HR Business Partner in Oxford

Join us at the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), where we’re on a mission to translate scientific discovery into real-world impact. We bring together visionary scientists, technologists, engineers, researchers, educators and innovators to tackle humanity’s greatest challenges in four transformative areas:

• Health, Medical Science & Generative Biology
• Food Security & Sustainable Agriculture
• Climate Change & Managing CO₂
• Artificial Intelligence & Robotics

This is ambitious work that demands curiosity, courage, and a relentless drive to make a difference. At EIT, you’ll join a community built on excellence, innovation, tenacity, trust, and collaboration, where bold ideas become real-world breakthroughs.

Your Role: We are seeking a proactive and commercially minded HR Business Partner to support our rapidly growing population of scientists, researchers, technical specialists, and operational teams. Working closely with leaders across the organisation, the HRBP will provide strategic and operational HR support that enables EIT's ambitious life sciences and research agenda. This role will play a key part in building a high-performing, mission-driven workforce, supporting organisational growth, workforce planning, talent development, employee relations, and culture initiatives within a dynamic, research-led environment.

Your Responsibilities:

• Strategic HR Support: Collaborate with business leaders across scientific, technology, engineering, operational and corporate teams to align people strategies with organisational objectives.
• Employee Relations and Employment Law: Serve as a trusted advisor on complex employee relations matters, ensuring all activities are managed in accordance with UK employment law.
• Talent Management and Development: Partner with the Talent team and business leaders to attract, engage and retain high-calibre talent.
• Performance Management: Support managers in establishing clear performance expectations aligned to business objectives.
• HR Analytics and Reporting: Analyse workforce data and organisational metrics to provide data-driven insights that support business decision-making.
• Policy and Compliance: Ensure HR practices comply with UK employment legislation and internal policies.
• Organisational Change and Growth: Support business transformation and change management initiatives.
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I): Champion initiatives that support innovation, collaboration and a sense of belonging.

Requirements:

• Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or a related discipline.
• Strong knowledge of HR principles, policies, procedures and UK employment legislation.
• Experience providing HR business partnering support across the employee lifecycle.
• Significant experience managing complex employee relations matters.
• Strong analytical skills with experience using HR data and metrics.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong organisational and project management skills.
• Demonstrated problem-solving capability.
• Adaptable and resilient, with a proactive approach to change.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• CIPD Level 5 or Level 7 qualification.
• Experience within biotechnology, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, or other highly regulated environments.
• Experience supporting high-growth or transformational organisations.
• Knowledge of workforce planning and talent management approaches.
• Experience developing and implementing diversity, equity and inclusion programmes.

Benefits:

• Enhanced holiday: 25 days plus 8 bank holidays and an additional 3 days between Christmas and New Year.
• Pension: Employer contribution 7.5%, minimum employee contribution 5%.
• Life Assurance and Income Protection.
• Private Medical Insurance for you, your partner and any dependents.
• Employee discounts and Electric car scheme.
• Cycle to Work Scheme and Family Planning support.
• Neurodiversity support including advice and assessments.
• Coaching & Therapy services.

You must have the right to work permanently in the UK with a willingness to travel as necessary. In certain cases, we can consider sponsorship, assessed on a case-by-case basis. You will live in, or within easy commuting distance of, Oxford (or be willing to relocate).