HR Business Partner in Manchester

Manchester, office in the heart of the Northern Quarter. 3-days per week in office (Monday to Wednesday), 2-days from home.

Contract details: 9-12 month fixed-term contract (maternity cover). Salary: up to £40,000 per annum.

About Grayce: We are change and transformation partners for the world's most ambitious organisations. For over a decade, we've delivered measurable impact by identifying, developing, and deploying high-performing talent across the UK and beyond - turning potential into performance for the businesses that need it most. Joining Grayce means joining a company built on a deeper purpose: championing emerging talent and giving people the platform to build careers, not just complete contracts. Grayce is in an exciting period of growth and transformation, which means you'll have the chance to help shape what's next, as well as lead the initiatives that define who we are - from ED&I and Sustainability to CSR.

Role Purpose: Grayce is supported by an established HR partnership model embedded across the business. We are seeking a HR Business Partner to work closely with key stakeholders, providing expert guidance and support to managers and employees across the organisation. This is a broad hands-on generalist role within a fast-paced HR function, offering exposure to the full employee lifecycle. From delivering cyclical HR processes and analysing people data, to advising senior stakeholders and managing complex employee relations cases, you will play a key role in enabling business performance through effective people practices. You will have ownership of your workload, prioritising activities in line with business needs. We are seeking someone with a strong people focus, who is confident navigating a wide range of HR and ER matters. You will be comfortable contributing with strategic input alongside operational delivery, including managing your own administrative responsibilities where needed.

Responsibilities:

• Employee Relations & Risk: Act as the primary HR contact for an allocated business area, providing end-to-end support across all employee relations matters. Independently handle a wide range of ER matters and advise managers on solutions ensuring a consistent, pragmatic and legally compliant approach. Identify risks and elevate within the business. Ensure policies and practices remain compliant with current and upcoming legislation. Manage employee offboarding and feed exit interview insights into the business to inform retention and engagement strategies. Partner with HQ hiring managers to support recruitment activity and smooth onboarding experience.
• HR Partnership & Delivery: Build strong, trusted relationships with stakeholders, providing credible HR advice. Deliver core HR processes across the employee lifecycle, ensuring consistency, fairness and a positive employee experience. Support HR operations meetings and ensure agreed actions are followed through. Analyse and interpret people data, using insights to inform decision making. Coach and support managers on people management practices, enhancing capability across the business.
• Projects & Continuous Improvement: Partner with Lead HRBP on HR initiatives, including performance reviews, compliance training, and cultural developments. Support adoption and optimisation of HR technology and AI to streamline processes and enhance delivery and impact. Identify opportunities to make improvements to HR processes and lead on the implementation, ensuring effective communication and adoption.
• Administration: Support office management. Support HR administration processes and documentation, ensuring accuracy, efficiency and high standards. Assist with HR Inbox and operational coordination of day-to-day HR queries.

About you: We are seeking a pragmatic and credible HRBP who is well-versed in employee relations and comfortable in advising senior stakeholders. You will bring a solutions-focused mindset, sound judgement, and the ability to balance conflicting priorities in a fast-paced environment. You’ll bring:

• Demonstrable experience across a broad range of ER matters.
• Solid organisational skills and attention to detail.
• A keen interest in AI and technology advancements.
• Ability to influence and challenge stakeholders constructively.
• A proactive approach to problem solving.
• Good commercial awareness and decision-making judgement.
• Strong ability to build and maintain professional working relationships.

The role would suit an experienced HRBP or HR Advisor (or equivalent) ready to step into a broader, more business-facing role with increased ownership and impact.

Qualifications and experience: Proven experience as an HRBP (or equivalent) in a fast-paced organisation. Strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice. Experience handling ER cases end-to-end. CIPD Level 5 or 7 (or equivalent). Experience of Sage People and Salesforce advantageous.

Opportunity to gain experience and influence HR operations within a growing business. A culture that values innovation, autonomy and continuous improvement. The chance to work at the forefront of HR technology and AI adoption. 25 days annual leave, increasing annually up to 30 days maximum. Employee Assistance Programme. Online wellbeing centre offering health and wellbeing hints, facts, tips and exercises. Cash Plan – financial cover for optical, dental, therapies and more. 3% Employer pension contributions. Smart Spending: save as you shop – cashback and discounts at over 900 retailers.