Overview
Salary Scale £47,389.29 - £56,535.44 per annum. Contract Type: Permanent. Full-time / Part-time: Full-Time. Weekly Hours: 36.5. Employment visa sponsorship available. Posted Date: 17/09/2025. Closing Date: 28/09/2025. Ref No: 5923.
The HR Business Partner is responsible for working in partnership with their allocated business areas to provide a professional HR and organisational development service that is customer-focused and drives performance improvement. The post-holder will be assigned to provide a service to designated University departments or work areas. The role’s primary function will be to develop strategies and implement business and workforce initiatives, which support department plans and objectives. The role will also be accountable for providing operational support to managers on complex employee relations issues and liaising with HR colleagues to ensure high standards are met. The HR Business Partner will contribute to cross-University HR projects as directed by their line manager.
The University will consider applications from individuals seeking flexible working arrangements (full time, part time, job share, or term time only).
To make an informal enquiry, please contact Deb Rhead at. Appointments are normally made within 4 - 8 weeks of the closing date.
Main Duties & Responsibilities
Strategic HR Leadership
* Develop and implement people plan aligned with the universitys strategy and values.
* Partner with senior leaders in Professional Services (e.g., Finance, Estates, IT, Marketing) to support workforce planning, organisational design, and change initiatives.
* Use data and insights to inform decision-making and measure the impact of HR interventions.
Talent Management & Development
* Lead succession planning and talent pipeline development, ensuring diversity and inclusion by working with the EDI Business Partner.
* Support partners in recruitment, including inclusive attraction and selection strategies.
* Collaborate on training and development plans with Organisational Development teams to retain talent and build capability.
Employee Relations & Engagement
* Advise and coach managers on employee relations issues, both informal and formal.
* Promote a positive and inclusive workplace culture, supporting wellbeing and engagement initiatives.
* Ensure consistent application of HR policies and procedures across departments.
Performance & Reward
* Support Department Heads and Line Managers to develop performance, ensuring performance is recognised and underperformance is addressed.
* Develop and embed an agile performance development process and supportive tools.
* Contribute to job evaluation and reward processes.
Change Management & Organisational Development
* Support and lead on organisational change projects, including restructures and service improvements.
* Act as a liaison between departments and central HR functions (e.g., EDI, Learning & Development, Payroll).
Collaboration & Communication
* Work closely with embedded HR teams and other HRBPs across faculties and services.
* Act as a bridge between Professional Services and HR, ensuring alignment and consistency.
* Support Head of HR & OD in writing reports for executive and council briefings.
Additional Responsibilities
* Undertake other duties as assigned by your line manager, commensurate with the role's grade.
* Engage in university-level projects and initiatives as directed, and undertake any additional duties commensurate with the role, as assigned by the line manager.
* Demonstrate flexibility by supporting colleagues during periods of high demand, including attendance at key university events such as open days and graduation ceremonies which may include weekend work.
* Promote equality of opportunity, and to support and uphold the University's commitment to diversity and inclusion in all aspects of your work.
* To support the university strategy and underlying plans, engage in continuous personal and professional development in line with the demands of the role, including undertaking relevant training and development activities to develop yourself and support the development of others.
* Fulfil health and safety responsibilities appropriate to the role, while actively promoting the personal health, safety, and wellbeing of staff and students as a member of the Aberystwyth community. Additionally, support the Universitys commitment to environmental sustainability through responsible practices and engagement.
The above does not represent an exhaustive list of duties associated with this role.
Essential
Who you are: Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge and Skills required
* Chartered CIPD membership or equivalent experience or qualification.
* Relevant experience of operating at Business Partner level.
* Experience of trade union negotiations and dealings.
* Significant experience of dealing with employee relations issues including complex casework and tribunal management and participation.
* Up to date knowledge of employment law precedents, case law, to provide appropriate advice.
* Ability to translate your business acumen skills into strong workforce initiatives that deliver impact and alignment to strategic priorities.
* Demonstrable ability in managing organisational change, workforce planning, restructuring and cultural change.
* Demonstrable ability to operate as part of a team and have the ability to be a key stakeholder.
* Confident communicator with well-developed verbal and written skills including persuasion, persistence, encouragement, negotiation, influencing skills, report writing and presentation.
* Well-developed IT skills using Microsoft Office, bespoke HR packages and the HR database.
* Ability to work with a conflicting set of priorities and to tight deadlines, whilst maintaining attention to detail.
* Initiative, problem solving, analytical skills and decision-making abilities.
* Line management ability to coach professional colleagues, delegate effectively and ensure quality standards.
* Oral (spoken) and Written Welsh Level C1.
Desirable
* Fellowship of the CIPD.
* Experience of delivering the operational outputs of employee relations work either capability, disciplinary or redundancy.
* Accredited mediation skills.
* Advanced IT skills, specifically Excel and Word.
* Oral (spoken) and Written Welsh Level C2.
* More information on Welsh Language Levels can be found at:
https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/hr/policy-and-procedure/welsh-standards/
How to apply
Applications for this role must be made through jobs.aber.ac.uk. You are welcome to apply for any vacancy in Welsh or English and any application submitted will be treated equally.
Benefits
* Flexible working policy
* 36.5 hour week for full-time roles
* Generous leave entitlements 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays and university closed days
* Commitment to Professional Development
* Enhanced contribution to our workplace pension schemes
* Staff recognition and reward schemes
* Opportunity to learn the Welsh language for free
* Staff relocation bursary
* Maternity, Paternity, Parental and Adoption Leave
* Staff discount for gym facilities, hospitality, and retail on campus.
We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities and, those that are currently underrepresented in our workforce. This includes but is not limited to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, candidates with disabilities, and female candidates.
We are a Bilingual Institution which complies with the Welsh Language Standards and is committed to Equal Opportunities. You are welcome to apply for any vacancy in Welsh or English and any application submitted will be treated equally.
Employment Visa
We welcome international applicants who are eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Route. Under the points-based system, this role meets the criteria to be sponsored by AU for an SWR application. AU will only support the Certificate of Sponsorship for any employment visas and will not support the payment of the employment visa for the offered candidate and/or dependants.
Any Prospective Candidates Coming To Work For AU Under The SWR Will Require a Minimum Of 70 Points, Made Up Of The Following:
Skilled Worker Route Points-Based System
* Meets (Yes / No) Mandatory / Non-tradeable Criteria (50 points)
* A job offer from a UK licensed sponsor – 20 points – Yes
* Job is above the minimum sponsorable skill level – 20 points – Yes
* Appointed candidate to have appropriate knowledge of the English language – 10 points – Yes
Total = 50 points
Tradeable Criteria (dependent on candidate appointed)
* Salary meets minimum threshold – 20 points
* The candidate holds a PhD in a subject relevant to the job – 10 points
* The candidate holds a PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job – 20 points
* The advertised role is on the UK Shortage Occupation List (SOL) – 20 points
For more information, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa
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