HR Business Partner South America - Sao Paulo in Chelmsford, Essex

Nord Anglia Education is the world's leading premium international schools organization. Our over 80 international schools are located in the Americas, Europe, China, South East Asia and the Middle East. Together, they educate more than 80,000 students from kindergarten through to the end of secondary education. Although each Nord Anglia Education school is unique in character and tailored to meet the needs of their specific location, all our over 14,000 employees around the world engage in a common vision and mission.

Vision: To shape a generation of creative and resilient global citizens that will change our world for the better.

Mission: To be the most forward-thinking, technology-enabled educators in the world, using our global reach and world-class teachers to create a learning experience like no other.

Most of the Nord Anglia schools benefit from our performing arts collaboration with The Juilliard School as well as our Global Campus, which offers unique global experiences for students at every age. Many of our schools will also benefit from our new approach to teaching STEAM subjects (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) through our collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Our goal as the leading international schools organization is to provide an education so that students can succeed academically, socially and personally.

Our schools educate students from preschool to the end of secondary education. Curricula taught in our schools include the English National Curriculum, International Baccalaureate, American Curriculum, Swiss Curriculum, French Curriculum and Shanghai National Curriculum.

Job Purpose: Support and enable HR performance and growth by ensuring Americas regional objectives are implemented in South America, currently including São Paulo and other locations in Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina. Engage schools in the region while promoting Nord Anglia's and the Americas' shared vision. Ensure excellence in operations, compliance, customer service, reporting, and annual HR processes, while respecting and supporting each school's unique culture. Ensure compliance with NAE processes and approvals. Collaborate closely with the Americas Region and global centres of excellence to align school-level execution with regional and global priorities.

Job Responsibilities:

• Business Growth and Reputation
• Support delivery of the Americas HR strategy within schools, in alignment with the Regional HR Director.
• Strengthen back-office HR processes and risk management while developing school HR leaders.
• Guide and support school HR Managers with projects and capability-building.
• Provide focused support for newly integrated or underperforming schools.
• Ensure alignment with group policies and local laws.
• Drive employee engagement through school leadership teams, using survey results.
• Promote our culture and values (e.g., EmpowerUs, Crushing It).
• Administration, Compliance and Reporting
• Ensure compliance with NAE and government policies.
• Oversee payroll processing, ensuring documentation and approvals are accurate.
• Review and approve or reject terminations and background check exceptions.
• Track litigation and severance costs.
• Ensure accurate, timely HRIS, payroll, and related data, working with the systems integration team to resolve issues quickly.
• Process Oversight and HR Team Support
• Coordinate and align operational HR processes with school teams to ensure quality data, accuracy, and efficiency.
• Promote collaboration across HR, Finance, MAC, and other functions while maintaining school-level differentiation.
• Employee Relations
• Promote positive employee relations and communication across the region.
• Ensure local HR policies align with legislation and group standards.
• Support investigations and act as escalation point for complex ER cases.
• Provide guidance on disciplinary actions in consultation with the Americas HR Director.
• Coach regional HR Directors to streamline HR administration and reduce costs.
• Approve terminations in line with proper protocols.
• Coordinate ER practices with regional legal counsel as needed.
• Manage external employment law support and move toward unified legal representation per country.
• Integrations
• Support new school integrations by fostering relationships and driving adoption of NAE systems and values.
• Collaborate with integration, data quality, and regional teams to plan and execute integration activities.
• Resolve issues quickly to ensure a smooth transition.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, HR, or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive HR leadership, including 3+ years in multi-country/matrix settings in industries with highly skilled staff (e.g., education, engineering, consulting, hospitals).
• Native in Spanish and Portuguese, fluent in business English.
• Willingness to travel across South America and to the Miami office (25-30%).

Experience/Knowledge:

• Extensive knowledge of employment law in Brazil and South America.
• Experience in shared services and matrix organizations.
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders and manage stakeholder relationships.

Skills/Attributes:

• Experience in fast-paced, high-growth environments.
• Strong change and project management skills.
• Proficiency in employee relations, including investigations and resolutions.
• Familiarity with M&A and integration processes.
• Commitment to Nord Anglia's values (CRUSHING IT).
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

At Nord Anglia Education we are committed to providing a world class, safe, happy environment in which children and young people can thrive and learn. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our pupils where we embrace all race, abilities, religions, genders, and cultures.

All post holders in regulated activity (having regular unsupervised contact with children) are subject to appropriate national and international vetting procedures including satisfactory criminal record checks from both your country of residence/birth and any country of residence within the last 10 years. We welcome applications from suitably qualified persons from all diverse backgrounds. Please note, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.