We have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced HR leader to join our collaborative and ambitious Human Resources team as HR Business Partner Lead for our Partners and Practice Groups.
In this newly created role, you will sit at the heart of Osborne Clarke’s people agenda, providing high‑quality strategic and operational HR support to the Partnership and leading HR service across our Practice Groups.
You will act as a trusted advisor to firm leaders, using data, insight and expertise to shape and deliver a first‑class Partner experience across the full Partner lifecycle.
You will also be responsible for a proactive, strategically aligned HR service to all Practice Groups through the leadership and management of the Practice Group HR Business Partner team. Leading this team, you’ll blend strategic thinking with hands‑on delivery, influencing key decisions and helping to build the culture and capability we need for the next stage of Osborne Clarke’s growth.
This is a permanent position based in either our Bristol or London office, with hybrid working and occasional travel to our other UK offices as required. We anticipate this is a full-time role but are open to flexible working patterns.
About us
People are at the heart of our business and this is an exciting time to be in HR and support the firm in adapting to the future of work. Our HR team is highly respected for the central and strategic role it plays in making OC a great place to work. The team is made up of specialists across HR, diversity and inclusion, recruitment, people development, reward, systems and data, responsible business and HR operations. We are a friendly, supportive and forward‑looking team, working closely together to help ensure OC’s continued growth and success.
Key Responsibilities
Team Leadership & Coaching
- Lead, coach and develop the Practice Group HRBP team to deliver a proactive, consistent and customer‑centric HR service to all Practice Groups
- Act as a point of escalation for HRBPs on complex employee matters, including sensitive or complex employee relations issues
Strategic Partnering & Leadership
- Provide strategic counsel to senior leaders on Partner‑related people matters, building trusted relationships with the Managing Partner, Chief People Officer, Practice Group Heads, Operations Directors and other key stakeholders
- Work with Partners in leadership positions and HRBPs to develop a strategically aligned Partner talent and people plan that supports the firm’s overall strategy, and ensure the Partner plan is translated into Practice Group level plans through the HRBP team
- Work with firm leaders and the HR People Change and Transformation Lead to identify strategic drivers for change across Practice Groups, support the initiation of change programmes and oversee the successful embedding of change via HRBPs
Talent, Succession & Development
- Develop, drive and adapt a workforce plan for the Partnership to ensure the firm has the right Partner skills and capacity at the right time, supported by effective data and modelling
- Implement talent management and succession planning practices to retain, progress and diversify Partner and aspiring Partner talent, working closely with People Development and Responsible Business
- Contribute to the design of Partner development initiatives that build leadership capability, support performance and deliver the workforce plan
Partner Lifecycle & Experience
- Shape and deliver a consistent, high‑quality Partner experience from attraction and aspiring Partner stages through to retirement, working closely with HR and Operations colleagues
- Support a consistent and effective approach to Partner‑specific processes such as Partner reviews and remuneration, and Partner promotions/appointments
- Oversee the accurate and timely administration of Partner lifecycle events, working with HR Operations and the HR Assistant team, and continually improve Partner‑specific HR processes, including the effective use of technology and AI tools
Culture, Performance, Engagement & Wellbeing
- Support leaders to create and sustain a culture of high performance across the Partnership, with clear expectations, effective performance management and a strong focus on feedback and continuous improvement
- Use data and insight to support the firm’s Smart Performance agenda, maximising gains in productivity, inclusion and wellbeing
- Take a holistic view of Partner engagement, drawing on a wide range of data and insight, and work with HRBPs and operations colleagues to identify opportunities to enhance engagement
- Determine the wellbeing plan for the Partnership and oversee implementation of initiatives within Practice Groups through the HRBP team, in collaboration with Responsible Business, Reward and Risk & Compliance
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- Implement talent management and succession planning practices to retain, progress and diversify Partner and aspiring Partner talent, working closely with People Development and Responsible Business
- Support leaders to translate the firm’s DE&I strategy and diversity targets into practical action plans across the Partnership, overseeing delivery via the HRBP team
Data, Insight & Strategic Workforce Planning
- Work with HR Systems and Data colleagues to ensure leaders have clear access to robust Partner data and insight to inform planning, decision‑making and tracking against business goals
- Develop, drive and adapt a workforce plan for the Partnership to ensure the firm has the right Partner skills and capacity at the right time, supported by effective data and modelling
- Role model data‑fluency, using dashboards and insight to influence decisions on resourcing, promotions, recruitment and organisational effectiveness
- Maintain disciplined governance for people plans and strategic workforce planning (SWP) cycles, aligned to firm‑wide standards
- Embed the firm’s SWP framework across the HRBP team and Practice Groups, eventually ensuring regular cycles of demand/supply forecasting, capability mapping, scenario modelling and action planning
- Track capacity, utilisation, skills gaps and critical talent risks, escalating systemic risks and strategic options to Practice Group leadership and the Head of HR
What we’re looking for
- An experienced HR Business Partner with extensive experience of partnering with board‑level stakeholders in a professional services Partnership environment
- Strong understanding of Partnership structures and dynamics, and the ability to provide pragmatic, commercial advice within that context
- A proven track record of delivering tangible business benefits through talent management, workforce planning and HR practices
- Strong leadership and people management skills, with experience of coaching and developing HRBPs, delivering through others and engaging, motivating and building collaboration in busy teams
- Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build credibility quickly and maintain strong professional relationships with senior stakeholders
- Client-centric and instils a service excellence ethos in others
- Comfortable and proactive in using data and insight to underpin advice, influence decisions and demonstrate HR impact
- Strategic thinker who can align HR activity to firm and Practice Group strategy, while being willing to engage in operational detail where needed
- Strong technical HR skills and knowledge of HR best practice and employment law, with the ability to apply these in a commercial and pragmatic way
- Professional, flexible and resilient, with the ability to adapt to changing requirements and circumstances and operate effectively in a fast‑paced environment
Salary and benefits
We offer competitive salaries and generous benefits. We value the health and wellbeing of our people and our wide range of initiatives and benefits support this.
Our recruitment process
Please note that although we include closing dates for our roles as a guide, we review and progress applications on a rolling basis. At Osborne Clarke we do not make any recruitment decisions using automated decision-making.
We are committed to providing an environment where you can perform to the best of your abilities at every stage of your recruitment experience and beyond. If you require any adjustments to be made during the application stage, interview process, or when working with us, please let us know in confidence.