Senior Business Partner (Grade VIII)

An experienced HR Business Partner is required to support senior leadership in delivering strategic and operational HR services across a complex organisation.

This role will have a strong focus on Employee Relations and Industrial Relations, partnering closely with managers to manage workplace issues, engage constructively with trade unions, and ensure effective implementation of HR policies and employment legislation.

The successful candidate will play a key role in fostering positive employee relations, supporting organisational change, and ensuring best practice people management across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

Employee & Industrial Relations

• Act as a trusted advisor to managers on complex employee relations and industrial relations matters.
• Manage and support disciplinary, grievance, investigation and conflict resolution processes.
• Lead and coordinate responses to collective employee relations matters and industrial relations issues.
• Engage and maintain positive relationships with trade union representatives and employee representatives.
• Support negotiations and discussions relating to collective agreements, workplace disputes and policy implementation.
• Provide advice on the interpretation and application of national agreements, employment legislation and sectoral policies.
• Prepare documentation and submissions for third-party bodies such as mediation or industrial relations forums where required.

HR Business Partnering

• Partner with senior managers to provide expert HR guidance on people management issues.
• Support managers in implementing HR policies, procedures and best practice approaches to managing employees.
• Lead regular engagement with management teams to address workforce issues and improve employee relations.
• Support initiatives to improve employee engagement, retention and workplace culture.

Workforce Planning & Recruitment

• Support workforce planning and staffing strategies across assigned service areas.
• Oversee recruitment and selection processes ensuring compliance with legislation and best practice.
• Advise managers on workforce resourcing requirements and recruitment strategies.

Organisational Change & Performance Management

• Support managers in delivering organisational change initiatives.
• Provide guidance on performance management, supervision and employee development processes.
• Contribute to leadership development and succession planning initiatives.

HR Governance, Compliance & Policy

• Ensure HR practices comply with employment legislation, organisational policies and regulatory requirements.
• Support the development and implementation of HR policies and employee relations frameworks.
• Provide guidance and training to managers on employee relations processes and employment law.

HR Data, Reporting & Systems

• Monitor employee relations trends including grievances, disciplinary cases, absence and turnover.
• Produce HR reports and workforce metrics to support leadership decision-making.
• Maintain accurate HR records and ensure compliance with relevant standards and regulations.

Person Specification

Experience

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in a HR Business Partner or senior HR generalist role.
• Significant experience managing employee relations and industrial relations matters.
• Experience engaging with trade unions and employee representative bodies.
• Strong background managing disciplinary, grievance, investigation and conflict resolution processes.
• Experience advising managers on employment legislation, HR policy and industrial relations frameworks.
• Experience supporting organisational change initiatives in a complex organisation (public sector or healthcare desirable).

Skills & Competencies

• Strong industrial relations and negotiation skills.
• Ability to influence and advise senior managers on complex people issues.
• Excellent communication, mediation and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical, report writing and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to manage sensitive employee relations matters with professionalism and confidentiality.

Please note that the salary for this role is aligned with a public sector salary scale. Candidates without prior public sector experience will normally be appointed at the entry point of the scale in line with public sector pay guidelines.