People Business Partner in Birmingham

Join the West Midlands Combined Authority as a People Business Partner and play a key role in helping our leaders create the conditions for people, teams and services to perform at their best. This role sits at the heart of our People & Culture Strategy, supporting WMCA's ambition to be the best place to work and belong by enabling confident, inclusive and consistent people leadership across the organisation.

Working closely with directors, heads of service and senior leaders, you will act as a strategic advisor and critical friend, translating directorate priorities into people plans and making sure people considerations are embedded into planning, decision-making and change activity. You will also coordinate specialist input from across People & Culture Services to provide joined-up, values-led support to the business.

We are looking for an experienced People Business Partner with a strong background in strategic HR or people partnering within a complex organisation. You will be confident influencing senior leaders, supporting organisational change, using people data and insight, and providing practical, solution-focused advice that helps leaders build inclusive, high-performing teams. Please note that this is a 24 month fixed term contract.

What you'll be doing:

• Act as a strategic people partner to directorate senior leadership teams.
• Provide values-led advice, guidance and support to senior managers on people issues.
• Translate directorate goals into people priorities aligned with WMCA's values and People & Culture Strategy.
• Support organisational change through employee engagement, communication planning and alignment with people and organisational strategies.
• Influence change and innovation by ensuring people priorities are embedded into business planning.
• Represent People Business Partnering in directorate planning cycles, leadership forums and change programmes.
• Use workforce data, feedback and insight to identify risks, trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Build trusted relationships with directors, heads of service and senior managers.
• Promote fairness, wellbeing, accountability and consistency in people management practice.
• Coach senior and line managers to develop confidence and capability in managing people issues.
• Support talent management, succession planning, engagement and cultural development in partnership with OD and Talent colleagues.
• Coordinate input from Reward, Organisational Development and Change, Talent, Employment Relations, Inclusion and other People & Culture functions.
• Work with the Employment Relations team as a senior people advisor on complex employment relations cases and appeals.
• Support service redesign, consultation, change and people governance activity.
• Provide guidance on policy interpretation, ensuring consistent and fair application.
• Lead or contribute to People & Culture projects that improve ways of working, support transformation and enable people to thrive.
• Escalate workforce risks or complex issues to the Head of People Business Partnering where appropriate.
• Advise on the people implications of business cases, restructures and workforce changes.
• Contribute to the continuous development of the People Business Partnering model and service offer.

What's essential:

• Proven experience in a strategic HR or people partnering role within a complex organisation.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and shape people responses to business challenges.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional input from HR specialisms such as Employee Relations, Reward, Organisational Development and Inclusion.
• Evidence of supporting organisational change processes.
• Evidence of using coaching skills to develop managers' competence and confidence in dealing with people management issues.
• Strong understanding of employment law, people policy and organisational change.
• Skilled in using people data and insight to inform decisions and drive improvement.
• Excellent interpersonal, coaching and stakeholder engagement skills.
• A flexible, consultative and solution-focused approach.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a high level of tact, discretion and diplomacy.
• A proven track record of delivery in a high-pressure environment.
• Ability to exercise effective judgement.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical capability.
• Educated to at least degree level.
• CIPD qualified to Level 5.
• Evidence of continued professional development.

Location: The location for this role is 16 Summer Lane, Birmingham, B19 3SD with at least 2 days a week spent in the office.

Salary and benefits: We advertise salary ranges, with new appointments typically starting at the lowest salary point. In exceptional cases, the salary point may be adjusted to secure the best candidate. This approach allows for potential year-on-year salary increases, offering progression and appropriate rewards to employees. Requests for salaries above the maximum advertised range will not be considered.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Local Government Pension Scheme (one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK).
• Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme where you can build an additional pot of money alongside your pension with contributions exempt from Income Tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs).
• 28 days paid annual leave (with an option to purchase more) + Statutory days.
• EV car benefit scheme.
• Healthcare plans.
• Discounted gym membership, will writing, and mortgage advice.
• An option to buy a bicycle, including e-bikes and adapted pedal cycles, at a discounted rate.
• 3 days of paid leave each year to volunteer.
• Interest-free financing through SmartTech to buy the latest technology.
• Discounted shopping with over 2,000 big-name retailers, and more.
• You can now also obtain a Costco membership through the WMCA.
• Boundless unlocks unlimited entry to top-rated UK attractions and loads of extra benefits and discounts.
• Eye Care Scheme, offering a free eye test and a financial contribution towards your glasses.

Reasonable adjustments: If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that means you might require changes to the application or recruitment process, please get in touch with our Recruitment Team (careers@wmca.org.uk).

Our Values and Behaviours: Fostering an environment where people feel valued, included, supported, and proud to contribute to our region is important to us at the WMCA. Our behaviours are more than statements; they guide how we work, make decisions, and treat one another - they set the standards we hold ourselves to and the experience we want others to have.

• Collaborative: We work as one organisation, building trust, connection and shared purpose across teams, partners and customers to create the biggest impact for our region.
• Driven: Focused on impact – leading with clarity, care and courage to deliver meaningful results for the West Midlands.
• Inclusive: Every voice matters – we create belonging, fairness and psychological safety so everyone can thrive.
• Innovative: We think future and act smarter – embracing curiosity, creativity and continuous improvement to shape the future.

Creating an inclusive workplace: WMCA holds diversity accreditations, such as the RACE Code Quality Mark, Armed Forces Covenant (Gold status) and has been recognised as one of the Inclusive Top 50 Employers and The Times Top 50 Employers for Women. We're a Disability Confident Employer with Leader' status, committed to interviewing applicants with disabilities who meet all the essential role criteria. We are also proud to be a Ban the Box employer, which means we do not ask about criminal convictions at the initial application stage, and will only ask after an offer is made as part of our onboarding checks, which helps us remove barriers for people with past convictions and supporting fair opportunities for all. We recognise that certain groups, such as women and people of colour, may be less likely to apply for roles if they feel they do not meet all the requirements. However, we encourage individuals who are passionate about the role and want to make a difference to still apply. We value potential and encourage applicants to highlight their skills, including transferable ones, even if they don't fit the traditional "perfect candidate" mould. We gladly consider part-time, flexible, and job share arrangements, so please don't let these factors deter you from applying.

Right to Work in the UK: Proof of Right to Work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed. Non-UK applicants (excluding Ireland) would be required to hold a relevant Visa from the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).