People & Culture Business Partner

It’s an exciting time to join the Royal Society of Chemistry. Our People and Culture team are embracing the start of our journey to becoming a true data-led, strategic partner to the organisation and we are looking for a People and Culture Business Partner who embodies this. You will primarily partner with our directors and senior managers across your defined business area to provide first class, proactive, strategic input across a wide range of people initiatives. You will be comfortable operating as a strategic partner whilst maintaining a solutions focused, problem solving approach to your work. As a P&C team, we have ambitious, transformational plans and due to the timing of this role you will be comfortable working in an ambiguous environment whilst we navigate this. In return, you will have the opportunity to work with a supportive team, work on some awesome people related projects and use your knowledge and experience to positively impact a truly values based organisation that cares about its employees

This is a full-time opportunity, working Monday to Friday however the role offers flexibility. Your time will be split between working from home and our Cambridge based office with ideally 1-2 days per week in the office. If you need flexible working arrangements, please outline this in your application.

What you will be doing:

• Develop and nurture effective relationships as a strategic people partner to defined business areas;
• Partner with managers to embed excellent people related practices.
• Provide advice and guidance on all people related aspects including organisational design, engagement, reward, and development.
• Deliver cost effective, pragmatic people solutions to complex or escalated people related matters.
• Use people data, metrics and insight proactively to consider emerging themes and identify appropriate people solutions to inform people related decision making.
• Support change and transformation initiatives; through effective partnering, coaching, collaborating.
• Work closely with the wider People & Culture team to develop and deliver the people strategy for the defined business area, ensuring alignment to the People & Culture strategy.
• Provide strategic input on areas throughout the employee lifecycle including succession planning, workforce planning and EVP.
• Responsible for supporting the embedding of any people strategic initiatives within defined business areas.
• Be the “people voice” for RSC projects and initiatives to ensure the people perspectives and implications are considered.

Key skills:

• Experience of business partnering at a strategic level.
• CIPD qualification, or evidence of working towards accreditation or evidence of further professional development.
• Up to date knowledge of UK employment law.
• Exceptional relationship building, persuasion and influencing capability, willing to challenge when needed.
• Comfortable dealing with ambiguity and open to change.
• Ability to work with others to develop and deliver solutions, a pragmatic approach to problem solving.
• Strong presentation skills, with the ability to communicate with a variety of people across a range of departments and levels with impact.
• Experience of utilising HR Database systems, ensuring accuracy of employee records, in order to prepare, analyse and investigate data which supports design and delivery of people strategies and plan.

At the RSC, we recognise the benefits of a diverse workforce and welcome applicants from a range of backgrounds to apply. We particularly encourage applications from disabled and ethnic minority candidates.

As a part of the Disability Confident Scheme, we endeavour, where possible, to offer an interview to candidates meeting the essential criteria of the role, who has a substantial physical/mental impairment which impacts their ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.

We are committed to making our recruitment processes accessible to all and as part of this, we are flexible in the ways we give and receive information. If you would like to apply using a different format, please contact the Recruitment Team at jobs@rsc.org or on +44 (0) 1223 432229 and we will do our best to put any reasonable adjustments in place.

At the Royal Society of Chemistry, we support development and offer excellent benefits. If you are interested, please apply before the end of our closing date.