Human Resources Business Partner in Howden

At PA Media Group, our People agenda is evolving in step with the business. As the Group continues to grow, diversify and adapt, the role of our People team has never been more important. We’re now looking for a commercially minded People Partner to join us on a 12-month FTC. This is a broad, hands-on role supporting multiple businesses across the Group; ideal for someone who thrives on variety, enjoys building relationships, and wants to make a visible impact across a complex organisation. This is not a purely advisory role. It’s an opportunity to be embedded in the business, working closely with leaders to shape teams, solve challenges and deliver people initiatives that genuinely support performance.

The Opportunity. This role offers exposure to a wide range of people challenges across different parts of the Group - no two days will look the same. You’ll partner with managers and senior leaders to deliver the Group People Plan, while also playing a key role in shaping organisational design, driving engagement, and supporting talent development. Alongside this, you’ll be at the centre of complex and meaningful employee relations work, helping to navigate risk, protect the business and ensure fair, consistent outcomes. You’ll also have the opportunity to influence broader People priorities—contributing to learning and development, EDI, and engagement initiatives—while working closely with Senior People Partners and the wider People team. You may be required to design and lead People projects or programmes from concept through to evaluation.

How you’ll add value.

• Partnering & Influence: Build strong, credible relationships with managers across multiple business areas, becoming a trusted advisor on all aspects of people and organisational effectiveness. Support leaders in delivering their objectives through practical, commercially focused people solutions.
• Employee Relations & Risk Management: Provide expert guidance on a wide range of employee relations matters, including performance, grievances, disciplinaries, absence, redundancy and TUPE. Ensure issues are handled effectively, mitigating risk and protecting the business where required.
• Organisational Design & Change: Work with senior managers to review and shape team structures, aligning organisational design with short, medium and long-term business goals. Support the delivery of change initiatives with clarity, structure and pace.
• Data-Driven Insight: Stay connected to people data and metrics, using insight to inform decision-making and provide regular, meaningful updates to business leaders. Help translate data into clear actions that improve performance and engagement.
• Talent, Development & Engagement: Identify opportunities to support career development, retention and succession planning. Champion engagement initiatives and contribute to learning and development activity across the Group.

About You. You are confident operating in a growing, changing environment. You bring energy, clarity and a strong delivery mindset. You are comfortable creating structure where there is ambiguity and enjoy balancing strategic thinking with hands-on implementation. You will be comfortable engaging senior audiences, but equally happy managing the detail and ensuring activity lands successfully. You bring:

• Previous People Partnering experience
• Strong prioritisation skills and the confidence to make clear decisions on what to progress and what to defer.
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders
• A hands-on approach and comfort operating in a stand-alone or lean team environment.
• Strong communication skills, able to position priorities clearly and keep the business updated on progress.
• Intellectual curiosity about organisational performance and how people learn.
• Experience working with external providers and managing budgets effectively.
• A CIPD or L&D qualification is beneficial but not essential.

What We Offer

• 25 days holiday + public holidays
• 10% completion bonus
• Life assurance (4x salary)
• A dedicated Wellbeing Day each year
• 8 hours of paid volunteering time annually
• Enhanced family leave
• Pension (4% employer contribution)
• Free secure on-site parking (Howden office)