HR Business Partner

Overview

Role Title: HR Business Partner

Location: UK, Oxfordshire (Harwell), hybrid-working

Salary: £42,000 – £48,000

Job ID: 2022-1538

Our vision is to create a safe and sustainable world

Ricardo plc is a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company, listed on the London Stock Exchange. With over 100 years of engineering excellence and employing close to 3,000 employees in more than 20 countries, we provide exceptional levels of expertise in delivering leading-edge and innovative cross-sector sustainable products and solutions. Every day, we enable our customers to solve the most complex and dynamic challenges to help achieve a safe and sustainable world.

Energy & Environment, one of Ricardo plc’s five operating business units, is a leader in sustainability consultancy, solving complex environmental challenges through industry-leading analysis, advice and data. With more than 40 years of heritage in addressing air quality, environmental and sustainability issues, our customers value us for our deep understanding and breadth of services covering the entire value chain from evidence, policy & strategy to implementation.

We are currently looking for a HR Business Partner to join our Human Resources team. As an HR Business Partner, you will provide professional HR expertise and advice to a growing cohort of around 170 employees, including directors and team leaders.  The majority of your time will be spent supporting people in the UK, however you will also support our growing office in Spain, as well as a small number of people across Europe and beyond.

You will be one of five HR Business Partners, reporting to the HR Manager, working together to support the organisation’s vision and growth strategy.

Key Responsibilities

You will develop deep and effective working relationships with your employee cohort to ensure business objectives are supported by HR policies and practices.  You will be outward facing in the business, often interacting with colleagues to build business knowledge, and regularly meeting with Managers and Team Leaders to deliver your HR added value.  You will confidently challenge and critically evaluate options and be proactive in putting forward ideas.

You will also work closely with the other HRBPs and HR Manager to ensure that the service is consistent across the business.   You will find the HRBP team incredibly supportive and welcoming.  The team regularly discuss solutions and share learning to make sure the best and latest thinking has been considered in our service to the business.  We are a team that is continually developing and hence you will be comfortable with change, managing your priorities and a varying set of tasks.

Your role will cover a wide range of areas, including

Providing advice and guidance to employees on policy and procedure, in the UK and in Spain

• Proactive support to Team Leaders and Managers
• Operational HR advice and associated transactional tasks
• Inductions and probations supporting new starter integration
• Contract changes
• Support and advice with promotion cases, salary reviews
• Data management and analysis
• Delivering training and presenting at local business meetings
• Managing maternity/paternity/flexible working/home working requests
• Liaising with Occupational Health on specific cases
• Providing input into HR strategic goals and operational plans
• Contributing to the creation and implementation of new policies and processes
• Advising on global mobility and Visa matters
• Leadership of/involvement in HR projects as required
• Performance management, disciplinary, grievances and redundancy, infrequently
• Mentoring of junior HR colleagues, as appropriate

Key Competencies and Experience

Essential

• A generalist HR background
• Experienced HR Business Partner
• Educated to degree level or equivalent qualification
• Good knowledge of UK employment legislation
• HR qualified (Level 5 or above)

Desirable

• Understanding of a consultancy environment
• Interest/experience in supporting employees based overseas
• Delivery/facilitation of internal training courses

Skills and behaviours

• Ability to work autonomously and lead implementation
• Ability to work collaboratively
• Excellent attention to detail
• Ability to identify and deliver operational improvements
• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability within the context of the needs of the business
• Be committed, proactive and have a "can do" approach to all aspects of working
• Ability to communicate effectively at all levels, within the HR Team and wider business
• Advanced Microsoft office skills
• Adaptable and accepting of the need to work flexibly in a dynamic and fast paced environment
• Flexibility to travel to other sites as needed

Working here

Ricardo is an exciting and rewarding place to work and you have the opportunity to make a difference. You will work with teams of talented, dedicated, and supportive individuals. You will have a fantastic opportunity to develop your career with us through our broad range of projects, mentoring opportunities and a personalised approach to your learning and development. We are always keen to hear from people who have drive, ambition and a flair for innovative thinking.

Wellbeing and work life balance

We offer flexible approaches to work, whether that's working from home, being in the office, or as a hybrid worker. We're happy to discuss flexible working arrangements. Wellbeing is at the core to our culture, allowing employees to flourish and to achieve their full potential. Our People are important to us, and we take pride in our wellbeing programmes and policies that support individuals including flexible working, carers policy, mental health first aiders and readily available support through our extensive Employee Assistance programme.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion statement

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person's potential, and we'll help you reach yours. We have an ambitious diversity, equality, and inclusion approach as explained here. We value diversity; recognising that a more diverse workforce creates a richer and more varied working environment. Diversity also drives innovation, by allowing us to offer our clients the best consultancy service that we can. As part of our commitment to engage positively and pro-actively with all our employees to ensure an inclusive culture, we are a recognised as a 'disability confident' employer.

Benefits

Our core benefits include 25 days' annual leave, plus 8 flexible bank holidays, a competitive company pension scheme, life assurance and professional subscriptions reimbursement. We also offer a wide range of flexible benefits to suit your lifestyle.

Once you have submitted your application a member of our Recruitment Team will be in touch. Please be aware that the timing can vary dependent on the volume of applications that we receive for each role and in some cases, we may start to review applications prior to the closing date.