Senior Manager / Assistant Director, Strategic Business Partnering (HR)

[What the role is]
Partner Division leadership to translate business priorities, workforce data and external developments into forward-looking workforce strategies and actions.

The role provides integrated advice across workforce planning, talent, performance, organisation and people matters; challenges assumptions constructively; and connects Divisions to specialist HR capabilities where required.

The incumbent will also contribute to the leadership and development of the Business Partnering function, strengthening its capability, consistency and ability to address cross-cutting workforce priorities.

[What you will be working on]

1. Strategic Business Partnering & Workforce Advisory

- Build trusted advisory relationships with assigned Division Directors and leadership teams, developing a deep understanding of their business priorities, operating environment, workforce profile and emerging challenges.
- Use HR dashboards, workforce data and qualitative insights to diagnose workforce risks and opportunities, distinguish symptoms from underlying issues, and develop evidence-based recommendations with Division leadership.
- Lead forward workforce planning for assigned Divisions, considering future work, capabilities, workforce supply and demand, succession risks, labour-market developments and opportunities arising from technology and new ways of working.
- Advise Division leadership on workforce interventions including job and workforce redesign, capability building, deployment, recruitment, talent development and succession, connecting them with specialist HR teams where deeper functional expertise is required.
- Bring a longer-term workforce and talent perspective to performance, ranking and promotion discussions, supporting consistent and evidence-based decisions while maintaining appropriate distinction between BP advisory responsibilities and process ownership.
- Identify employee experience, engagement or organisational issues affecting workforce effectiveness and work with Division leaders and specialist teams to develop appropriate interventions.

2. Integrated HR Advisory & Governance

- Act as an escalation point for complex workforce and people issues, diagnosing the underlying problem and integrating inputs across relevant HR specialist and operational teams.
- Apply HR policies and principles with sound judgement, balancing organisational requirements, employee considerations and longer-term implications.
- Identify cases requiring policy or specialist determination and provide the relevant Centre of Excellence with clear business context, evidence, options and a recommended course of action.
- Identify recurring or cross-cutting workforce issues across Division portfolios and translate these into broader HR priorities, interventions, tools or approaches.
- Lead or coordinate selected strategic HR initiatives arising from business needs, such as workforce planning, talent and succession, workforce analytics, strategic recruitment, employee experience or other evolving priorities.

3. Team & Business Partnering Leadership

- Provide leadership, coaching and guidance to Business Partners, strengthening their ability to operate as proactive and trusted workforce advisers to Division leadership.
- Set and uphold standards for the quality of workforce analysis, advice, talent discussions and stakeholder engagement across assigned portfolios.
- Build stronger Business Partnering capability in areas such as workforce diagnosis, strategic workforce planning, talent and succession, use of data and analytics, and application of sound HR judgement.
- Coordinate Business Partnering inputs into organisation-wide workforce and talent priorities, working across Business Partners, specialist HR teams and HR operations where a common approach is required.
- Contribute to the ongoing development of the Business Partnering operating model, including clearer roles, working norms and interfaces with specialist and operational HR teams.

- Key HR Functional Competencies for this role: HR Business Partnership, Strategic Workforce Planning, Data Analytics & Insights, HR Policies, Processes & Legislation and Talent Management & Succession Planning

[What we are looking for]

- Demonstrated ability to understand a business or operating function and translate its priorities into workforce implications and practical HR interventions.
- Strong analytical judgement, with the ability to move from data and observations to diagnosis, options and a clear recommendation.
- Experience advising senior stakeholders and constructively challenging assumptions while maintaining trusted relationships.
- Broad HR knowledge and sufficient judgement to integrate issues across multiple HR domains, while recognising when specialist expertise or policy determination is required.
- Experience in one or more areas such as strategic workforce planning, HR business partnering, talent and succession, organisation design, performance management or strategic recruitment.
- Strong facilitation, written communication and stakeholder-influencing skills.
- Experience leading or developing others and taking ownership of work beyond an individual portfolio.

The successful applicant will be appointed on a 2-year contract in the first instance.

Please be informed that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.