HR Business Partner

Salary: in the region of £55,000 depending on experience, plus car/allowance, bonus and other Veolia benefits

Grade: 6.1

Location: Hybrid working - UK Wide coverage

When you see the world as we do, you see the chance to help the world take better care of its resources and help it become a better place for everyone. It’s why we’re looking for someone who’s just as committed as we are, to push for genuine change and bring our ambition of Ecological Transformation to life.

We know that everyone here at Veolia can help us work alongside our communities, look after the environment, and contribute to our inclusive culture.

What we can offer you:

• Company Car or car cash allowance
• Bonus Scheme
• Private Medical Insurance
• Access to our company pension scheme
• Discounts on everything from groceries to well known retailers
• Access to a range of resources to support your physical, mental and financial health; so you can lean on us whenever you need to
• 24 hour access to a virtual GP, 365 days a year, for you and family members in your household
• One paid days leave every year to volunteer and support your community
• Ongoing training and development opportunities, allowing you to reach your full potential

What you’ll be doing:

We are seeking a proactive and dynamic HR Business Partner to join our Commercial HR team, supporting our Business Development and Customer Experience departments across multiple sites. This hybrid role combines strategic people management guidance with proactive Employee Relations expertise providing crucial support and expert guidance to line managers on complex HR matters.

PEOPLE Responsibilities:

• Deliver comprehensive workforce planning activities to maximise capability and resources while identifying opportunities for increased engagement and efficiencies
• Drive behavioural and cultural change as appropriate
• Ensure full succession planning is undertaken, capturing high performance and high potential individuals across all business levels with active development plans
• Identify skills gaps and collaborate with People Development and Recruitment to support informed strategies
• Support the annual pay and bonus cycle, including objective and IDP setting processes
• Drive the annual Voice of Resourcers survey completion, cascade results, and manage action planning

CUSTOMERS Responsibilities:

• Partner with senior leaders and their direct reports on business matters requiring HR solutions
• Provide full understanding of issues, insights, and medium to long-term strategic support
• Support behavioural and cultural change to maximise people capability
• Identify opportunities to increase employee engagement.

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS Responsibilities:

• Provide crucial support and expert guidance to line managers on complex employee relations matters
• Utilise analytical skills and emotional intelligence to provide specialist advice and innovative solutions
• Manage a wide range of ER activities, including investigations, disciplinary processes, grievances, restructures, and capability issues
• Oversee absence management to reduce absence levels across designated areas
• Analyse data trends using tools like Power BI to identify and address potential issues before they escalate
• Work closely with managers to develop their capacity in handling ER matters, encouraging early and informal resolution of problems
• Play a key role in TUPE, ensuring compliance and smooth transitions
• Foster and maintain positive relationships with trade unions, supporting pay negotiations when they arise

SUSTAINABILITY Responsibilities:

• Utilise company analytics and data to drive performance and provide key information to senior stakeholders
• Work collaboratively with BU HR Business Partner(s) and ER team to deliver appropriate people solutions
• Work closely with all stakeholders to deliver effective HR solutions that are understood and deliver optimal outcomes for business challenges

The role requires working across multiple UK sites, building key relationships with senior leadership teams, and providing strategic direction on HR activities to ensure sustainability of people.

What we’re looking for:

• CIPD Level 5 minimum, ideally Level 7 CIPD or equivalent qualification. Chartered member of CIPD or working towards this with evidence of continuous professional development
• Proven experience of complex workforce planning within a large matrix organisation
• Previous experience in an HR Generalist or ER role within a unionised and regulated environment
• Proven ER experience including advising on complex disciplinary and grievance issues with the ability to apply the relevant legal principles and risk assessment
• Currently working in a comparable operational environment managing complex case work
• A good knowledge and experience of talent mapping and succession planning
• Strong experience of strategic workforce planning
• Experience of supporting large scale organisational change and restructuring programmes including TUPE, redundancy, relocation and contractual variations
• Experience of partnering with trade unions and a good understanding of the trade union framework and collective bargaining including pay negotiations
• Knowledge of employee engagement
• Sharp analytical skills and proficiency in data visualisation tools like Power BI to identify trends and drive performance improvements
• An experienced project manager who can deliver multiple strategic and high-profile initiatives
• Strong communication and influencing skills with the ability to interact across all levels of management
• Have a proven track record of advising and influencing senior stakeholders in an operational environment on confidential and challenging issues
• Strong attention to detail, problem-solving ability and ability to deliver results to demanding deadlines
• Commercial acumen and the ability to make balanced, risk-aware decisions that benefit both employees and the business
• Experience of mediating disputes and bringing matters to a positive conclusion

What’s next? Apply today, so we can make a difference for generations to come.

We’re proud to have been named as one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work for three consecutive years in 2023, 2024 and 2025. This consistent recognition reflects our commitment to our people, demonstrating that Veolia is not just transforming the environment, we’re also transforming what it means to have a rewarding, purposeful career.

We’re dedicated to supporting you throughout your application journey, offering adjustments where reasonable and appropriate. As a proud Disability Confident Employer, we will offer an interview to applicants with a disability or long-term condition who opt-in to the Disability Confident scheme, and meet the minimum criteria for our roles.

We’re also committed to ensuring that all applicants and colleagues receive fair treatment without discrimination on any grounds, aiming to create a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.