HR Business Partner

About Us

The founder and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve.

We now have over 50 schools educating more than 40,000 young people across London and Essex, and employ over 5,000 staff across our academies and head office. With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.

Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make. We continue to be proactive in uplifting and supporting all voices at Harris.

To discover more about our culture, ethos and what it is like to work here, visit the Why Work For Us page.

Main Areas of Responsibility

Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing professional and customer-focussed HR leadership, advice and support to academies
• Influencing and supporting the strategic direction of academies by providing and analysing workforce information and developing HR initiatives to respond to needs
• Coaching, supporting and mentoring senior leaders on people management practices, issues and priorities
• Providing expert advice to managers in complex employee relations cases
• Management of employment tribunal cases
• Negotiation and drafting of settlement agreements
• Providing expert guidance to academy leadership teams at all stages of the organisational change processes
• Advising and supporting academies with managing TUPE transfer projects
• Designing and delivering HR training sessions
• Designing and delivering innovative organisational development solutions
• Supporting progress towards becoming a model employer through proactive involvement in workforce projects and working groups
• Advising on the interpretation and application of HR policies, procedures and terms and conditions of service
• Advising on changes in employment legislation and case law
• Contributing to the formulation and implementation of HR policies and procedures
• Advising on and undertaking job evaluations
• Contributing to the overall service and direction of the Human Resources function
• Line managing an HR advisor and actively supporting the development of other members of the HR team
• Ensuring Equality and Diversity issues are considered in all aspects of Human Resources and staff management

A full list of responsibilities can be found in the Job Pack.

Qualifications & Experience

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• Experience in a HR Business Partner or senior HR advisor role within a large complex organisation
• Experience of developing and delivering strategic HR plans and initiatives  
• Previous experience of managing complex Employee relations issues, change management and restructuring
• Experience of supervising staff
• Qualifications to masters level in HR Management or equivalent level of experience of working in an HR role 
• A CIPD qualification at Associate level or above

Please download the Job Pack for a full person specification.

Professional Development & Benefits

If you would like to discuss the opportunity further, or if you have any questions, please contact us via email to arrange a conversation.

Before applying please ensure you download the job pack from our careers website, this will help with completing your application. Please note that we only accept applications submitted online before the closing date.

When applying, you will have the option to import your CV or use a LinkedIn profile which will auto populate the online application. 

A reminder to check your junk mail for our email communications and add us to your safe senders list to ensure all future email communication is received.