People Partner (Maternity Cover)

Lay & Wheeler is one of England’s longest standing fine wine merchants, established in 1854, and recognised as one of its leading names. The business is known for its outstanding range of wines, buying directly from top Domaines and Châteaux in Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhône, Loire, Champagne, Italy and South Africa, which it sells exclusively to private clients. Coterie Vaults is the largest purpose-built fine wine storage in Europe, designed for the secure, climate-controlled storage of the world’s finest bottles.

We are seeking a People Partner to lead the development of our teams, both established and new, during a period of maternity cover for 12 months. At Coterie Vaults and Lay & Wheeler, we believe that people are at the heart of everything we do. Our success begins with having the right team in place, and we continuously invest in how we work together to adapt to evolving needs and dynamics.

As People Partner, you will oversee all HR processes, from onboarding and performance reviews to policy development ensuring they reflect the changing needs of our teams and businesses. You’ll support functional managers with hiring and people management and oversee our People & Culture Assistant to ensure smooth day-to-day people operations. You’ll also work closely with the wider group on initiatives that strengthen our culture, enhance team cohesion, and elevate our employer brand.

• Provide guidance and strategic support to senior management and employees on a wide range of HR matters across the full employee lifecycle.
• Promote a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees can reach their full potential while supporting the organisation’s goals.
• Advise on and manage sensitive, high-level, or critical employee relations issues with discretion and professionalism.
• Lead the development and implementation of HR tools, processes, and analytics to support data-driven decision-making.
• Partner with both businesses to shape and execute company-wide programs and initiatives, including compensation reviews, performance management, and training.
• Develop and implement team-building activities that foster collaboration and strengthen working relationships.
• Lead initiatives for the Wellness Team and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) programs.
• Support Learning & Development strategy aligned with individual team needs, ensuring regular training is scheduled.
• Continue to cultivate a culture of continuous improvement and learning, with a focus on customer satisfaction and service excellence.
• Drive initiatives that enhance employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention.

• CIPD Level 5 or higher qualification or relevant experience.
• Proven track record of utilizing processes and systems and providing professional advice in complex organisations.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence and negotiate with decision makers.
• An understanding of behavioural psychology and “what makes people tick”.
• Willingness to try new things, iterate on them, and work with others to make them great.
• Experience leading and developing teams, as well as working cross-functionally.
• Ideally, a basic understanding of fine wine and/or experience in a luxury business.
• Given the nature of this role, this person will be expected to spend the majority of time at our headquarters in Suffolk, with some time also spent in our office in London.
• Ownership mentality.
• An absolute love of people from all walks of life.
• Deep commitment to teamwork, and development of team members, with a high degree of empathy.
• “Roll up your sleeves and do it” approach.

Salary commensurate with experience. Employee-employer matched pension contributions, currently 5% each. Company-sponsored social events. Team member discount on wine. A day’s paid leave for your birthday. This role is based in Great Blakenham, Suffolk. To apply, please send a cover letter detailing why you are interested, along with your CV to our People team, via email at people@laywheeler.com.