Strategic people business partner

The role At Southern Housing , our vision is simple: to create communities where everyone has a safe home in a place, they are proud to live . We are a large organisation with a strong local focus, and our people play a vital role in helping us make a real difference for residents and communities. We are now looking for a Strategic People Business Partner to join our People team and work closely with senior leaders to drive meaningful change, strengthen colleague experience and support the delivery of our People & Culture Strategy. Reporting into the Head of People Business Partners & ER, you will partner with senior leaders to deliver strategic and operational objectives across your business area. This is a highly influential role where you will act as a trusted advisor, leading on workforce planning, organisational design, and culture change, while ensuring people practices are aligned, legally robust and focused on delivering excellent outcomes. You will play a key role in making Southern Housing an employer of choice by driving effective people strategies, building capability and supporting managers to deliver through their teams. What you'll be doing: Acting as a strategic partner to senior stakeholders to enable delivery of business objectives. Driving workforce planning, succession planning, organisational design and resource forecasting. Supporting ACAS early conciliation and Employment Tribunal preparation where required. Leading on complex casework, working closely with the Employee Relations Team. Using people data and insights to identify trends, improve performance and inform decisions. Leading and delivering People projects and supporting delivery of the People & Culture Strategy. Leading the review and development of People policies and procedures. Building strong and positive relationships with managers, colleagues and trade unions. Managing establishment, salary data and resourcing alignment with budgets and workforce requirements. This role will be based in one of our main offices in Farringdon or Sittingbourne and may require visits to any other offices when needed. This role operates in a hybrid way when appropriate and as agreed with your manager. You will be a confident and credible HR professional who enjoys working strategically while staying close to the detail. You will know how to build trust, influence senior leaders and turn complex people challenges into practical, positive solutions. What you'll need: Significant HR business partnering experience in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment Strong up to date knowledge of UK employment legislation and practical application Experience of managing complex ER casework, including Tribunal preparation Confidence influencing, challenging and building credibility at all levels. Excellent stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills Strong analytical skills and the ability to use data to tell a clear story CIPD Level 5 or equivalent experience (CIPD Level 7 would be desirable) In your supporting statement, it is important that you address how you meet each of the above six criteria providing real examples. Closing Date : 28th of June 2026 (Sunday) at 23:59 Shortlisting Date : from 29th of June 2026 Interview Date : interviews and tests will take place on 6th of July 2026 via MS Teams Please note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to submit your application and supporting statement as soon as possible so your application can be reviewed and considered Applying for roles with us About us At Southern Housing, our residents are at the heart of everything we do. As one of the largest housing providers in the UK with over 77,000 homes across London, the Southeast, the Isle of Wight, and the Midlands, we give over 167,000 people somewhere affordable to call their own!We also understand the difference that safe, secure, and affordable homes can make to people's lives. A career at Southern Housing will allow you to make a difference every day you come to work. Working in the housing sector with us will bring fresh challenges and give you the opportunity to grow and develop, too. What's in it for you Pension Life assurance Healthcare cash plan Eyecare & dental Birthday leave Retailers discounts Cycle to work Buy & sell annual leave Season ticket loan In-house academy & career development Flexible working Inclusion & Diversity We work hard to create a diverse and inclusive culture and environment where people are respected for who they are. Encouraging inclusion is not just about protected characteristics, it's about celebrating differences of thought, opinion, experience and perspective of each individual. We're all different in our own way and we want our colleagues to feel comfortable, that they belong, and are safe to be themselves at work, without fear of being judged or excluded, but valued for their contribution to our One Team approach.