Director of People Partnering

Are you ready to chart your own career path? With our refreshed strategy, we’re building on our rich heritage and transforming our business to be more scalable and efficient, unlocking the capabilities needed for future success. This includes significantly investing in technology, streamlining the way we work and creating an environment where colleagues feel engaged, empowered and accountable; where they can show up, speak up and perform - because we believe in the difference our work makes.

At a glance:

Location: London - Paddington

Workplace Type: Hybrid

Employment Type: Permanent

Seniority: Director

The role

The Director of People Partnering reports directly to the Chief People Officer, advising and supporting strategic people planning, strategic workforce planning and partnering areas business functions and will sit on the People Leadership team.

The role is responsible for communicating and delivering the HR agenda in line with overall SJP and HR strategy, within a regulatory and risk aware environment. The role holder will be an integral member of the relevant management teams, understanding and anticipating business and organisational strategic priorities, and drive strategic value to the business. They will advise and partner with relevant HR and SME partners to create solutions in line with business priorities and engender strong partnerships between HR and the wider business through clear communication and alignment on HR matters. The role is responsible for ensuring end to end HR delivery of Business priorities, HR policy and process, ensuring that these are fair, inclusive and promote diversity.

What you'll be doing:

• Communicate and deliver the HR agenda, ensuring each function’s plans and priorities align with overall SJP and people strategy. This will be delivered by considering ROI, alignment of business needs, prioritising leading to clear local change agendas which will drive the focus for the People CoEs.
• Line management of the People business partnering team, acting as a point of escalation, and coaching and sharing knowledge to enable best practice.
• Act as SME and key member of the People leadership team, supporting both colleagues and the delivery of the HR strategy and business objectives.
• Lead complex and high-risk employee relations issues, engaging relevant SME partners and business leaders.
• Ensure effective engagement and reporting on HR matters to relevant GEC members and their leadership teams.
• Partner with business leaders and SMEs to develop and implement workforce planning strategies including succession planning, critical role and talent identification, career pathways and the associated current and future development requirements to align with organisational needs and priorities.
• In partnership with leaders, foster and embed SJP cultural values and behaviours that are committed to supporting employees, sets the tone for leadership behaviour, conduct and ethics, and champions diversity, equality and inclusion throughout SJP.
• Role model and set the right tone regarding SJP’s culture and policies on complying with all applicable laws, regulations and ethical issues.
• Leverage HR analytics to bring insight and rigour, and encourage data led decision making.
• Have a good understanding of governance structures, ensuring that People related risks and decisions are escalated and owned by appropriate individuals and/or committees.
• Manage and escalate (as appropriate) risks for relevant areas of responsibility, ensuring full compliance with the Group risk management procedures.
• Partner with the business and relevant SMEs to identify and implement any changes to reward strategy or compensation structures, to attract and retain talent while maintaining cost-effectiveness and alignment with SJP behaviours and values.
• Good knowledge of relevant regulations and the link between these and SJP’s employee policies and practices, including remuneration.
• Coach business leaders to ensure best people outcomes across their business, strengthening senior leadership effectiveness.
• Advise and challenge business leaders to be fiscally responsible in their people related decisions ensuring alignment with SJP fiscal tolerance.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with HR colleagues, the wider SJP senior leadership cohort and other relevant parties to ensure effective co-ordination and delivery to support business and corporate objectives.
• Ensure adherence to internal policies, applicable laws, regulations and ethical issues including relevant requirements and expectations of the FCA, PRA, or other relevant FS regulatory bodies.
  
