People and Performance (HR) Business Partner

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People and Performance (HR) Business Partner

Salary: £42,415 per annum
Permanent | Full-time | 37 hours per week
Based at Burton and South Derbyshire College town centre campus

Make a difference through people

Burton and South Derbyshire College is looking for an experienced People & Performance Business Partner to join our People & Performance team.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in supporting managers and leaders across the College, helping us create a positive, high-performing and inclusive workplace where our people can thrive.

As a trusted People Business Partner, you will work closely with managers and senior leaders to understand their challenges, provide expert advice and turn organisational priorities into practical people solutions. You'll have the opportunity to influence workforce planning, organisational development, employee engagement, retention and management capability.

What will you be doing?

You’ll take the lead on a broad and varied portfolio of people activity, including:

• Providing trusted HR advice, coaching and constructive challenge to managers and leaders.
• Leading and advising on complex and sensitive employee relations matters, including disciplinary, grievance, capability, attendance, conduct and safeguarding-related employment issues.
• Supporting organisational change, restructures, consultation, redundancy, redeployment and organisational design.
• Using workforce data and insight to identify trends, risks and opportunities and make evidence-based recommendations.
• Coaching managers to build their confidence, capability and accountability in managing people.
• Supporting initiatives around employee engagement, retention, wellbeing, equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Contributing to HR policy development, pay and reward, job evaluation and wider people projects.
• Keeping up to date with employment legislation and sector developments and assessing their implications for the College.
• Preparing reports, briefings and recommendations for senior leaders, management groups and governors.
• Providing team leadership and professional support within the People & Performance team.
• Deputising for the Head of People & Performance on relevant matters when required.

About you

We’re looking for an experienced HR professional who can operate confidently at Business Partner level, combining strong technical knowledge with excellent interpersonal skills.

You’ll need:

• A relevant CIPD Level 5 qualification or above, or equivalent professional experience.
• Strong knowledge and practical application of UK employment law and HR best practice.
• Substantial experience working in a professional HR/People role at Advisor or Business Partner level.
• Experience advising, coaching and constructively challenging managers on complex and sensitive people matters.
• The ability to build strong relationships, influence stakeholders and use HR data and insight to inform decisions.
• Excellent communication skills and the confidence to work with people at all levels of the organisation.

Experience of working in further education or another complex, unionised organisation would be advantageous, as would experience of developing colleagues and delivering management training.

Why come and work for us?

Burton and South Derbyshire College is an Ofsted outstanding College. We value our employees and have a number of additional benefits to offer the successful applicant:

• Generous pension schemes for academic and support staff
• Generous holiday plans
• Salary sacrifice holiday purchase scheme
• Free Employee Assistance Programme
• Flexible working policies
• Competitive maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• Excellent staff training programme, including two staff development days per year
• On-site nursery with Good Ofsted rating
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Free annual eye tests
• Access to our onsite gym
• Staff discounts at our fine dining restaurant, The Mulberry, our Mulberry Bistro and Innovations Hair and Beauty salon
• Reward and recognition through our Employee of the Month scheme
• Discounted health cash plan

Burton and South Derbyshire College are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive cultureand you should share those values. We would welcome applications from all candidates, including under-represented groups in respect of age, disability, sex, gender or gender identity, ethnicity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender status which would reflect our diverse community.

The College is registered with the Disclosure and Barring Service and the successful applicants for this post will be required to apply for the Disclosure at the enhanced level. In addition, internet searches will be undertaken in accordance with the KCSIE guidance. The College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We are committed to a sustainability agenda and are working hard towards achieving a net zero environmental impact. We aim to embed this in our culture with our staff, learners, visitors and suppliers all expected to show dedication towards reducing our carbon footprint.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 12 noon, 15th October 2026.

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