HR Business Partner

Shakespeare Martineau is a leading law firm that combines creativity, commerciality and clarity. We work with blue-chip companies, leading organisations, high street brands and individuals across the country.

Our multi-disciplinary team delivers a broad range of specialist legal services, and particularly stands out for its expertise across sectors including, but not limited to: energy, education, banking and financial services, investment funds, healthcare and advanced manufacturing. 

We’re proud of our people’s varied backgrounds and expertise. Our different qualities stand out and make us interesting to our clients.

We firmly believe in working hard and being ambitious. We look to recruit and develop talented people to achieve their potential - and who will contribute to achieving ours too.

Here you can fulfil your ambitions, whatever they are and however rapidly you want to achieve them. Together, and individually, we create exceptional results.

To provide truly outstanding client service we work as one team.  Our Business Operations Group is made up of business professionals who work with our legal professionals to provide market leading expertise to our clients.  The Groups include; Finance, Operations, HR, Marketing, IT, Risk and the Executive Leadership team.

The HR Talent and Development team supports the goals of the business by building a high performance culture with strong engagement and a reputation for developing talent at all levels.  The team has around 20 members comprising HR Business Partnering, Learning & Development, Recruitment, and HR Operations functions.  This is a dedicated team of individuals all passionate about helping our people succeed.

The role:

The role of a HR Business Partner is to work with the Head of HR to support our business leaders and those responsible for the employee relationship – offering a balance of commercial, pragmatic and legal advice throughout the employee lifecycle, from finding new talent, supporting the creation of development plans for existing people through to providing the appropriate support when the employee relationship ends.

An HR Business Partner is the proactive “go to” person for Team Leaders and Line Managers, providing commercial pragmatic advice on a wide range of people matters within the employee lifecycle.

An HR Business Partner will apply best practice HR solutions providing reliable commercial advice that meets the business needs.

Your key duties will include:

• supporting the integration of proactive HR support into the business promoting outstanding client service
• management of people efficiency – time recording and output
• supporting the talent review process within their group to focus on succession planning, retention plans, and development plans for high-potential individuals
• identifying development needs and sourcing appropriate support
• training and coaching managers within the teams providing them with effective tools and knowledge to enable them to deliver and support their people plans
• identification of specific people issues outside of the people plans in connection with the managers and providing appropriate support and expertise to resolve them
• supporting and developing business wide HR policies, processes and initiatives
• providing support to the development and delivery of key people plans and KPIs within each team to help achieve their business plans
• line management of one or more HR Advisors on a day to day basis, including training and coaching to help them develop. Identifying development needs and sourcing appropriate support
• leading and managing designated projects from start to end in accordance with the timelines set out within the HR Project Plan
• supporting and developing business wide HR policies, processes and initiatives
• attending and influencing outcomes within the recruitment process ensuring that the firm attracts and appoints talented individuals that match with the firm’s culture and values
• preparing, attending and influencing outcomes within disciplinary, grievance, performance & absence situations
• managing flexible working applications, maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption matters from start to end, including KIT days, applying the relevant policies and legislation
• taking a lead role during redundancy and TUPE processes
• taking a lead role during  promotion initiatives
• maintaining awareness of confidential and sensitive data / documents. Ensuring desks and workspaces are clear, secure and visibility kept to a minimum in line with the clear desk policy

Skills and experience you will have:

• a minimum of 3-4 years’ previous experience in a similar role is essential
• prior exposure to an HR function in a law firm is desirable; experience in professional services will be considered
• completed or be studying towards CIPD qualification
• a degree or equivalent qualification (ideally)

Key competencies you will need:

• a proactive, commercial, “can do” and positive attitude
• to be confident, calm and credible with excellent communication and relationship - building skills. Able to connect and engage with people at all levels both internally and externally
• strong communication skills
• the ability to develop effective working relationships with partners and staff
• the ability to influence and challenge Team Leaders and Line Managers with the gravitas to attract personal respect
• a good understanding of the legal principles underpinning process in relation to (but not limited to), managing absence and performance, redundancy, TUPE, maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption matters
• strong employee relations skills
• the ability to work autonomously with a high degree of organisation and able to prioritise effectively
• strong attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy
• strong analytical skills; the ability to undertake business analysis and analysis of financial information to identify inefficiencies linked to people structure and output and suggest solutions
• project management skills
• the ability to be flexible in working location and hours as and when required

Due to the nature of the work undertaken, confirmation of employment will be subject to a variety of checks which will be carried out once an offer of employment is accepted. Details of the checks can be found here.

Shakespeare Martineau is a committed equal opportunities employer. We seek to attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. We value and respect individuality and encourage a culture within our business where people can be themselves and be valued for their strengths and experiences. Everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, regardless of their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.