Job summary
- Main area
- Human Resources
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Home or remote working
- Job ref
- 980-HRA7493152-C
- Employer
- Health Research Authority
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- 3 Piccadilly Place
- Town
- Manchester
- Salary
- £55,690 - £62,682 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 12/10/2025 23:59
Employer heading
People Business Partner
NHS AfC: Band 8a
The HRA is a Non Departmental Public Body with the remit to protect and promote the interests of patients and the public in health and social care research. We do this by supporting and promoting a robust and efficient regulatory and governance framework in the UK. We provide the Research Ethics Service (RES), Confidentiality Advice function, assessments and assurances on behalf of the NHS, and learning, guidance and advice for the research community. Our ambition is to make the UK a great place to do research, where more money invested in research goes into carrying out relevant, good quality research.
Our purpose is to ensure that research involving NHS patients and members of the public is approved through a proportionate and robust system, that they are provided with the information they need to help them decide whether they wish to take part, and that their opportunity to do so is maximised by simplifying the processes by which high quality research is assessed. We have already delivered significant improvements by centralising and simplifying the approval of research in the NHS in England, and are undertaking a range of significant programmes to deliver further improvements.
Job overview
People Business Partner
This is an exciting time to join us as a People Business Partner. The Health Research Authority is leading the development of new services that will digitise the end-to-end research journey, allowing users to plan and prepare new research, make changes to existing research and review and approve research applications in a seamless way. We'll also improve the support offered to users. We’ve recently launched our new organisational strategy and are at the early stages of developing a three year people strategy in support of this.
As a senior member of our HR team, you’ll be at the heart of delivering the people strategy and partnering with key business areas, delivering innovative HR solutions and driving real impact across the organisation.
If you’re a credible and pro-active People professional with relevant business partnering / HR experience, thrive on challenge and want to be part of a people focused organisation with consistently high levels of staff engagement, we look forward to receiving your application.
Interview date: 21 or 22 October
Main duties of the job
What you’ll do:
- Provide expert, pragmatic advice to leaders and teams, ensuring our people practices are aligned with our strategy and the latest employment legislation.
- Deliver a value-adding HR service that supports business goals and fosters a positive, high-performing culture.
- Lead a small and talented HR team, supporting their growth and development.
- Tackle complex workforce challenges, support organisational change, and help shape our approach to employment as the landscape evolves.
- Be a trusted advisor to senior managers, guiding them through change, transformation, and workforce planning.
Please see the People Business Partner job description for further details.
Working for our organisation
Working at the HRA, we are reminded daily of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for you, not just us and the work we do.
We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know from experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger, more creative workplace that helps us to deliver the best services. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of our community: age, disability, gender identity and expression, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and other diverse characteristics, and we have policies in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process.
When applying to work here, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement – if it works for us, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Please note, if applying to our Manchester, Nottingham or Bristol locations, we are only able to offer the role as home based.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the People Business Partner job description for further details of main responsibilities.
Person specification essential criteria
Qualifications
Post graduate level qualification in HR Management / similar or equivalent senior HR experience, with evidence of continuous professional development
Chartered MCIPD or working towards this level of membership
Knowledge, Skills and Expertise:
HR manager / business partner with highly specialist knowledge and relevant experience of a range of HR topics in an NHS or other public sector context, underpinned by practical application of HR policies, current UK employment law and best practice. Expertise in handling a range of complex employee relations issues in a unionised environment.
Expertise in Agenda for Change job evaluation including job matching and job analysis
Experience:
Experience of business partnering, understanding the strategic and commercial context of the business, building effective relationships and working with managers up to director level. Communicating effectively and able to work across all levels, using tact, persuasion and astuteness to present complex information or proposals to a range of audiences and achieve buy-in
Evidence of successfully supporting organisational change processes including restructures and redeployments
Line management experience
NHS or Arms Length Body HR experience (Desirable)
Analytical and Judgement Skills:
Experience of using HR information systems (eg ESR/NHS Jobs) including data analysis, interpretation and insight and presenting it to support decision making
Other:
Commitment to inclusivity and valuing diversity
Able to travel occasionally to other HRA offices or meeting venues, which may include very occasional overnight stays
Person specification
Qualifications:
Essential criteria
- Post graduate level qualification in HR Management / similar or equivalent senior HR experience, with evidence of continuous professional development
- Chartered MCIPD or working towards this level of membership
Knowledge, Skills and Expertise:
Essential criteria
- Expertise in Agenda for Change job evaluation including job matching and job analysis
Other
Essential criteria
- Commitment to inclusivity and valuing diversity
- Able to travel occasionally to other HRA offices or meeting venues, which may include very occasional overnight stays
Knowledge, Skills and Expertise:
Essential criteria
- HR manager / business partner with highly specialist knowledge and relevant experience of a range of HR topics in an NHS or other public sector context, underpinned by practical application of HR policies, current UK employment law and best practice. Expertise in handling a range of complex employee relations issues in a unionised environment.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of business partnering, understanding the strategic and commercial context of the business, building effective relationships and working with managers up to director level. Communicating effectively and able to work across all levels, using tact, persuasion and astuteness to present complex information or proposals to a range of audiences and achieve buy-in
- Evidence of successfully supporting organisational change processes including restructures and redeployments
- Line management experience
Desirable criteria
- NHS or Arms Length Body HR experience
Analytical and Judgement Skills:
Essential criteria
- Experience of using HR information systems (eg ESR/NHS Jobs) including data analysis, interpretation and insight and presenting it to support decision making
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Michele Ekins
- Job title
- Head of People
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 020 7104 8058
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