People Business Partner

Company description: Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) is a world‑famous creative agency that makes jaw‑dropping, thumb‑stopping, eye‑opening work for brands across the globe. Founded in London in 1982, we now have offices in New York, Los Angeles, Stockholm, Mumbai, Singapore, and Shanghai. Our first ad for Levi’s showed a black sheep travelling in the opposite direction to a flock of white ones. That’s where we got our logo and our guiding philosophy: when the world zigs, zag. We believe in the power of difference to make a difference. Our goal is a simple one: make the best work in the world. That’s where you come in. We need rebels, dreamers, thinkers, mathematicians, makers, artists, visionaries, doers, observers – the different and the unreasonable. We need Black Sheep. People who want to make the hearts flutter and minds do flips, who can change businesses and culture. People who want to make a difference, come here for something different.

Overview: The People Business Partner (PBP) will serve as a strategic partner to business units, aligning HR initiatives with the company’s objectives. They will provide guidance on HR best practices, employee relations, organisational development, and workforce planning, ensuring alignment with business goals while fostering a positive work culture. They will act as a strategic consultant and trusted advisor to assigned business units, ensuring alignment between human resources strategies and business goals.

Responsibilities:

• Act as a trusted advisor to managers and employees on HR‑related matters.
• Support performance management processes, including goal setting, evaluations, and employee development plans.
• Support development and implementation of HR strategies that support business objectives.
• Mediate and resolve complex employee relations issues, ensuring compliance with employment laws and company policies.
• Identify talent gaps and work with leaders on succession planning and retention strategies.
• Partner with leadership to drive change initiatives and foster employee engagement during organisational changes.
• Support communication plans and cultural transformation efforts.
• Ensure HR practices comply with legal requirements and align with company standards.
• Analyse HR metrics to identify trends and recommend solutions to improve organisational effectiveness.
• Use data to inform decisions on turnover, engagement, and other workforce challenges.
• Identify training needs and partner with internal/external resources to deliver impactful learning solutions.
• Support leadership development initiatives and career pathing programs.
• Offer thought leadership regarding organisational and people‑related strategy and execution.
• Educate and advise managers on performance management and employee development goals.
• Provide HR expertise in the areas of feedback, employee relations, development, and coaching, compensation, and organisational development.
• Participate in the continual development of HR programs, such as recruiting, retention, compensation, benefits, and Learning & Development.
• Collaborate with the rest of the team to champion and accelerate a culture of excellence in which people feel engaged and inspired to deliver top business results.
• Partner with Learning & Development to work on value‑added programs in areas of training, development, career mobility, and job performance.
• Consult with line management, providing HR guidance when appropriate.
• Manage and resolve complex employee relations issues.
• Conduct effective, thorough, and objective investigations.
• Maintain in‑depth knowledge of legal requirements related to day‑to‑day management of employees, reducing legal risks and ensuring regulatory compliance.
• Provide day‑to‑day performance management guidance to line management.
• Work closely with management and employees to improve work relationships, build morale, and increase productivity and retention.
• Provide HR policy guidance and interpretation.
• Participate in evaluation and monitoring of training programs to ensure success. Follow up to ensure training objectives are met.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by the head of department.

Qualifications:

• A passion for working as an HR professional within a creative environment and an enthusiasm to progress your career.
• Curiosity by nature, asking the ‘why’, ‘how’ and seeking to understand the impact of your work on the wider business goals.
• Independence and the ability to confidently make decisions.
• A healthy resilience by remaining productive under pressure, meeting deadlines and remaining calm.
• A strong results‑driven approach and strives for excellence.
• Play an active part in ensuring a positive perception of the HR team within the agency.
• Approach your work, projects and initiatives with energy, passion and fun!

Skills and Qualifications:

• Qualified CIPD level 5 or above.
• A minimum of 7 years’ proven work experience in human resources.
• A minimum of 7 years of experience resolving complex employee relations issues.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Proven work experience as an HR Business partner or similar role.
• Excellent case management skills, understanding timings, process and the importance of updating stakeholders.
• Excellent knowledge of employment legislation, best practice process and documentation.
• Understanding of employment relations and the importance of confidentiality, discretion and sensitivity.
• Personable with strong communication and relationship building capabilities across all levels of the business.
• Extensive knowledge of HR policies and procedures and employment law.
• Professionalism and an overall positive attitude.
• Experience of advising and supporting managers on a range of employee relations matters to an appropriate conclusion.
• Experience of dealing with matters confidentially and sensitively with a sound knowledge of General Data Protection Regulation.
• Proven ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Excellent problem‑solving, conflict resolution, and decision‑making skills.
• Proficient in HRIS systems and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.

Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: That belief in difference - zagging - is how we change brands and businesses. Central to that difference is our commitment to promoting equality, diversity & inclusion, and proactively challenging prejudice and discrimination inside our business, with our clients, how we select our partners and in our work. Our people are our most important asset - the makeup of our workforce guides our culture and the work we deliver. We aim to welcome diversity at every level and to empower every individual to bring their full‑self to work, to add‑to and develop our culture; to be better in the future than we are today.