Senior Associate P&D, Business Partnership, Region UK - London

The Senior Associate People Business Partner plays a key role in delivering an exceptional employee experience by providing dedicated partnership for business groups. Working closely with People team colleagues, business leaders, managers and employees, the role provides practical guidance and coordinated support across the employee lifecycle, including organisational changes, onboarding, employee relations, performance and talent processes, workforce planning, recruitment, engagement and policy implementation.

Our Senior Associates develop a strong understanding of the priorities and people needs of their assigned business groups, helping to translate broader People strategies into effective local actions while ensuring core processes are delivered accurately, consistently and in line with company policies. This role requires strong organisational and stakeholder-management skills, sound judgement, attention to detail and a proactive, employee-focused approach. You will be comfortable balancing operational responsibilities with business partnering activity, using People data and insights to identify themes, support decision-making and improve ways of working - handling sensitive information with discretion, build trusted relationships across the organisation and contribute flexibly to wider People priorities and projects as required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build trusted relationships with leaders and managers across assigned business groups, developing a strong understanding of their priorities, organisational context and people needs.
• Partner with People Business Partner Managers and business stakeholders to translate People strategies and priorities into practical, timely and effective local actions.
• Provide managers and employees with accurate, pragmatic guidance across the employee lifecycle, applying People policies consistently and escalating complex or higher-risk matters where appropriate.
• Support organisational and workforce changes within assigned business groups, coordinating documentation, consultation activity, stakeholder communications and implementation plans.
• Support and manage (where applicable) employee relations matters by gathering relevant information, maintaining confidential case records, preparing documentation, tracking actions and contributing to meetings and outcomes as appropriate.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition and hiring managers on recruitment and workforce requirements, supporting approvals, candidate processes, pre-employment checks and effective onboarding.
• Support performance, talent and succession processes for assigned business groups, including cycle preparation, manager guidance, data validation, completion tracking and reporting.
• Use People data, employee feedback and management information to identify trends, risks and opportunities, providing clear insights and recommendations to People Business Partners and business leaders.
• Support engagement, learning, development and culture initiatives, working with relevant Centres of Expertise to deliver activity aligned with business needs.
• Deliver accurate and timely People operations across the employee lifecycle, including contracts, employment changes, fixed-term extensions, family leave, transfers and offboarding.
• Maintain accurate employee records, People systems, reports and metrics, ensuring confidentiality, data integrity and compliance with data protection requirements.
• Complete immigration, sponsorship and right-to-work processes in accordance with UK legislation and organisational requirements, coordinating with specialist advisers where required.
• Liaise with Legal, Payroll, Finance, Talent Acquisition, People Services, People Operations, Total Rewards and other specialist teams and external providers to ensure joined-up delivery and timely resolution of issues.
• Contribute to the administration of settlement agreements, supplier governance and other People processes, applying appropriate judgement and discretion.
• Monitor service delivery and recurring enquiries, helping to improve guidance, processes, manager capability and overall employee experience.
• Lead or support broader People projects, process improvements and ad hoc initiatives, adapting flexibly to changing business requirements.

EXPERIENCE, SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE

Essential:

• Relevant experience in a People Business Partnering, People Advisory, People Operations or Generalist role, supporting managers and employees across a broad range of people matters.
• Clear and credible written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt messages for different audiences and situations.
• Ability to act with pace, and operate proactively navigating complexity.
• Strong working knowledge of the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, performance, talent, organisational change and offboarding.
• Demonstrable ability to build trusted relationships with leaders, managers and employees and to understand the priorities and people needs of assigned business groups.
• Ability to manage competing operational and business partnering priorities, exercising sound judgement and delivering to agreed timescales.
• Experience handling sensitive employee matters and confidential information with discretion, professionalism and appropriate risk awareness.
• Strong analytical capability, with confidence interpreting People data, identifying trends and presenting practical insights and recommendations.
• Experience using People systems, management information and reporting tools, with a strong commitment to data accuracy and integrity.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to coordinate complex processes and maintain accurate documentation.
• A pragmatic, employee-focused approach, balancing a positive employee experience with business needs, policy requirements and appropriate governance.

Desirable:

• CIPD qualification at Level 5 or above, or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience supporting or managing employee relations cases, organisational change and workforce planning activity.
• Good knowledge of UK employment legislation, People policies and contemporary People best practice.
• Experience partnering with commercial or corporate business groups within a complex, matrixed or international organisation.
• Experience supporting talent, succession, performance, engagement, learning or culture initiatives.
• Familiarity with immigration, sponsorship, right-to-work or other specialist People processes.

Attributes:

• Proactive, organised and accountable, with the confidence to take ownership and follow matters through to resolution.
• Trusted and discreet, demonstrating sound judgement, integrity and sensitivity when handling complex matters.
• Collaborative and relationship-focused, with the credibility to influence constructively and work effectively across functions.
• Adaptable and resilient, able to respond positively to changing priorities and business requirements.
• Curious and solutions-focused, with strong problem-solving skills and a continuous improvement mindset.