People Business Partner - Recruitment, Employee Relations & Organisational Change

About the Role

We are seeking a People Business Partner specializing in Recruitment, Employee Relations, and Organisational Change to join our People & Performance team at Burton and South Derbyshire College. This full-time permanent position involves partnering with managers across both curriculum and professional services to deliver an expert, proactive People service that supports talent attraction and retention, provides guidance on complex employee relations, and enhances the employee experience.

As a key advisor, you will deliver coaching and constructive challenge to managers, ensuring decisions on employee relations and organisational matters are fair, consistent, and compliant with employment laws and college policies. You will utilize workforce analytics to identify emerging trends and recommend improvements aligned with strategic People & Performance priorities. This role also acts as the College’s go-to expert on recruitment processes, workforce planning, organisational change initiatives, and complex employee relations casework.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with managers to enhance recruitment effectiveness and workforce planning.
• Provide specialist advice and support on employee relations and organisational change projects.
• Guide managers through fair and consistent consultation and change processes.
• Build management confidence through practical guidance, coaching, and training.
• Use data insight to monitor workforce trends and recommend strategic improvements.
• Champion continuous improvement in people management practices college-wide.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will be an experienced HR professional holding at least a CIPD Level 5 qualification. You should have robust knowledge of UK employment law and be adept at advising and coaching on sophisticated people matters. Strong interpersonal skills to manage sensitive issues and build trust are essential, together with the ability to balance organizational priorities, employee experience, and legal compliance pragmatically. Experience with recruitment, employee relations, organisational change, or workforce planning will be highly regarded. Above all, you should be proactive, collaborative, and passionate about nurturing people and organizational success.

Why Join Us?

At Burton and South Derbyshire College, we value our staff and foster an inclusive, supportive, and ambitious environment. Benefits include:

• Membership of generous pension schemes (Local Government Pension Scheme)
• Competitive holiday entitlement with a salary sacrifice holiday purchase option
• Access to a free Employee Assistance Programme
• Flexible working policies
• Supportive maternity, paternity, and adoption leave
• Extensive professional development, including two dedicated staff development days annually
• On-site nursery rated good by Ofsted
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Free annual eye tests
• Access to on-site gym facilities
• Discounts across campus services such as our restaurants and salon
• Employee recognition through an Employee of the Month scheme
• Discounted health cash plans and additional perks via BHN Extras

Additional Information

We are committed to diversity, equality, and inclusion, welcoming applications from all communities and underrepresented groups. Successful candidates will be required to undergo an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and internet screening as per safeguarding policies. Our college is dedicated to environmental sustainability with active efforts to reach net zero impact.

The application deadline is 12 noon on Friday, 14 August. Late submissions will not be accepted.