Strategic HR Business Partner
| Posting date: | 03 October 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £55.05 per hour |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 02 November 2025 |
| Location: | Swindon, Wiltshire |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Nations Recruitment |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: |
Summary
Job Category: Interims
Job location: Civic Campus, Euclid Street, Swindon, SN1 2JG, Swindon Borough Council
Hours per week: 37
Start date: Immediate start
Salary: £55.05 per hour
Purpose
To support delivery of the council�s people strategy (At our Best) and the Swindon Plan as a senior member of the HR Operations team.
To balance your role as strategic advisor and member of the Senior Management Team to a specific service with supporting the council in its ambition to be an employer of choice.
To be an expert strategic HR and organisational development advisor to senior leaders across the breath of complex HR issues.
To contribute to the improvement of services through the design, delivery, and implementation of people strategies and solutions that deliver organisational excellence.
To be a role model in bringing the council�s culture, values and behaviours, and new ways of working to life.
Accountabilities
o contribute to the strategic management of the council as an extended member of the Senior Management Team to an allocated Directorate / Service, ensuring that people related issues are considered in the design and delivery of services.
Strategic alignment: Partner with senior leaders to develop, implement, and embed HR strategies that support long-term goals, drive organisational performance and ensures the council�s financial sustainability.
Organisational design & change management programmes: Lead initiatives around the design and delivery of restructuring, workforce planning, and transformation to ensure organisational agility and scalability.
Talent and development strategy: Collaborate on succession planning, leadership development, and talent acquisition strategies to build a robust talent pipeline and support a culture of growing our own.
Culture & engagement: Champion initiatives including the At our Best programme that enhance employee engagement, inclusion, high performance, continuous improvement and a values-driven culture.
Performance & capability: Drive performance management processes and support capability building across teams.
Data-driven insights: Commission and interpret HR analytics to inform evidence-based decisions, identify trends, and recommend proactive solutions.
Employee relations & risk management: Provide guidance on complex employee relations issues, ensuring compliance and mitigating risk in line with council policies, employment law and best practice to deliver innovative people solutions. To provide and evaluate risk-based options, and advise upon risk ahead of key decisions, adjusting plans as necessary.
To commission the HR&OD & Enabling Services centres of excellence to develop and embed innovative interventions that drive transformational change across and within services.
To provide coaching and risk-based advice and support to senior managers and leaders, enabling and empowering them to make informed decisions while ensuring their accountability for decisions.
To embed HR best practice and develop high standards of people management within services.
To assist in developing and rolling out organisational HR policy, practice and procedure ensuring their consistent application within services.
To be a positive influencer and constructively challenge ideas and proposals to ensure sound people implications are considered ahead of decisions being made.
To network and build positive relationships with key stakeholders and external partners.
To develop and maintain excellent trade union relationships, particularly regarding HR change and cultural development.
To use computerised systems, technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital solutions to deliver an effective service.
To ensure EDI is integral to the work of the function and adheres to all legal and mandatory requirements.
To lead / contribute to people management and organisation change workstreams as required.
To lead the compilation of responses to requests for employment data or staffing information.
To chair working groups as requested, ensuring the needs of the department on a particular issue are clearly articulated and considered as appropriate.
To be a visible, engaging, and inspiring member of the HR Operations leadership team and wider senior management team of the assigned service / s.
To work with the HR Operations leadership team to identify and grow future talent, to enable succession planning within the HR Operations team and wider HR & OD Service.
To escalate complex problems / issues and areas of risk to the Head of HR Operations and Delivery or other members of the HR and OD Leadership team.
To deputise for the Head of HR Operations from time to time, as required.
To contribute to the effectiveness of the services provided by the HR &OD Service; and support and advise on the departmental contribution to business processes, making suggestions for improvement / change where appropriate.
To be a positive ambassador for the HR Operations team and wider HR and OD Service.
To attend HR Operations team meetings and other HR and OD Service meetings as required.
To maintain own continuing professional development in consultation with the Head of HR Operations and to liaise / network with other HR practitioners as appropriate.
