on our people strategy, proactively driving successful partnerships with business leaders and taking accountability for HR support to our leaders and employees. Primary partnership will be with the Chief Media Officer and the Chief Investment Officer and their leadership team running the Amplifi area of business of c.1200 employees. The HRBP will help teams navigate this transformation, embedding clarity, new ways of working and stronger collaboration across media, partnerships and solutions. You'll play a key role in organisational design, change support and culture building as we simplify structures and move at pace into this next chapter for Amplifi. UK Media includes three brands (Carat, iProspect and Dentsu X) and comprises of c. 1,700 employees and spans six locations in the UK (London, Stafford, Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh, and Newcastle) along with near and offshore locations for key talent and skills. You will be a strategic advisor, change agent and advocate for our employees, working closely with senior leadership to align HR initiatives with business goals. Your focus will be on driving talent management, organisational development, employee engagement and diversity and inclusion efforts. This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact in a fast-paced business environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic HR Partnership: Collaborate with senior leaders to understand business objectives and develop HR strategies that support organizational goals.
• Provide expert HR guidance on talent management, succession planning, and workforce development.
• Partner with leadership to identify and address employee relations issues, ensuring a positive and inclusive workplace culture.
• Work with colleagues in the HR Centres of Excellence to lead on communication, implementation and measurement of key people initiatives and programmes to support a vibrant, fast-paced, high-performance culture.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): Champion DEI efforts, promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued and respected.
• Develop and implement strategies to attract and retain diverse talent.
• Lead initiatives to raise awareness and foster a culture of inclusion.
• Organisational Development: Support the HRD to drive change management initiatives to support organisational growth and transformation.
• Support the HRD to facilitate organisational design and restructuring efforts to optimize efficiency and effectiveness.
• Provide coaching and support to managers and employees during periods of change.
• Senior Business Relationships: Building strong, trusted partner relationships with senior business leaders.
• Establishing credibility as a strategic business partner through developing a robust understanding of the business direction and landscape.
• Supporting senior leaders to be role models who demonstrate strong leadership behaviours and accountabilities, and cascade this through their teams.
• Change Management: Leading and advising senior leaders on key organisational people change management initiatives (organisation culture change, business process re-engineering, reorganisations, organisational design).
• Talent Acquisition and Management: Develop and implement talent management programs to attract, retain, and develop top talent.
• Lead performance management initiatives, including goal setting, performance reviews, and development plans.
• Data and Insight: Utilising data and insight to support leaders, drive informed decision making and as a measure of output and initiatives.

Qualifications & Skills

• Progressive HR experience with demonstrable impact as a strategic HR Business Partner in fast-paced, high-change environments.
• Strong expertise in HR best practice, UK employment law, TUPE, talent management and DEI, including fostering inclusive and neurodivergent-supportive workplaces.
• Proven ability to simplify complex, ambiguous issues into clear priorities, sound decisions, and executable plans.
• Strong bias to action; sets clear accountabilities, drives delivery at pace and moves work from discussion to measurable outcomes.
• Confident, constructive challenger who uses data, insight and commercial pragmatism to influence senior leaders and hold firm on priorities.
• Able to operate at both strategic and hands-on levels, driving the HR agenda in partnership with senior leaders and Centres of Excellence.
• Builds trusted relationships and influences without authority across matrixed organisations; strong executive presence and stakeholder management skills.
• Resilient, resourceful and adaptable communicator - concise, audience-aware and proactive in anticipating and mitigating risk; Workday experience beneficial.

What We Offer

This is a permanent role. The team is based in our London office but operates under flexible working arrangements and you will be expected to work from the office at least 2 days a week. As well as a competitive salary, you'll enjoy a benefits package that you can tailor to your needs.

Inclusion and Diversity

At Dentsu, we embrace diversity and inclusion, valuing the unique perspectives and contributions of every individual. We believe that diversity fuels creativity and innovation, benefiting our employees, partners, and communities. We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic. Beyond recruitment, we strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, supported, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. We recognize the importance of work-life balance and are open to discussing flexible working arrangements for all roles. If you need reasonable adjustments due to a disability or medical condition during our recruitment process, please contact us at accommodations@dentsu.com quoting the reference number of the role that you are applying for. Your needs will be handled with respect and confidentiality to ensure an inclusive and accessible experience.

Location: London
Brand: Dentsu
Time Type: Full time
Contract Type: Permanent