Senior HR Business Partner (12 Month FTC)

Join Fieldfisher as a Senior HR Business Partner (12 month Fixed Term Contract)!

About the Role

The HR department is responsible for the provision of a full range of HR services to the Firm including recruitment and resourcing, talent management, compensation and benefits, performance management, employee relations, staff welfare, compliance and maintenance of personnel records.

As a Senior HR Business Partner, reporting into the Head of HR, you will be the operational interface between HR and your designated business units across our UK offices. Your role will be to embed best-practice approaches to human resources development and management to support front-line delivery. You will also have line-management responsibility of a Senior HR Advisor (Belfast).

You'll champion operational excellence, innovation and continuous improvement. Through clear management and sound judgement, you'll help the team deliver high-quality, commercially focused support and contribute to the firm's long-term success.

For a confidential conversation, please contact [email protected]

Our career development drivers set out what professionals are expected to demonstrate at each level of development. In this role, you will be expected to contribute across the following areas:

Business & Firm Management – Looks for opportunities to improve cost efficiencies.

Personal Effectiveness – Recognises and responds to the need for change.

People & Team Management – Sets projects in line with department's focus areas.

Service Delivery – Reviews how well a project went and asks for feedback.

Technical Expertise – Interprets, designs and accepts responsibility for policies and processes.

Key Responsibilities

Stakeholder Relationship Management

Proactively develop and maintain strong, influential relationships with senior stakeholders, acting as a trusted advisor.

Act as a trusted point of contact to partners, manage expectations, handle escalations and collaborate across offices and functions

Lead the development and delivery of business unit people plans aligned with Group and HR strategies.

Provide strategic input into business planning and change initiatives.

Employee Relations

Provide commercially sound solutions to complex and high-risk HR issues, balancing legal compliance with business needs.

Lead on sensitive employee relations matters including performance, disciplinary, grievance, absence management, redundancies, and flexible working.

Coach and challenge senior leaders in the effective application of HR policies and practices.

Talent Management

Partner with senior stakeholders to identify and develop high-potential and high-performing talent.

Lead on the design and implementation of retention strategies and development plans for key talent.

Performance Management

Drive a high-performance culture by setting expectations and supporting leaders in managing performance proactively.

Lead business unit appraisal and salary moderation and contribute to firm-wide calibration to ensure fairness and consistency.

Project Management

Lead and deliver strategic HR projects in support of the firm’s people strategy.

Collaborate with other HR Business Partners to ensure alignment and consistency in project and policy development.

Team Management and Leadership

Line manage and develop a Senior HR Advisor, providing coaching, guidance, and performance feedback.

Contribute to leadership of HR Operations team and act as a senior figure within the wider-HR team

Promote knowledge sharing and continuous improvement across the HR team.

Qualifications and Experience

Previous experience of working in a law firm or professional services is desirable.

Generalist HR experience, ideally gained within the legal or alternatively professional services industry.

Excellent stakeholder management skills.

Commitment to deliver first-rate, pro-active and appropriate HR support for their business areas.

Extensive knowledge of England and Wales employment law. Knowledge of Northern Ireland employment law desirable, but not essential.

Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands, lead multiple workstreams and manage other third parties effectively.

Experience managing and supporting the development of junior HR colleagues.

Comfortable with analysing various datasets to inform decisions.

A positive and resilient disposition as well as being a strong team player

A motivated and proactive approach, with the ability to work independently and a commitment to sustainable and responsible business practices.

A collaborative and influential working style, with the ability to build trusted relationships across functions, seniority levels, offices and jurisdictions.

Who are we looking for?

We don't have a type. We believe our differences are our strength; varied cultures, approaches and experiences can only benefit us.

What do we offer?

You can be yourself: It takes everyone to make us who we are. We’re a culture of diverse perspectives, with each of us making unique contributions that make us better together.

In the office or WFH?: We think the best balance is more time in the office than at home, so we operate a 60:40 rule.

Beyond salary: We offer plenty of benefits; private medical insurance, health cash plan, dental insurance, life assurance, critical illness insurance, matched pension contributions up to 7%, holiday trading, plus many more. Visit: Reward & Benefits ¦ Fieldfisher.

Come for the WOW views: Based on the 17th floor in No.1 Spinningfields, with views of the entire City.

Nurturing your talent: Take a 'build a career' approach to your training. You'll be on a pathway but free to wander if you see something you'd like to study more closely.

Funnel your interests: You have a life outside work, and we can help it to flourish. Join clubs, affinity networks, inclusive events, and pro bono/charity initiatives.

Inclusion at Fieldfisher

At Fieldfisher, inclusion is central to how we work. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, supported and able to succeed.

If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process or once you join us, we will work with you to put the right support in place. Examples include extra time for assessments, accessible document formats, alternative interview formats, quiet rooms, or physical and technological accessibility support.

For accessibility information on our Manchester office, visit: Accessing Fieldfisher Manchester ¦ Fieldfisher

What to do next:

Click 'Apply Now', complete an online application and upload a CV.

Successful applications will be invited to a 20–30-minute introductory call with a recruiter.

Every role recruits differently. But we'll always let you know what to expect from the process, so you get no surprises.

For hybrid opportunities, you'll be invited to visit our offices for a face-to-face meeting.

We try to make sure the process takes around 2-3 weeks only, but we can't always promise that. We will work around everyone's availability. You can contact us at [email protected].

We recruit on a rolling basis. Your application may be reviewed before the application deadline. We accept applications until we have filled the role.

We are not a UK firm with offices in Europe. We are a European law firm at our core. While our HQ is London, we are spreading across Europe at pace. In addition to UK, China and Silicon Valley we have offices in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Spain.

With 28 offices across 14 countries, we work collaboratively with each of our offices to ensure our clients receive the best advice and support. You might expect an impersonal office culture, but you will find a homely, family feel even in the largest offices.

Quality on both sides

Across all our offices and jurisdictions are market-leading practices in corporate/M&A, finance, real estate, energy and natural resources, technology and life sciences.

We count as clients large corporations including major technology firms, pharmaceutical and life sciences companies, energy suppliers, infrastructure companies, global banks and financial institutions.

We aim to ensure equality of opportunity and are actively working towards improving the diversity of our staff. Applications will be considered on merit and the applicant's suitability to meet the requirements of the role.