Any other duties commensurate with the grade and purpose of the post.
Job location: Civic Campus, Euclid Street, Swindon, SN1 2JG, Swindon Borough Council
Hours per week: 37
Start date: Immediate start
Salary: £55.05 per hour
Purpose
To support delivery of the council�s people strategy (At our Best) and the Swindon Plan as a senior member of the HR Operations team.
To balance your role as strategic advisor and member of the Senior Management Team to a specific service with supporting the council in its ambition to be an employer of choice.
To be an expert strategic HR and organisational development advisor to senior leaders across the breath of complex HR issues.
To contribute to the improvement of services through the design, delivery, and implementation of people strategies and solutions that deliver organisational excellence.
To be a role model in bringing the council�s culture, values and behaviours, and new ways of working to life.
Accountabilities
o contribute to the strategic management of the council as an extended member of the Senior Management Team to an allocated Directorate / Service, ensuring that people related issues are considered in the design and delivery of services.
Strategic alignment: Partner with senior leaders to develop, implement, and embed HR strategies that support long-term goals, drive organisational performance and ensures the council�s financial sustainability.
Organisational design & change management programmes: Lead initiatives around the design and delivery of restructuring, workforce planning, and transformation to ensure organisational agility and scalability.
Talent and development strategy: Collaborate on succession planning, leadership development, and talent acquisition strategies to build a robust talent pipeline and support a culture of growing our own.
Culture & engagement: Champion initiatives including the At our Best programme that enhance employee engagement, inclusion, high performance, continuous improvement and a values-driven culture.
Performance & capability: Drive performance management processes and support capability building across teams.
Data-driven insights: Commission and interpret HR analytics to inform evidence-based decisions, identify trends, and recommend proactive solutions.
Employee relations & risk management: Provide guidance on complex employee relations issues, ensuring compliance and mitigating risk in line with council policies, employment law and best practice to deliver innovative people solutions. To provide and evaluate risk-based options, and advise upon risk ahead of key decisions, adjusting plans as necessary.
To commission the HR&OD & Enabling Services centres of excellence to develop and embed innovative interventions that drive transformational change across and within services.
To provide coaching and risk-based advice and support to senior managers and leaders, enabling and empowering them to make informed decisions while ensuring their accountability for decisions.
To embed HR best practice and develop high standards of people management within services.
To assist in developing and rolling out organisational HR policy, practice and procedure ensuring their consistent application within services.
To be a positive influencer and constructively challenge ideas and proposals to ensure sound people implications are considered ahead of decisions being made.
To network and build positive relationships with key stakeholders and external partners.
To develop and maintain excellent trade union relationships, particularly regarding HR change and cultural development.
To use computerised systems, technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital solutions to deliver an effective service.
To ensure EDI is integral to the work of the function and adheres to all legal and mandatory requirements.
To lead / contribute to people management and organisation change workstreams as required.
To lead the compilation of responses to requests for employment data or staffing information.
To chair working groups as requested, ensuring the needs of the department on a particular issue are clearly articulated and considered as appropriate.
To be a visible, engaging, and inspiring member of the HR Operations leadership team and wider senior management team of the assigned service / s.
To work with the HR Operations leadership team to identify and grow future talent, to enable succession planning within the HR Operations team and wider HR & OD Service.
To escalate complex problems / issues and areas of risk to the Head of HR Operations and Delivery or other members of the HR and OD Leadership team.
To deputise for the Head of HR Operations from time to time, as required.
To contribute to the effectiveness of the services provided by the HR &OD Service; and support and advise on the departmental contribution to business processes, making suggestions for improvement / change where appropriate.
To be a positive ambassador for the HR Operations team and wider HR and OD Service.
To attend HR Operations team meetings and other HR and OD Service meetings as required.
To maintain own continuing professional development in consultation with the Head of HR Operations and to liaise / network with other HR practitioners as appropriate.
Any other duties commensurate with the grade and purpose of the post.