  

Who We're looking for:

The Director of People Partnering will have proven experience of leading a strategic People Business partner team. They will have strong analytical thinking with the ability to interpret HR metrics and data into insights that inform decision making. They will have proven problem-solving skills with the ability to mitigate regulatory and legal risks. This person will be experienced at leading and developing a senior team, acting as an escalation point and SME. They will be experienced working within and managing complex projects and change initiatives. They will be able to implement and successfully execute strategy across multiple teams while retaining a pragmatic and commercial mindset. This individual will demonstrate a strong and commercial grasp of current and future HR practices (including any relevant industry qualifications) in the context of FS. They will have experience of coaching senior leaders and managers to ensure high performance and best client and business outcomes. In addition, they will have a strong understanding of performance management frameworks, pay structures and incentive schemes, employee engagement drivers, cultural leavers, and capability approaches.

Culture and Values, SMF & Consumer Duty:

• A clear understanding of SJP culture and values, and champion these in the role.
• Foster and embed a positive culture that is committed to supporting employees, sets the tone for leadership behaviour, values, and ethics, and champions diversity, equality and inclusion throughout SJP, in line with SJP’s policies.
• Lead by example and set the right tone regarding the Group’s culture and policies on complying with all applicable laws, regulations and ethical issues.
• Encourage timely open and honest conversations within the team and with Stakeholders to drive positive outcomes.
• Responsibility for ensuring the alignment of the SJPMS People strategy with all functional People plans and the implementation of the plans in collaboration with SMEs, colleagues and partners where required. Act as an escalation point for the People business partners and the ER team on matters related to relevant entities.
• Ensure compliance with the FCA’s Principle 12 ‘A firm must act to deliver good outcomes for retail customers and further embedding the Duty within the business model and culture. Provide strategic direction and oversight for the delivery of good consumer outcomes within the business area, and any associated policies and practices. Ensure colleagues are aware of what the Consumer Duty means, why it is relevant to their role and how they should deliver good outcomes for customers, including encouraging them to raise concerns if they feel the firm is not delivering good outcomes and ensuring that those concerns are escalated appropriately.
  
  

Risk Management

Be accountable for managing potential risks and opportunities within an organisation development context, ensuring that appropriate systems and controls are in place and working effectively to mitigate/remove such risks to ensure that SJP’s brand, reputation and operations are protected and upheld.

Essential Criteria

• Extensive senior People Business Partner experience – proven capability to exert authority and influence at a senior level across a complex, fast moving business (Financial Services experience preferred).
• Track record of successfully delivering on HR programmes and challenges.
• Organisational design – proven ability to help shape and determine local people plan with focus on strategic workforce planning and return on investment.
• Track record of leading complex and high-risk employee relations issues.
• Track record of successfully coaching senior leaders to ensure high performance and best client and business outcomes.
• Skilled at leveraging HR analytics to bring commercial insight and rigour to data led decision making.
• Previous line management of a successful high performing business partnering team.
• Previous experience of developing/implementing workforce planning strategies including succession planning, critical role and talent identification and career pathways.
• Skilled at implementing and executing strategy across multiple teams.
• Ensure adherence to internal policies, applicable laws, regulations and ethical issues including relevant requirements/expectations of the FCA, PRA or other FS regulatory bodies.
  
  

Special Requirements:

Please be aware that this is a certification role under the Senior Managers and Certification Regime.

Boards and Committees

Attendance at appropriate Board meetings and Committees providing appropriate challenge and contribution to ensure the right outcomes for SJP.

Some national travel (most likely between Cirencester, London locations etc.), with some occasional overnight stays. Flexibility around working hours expected from time to time in keeping with leadership expectations at this level.

What's in it for you?

We reward you for the work you do, whether that’s through our discretionary annual bonus scheme that reflects both personal and company performance, competitive annual leave allowance (28 days plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase an additional 5 days), or online rewards platform with a variety of discounts.

We also have benefits to support whatever stage of life you are in, including:

• Competitive parental leave (26 weeks full pay)
• Private medical insurance (optional taxable benefit)
• 10% non-contributory pension (increasing with length of service)
  
  

Reasonable Adjustments We're an equal opportunities employer and want to ensure our recruitment process is accessible and inclusive for all, if you require reasonable adjustment(s) at any stage please let us know by emailing us at [email protected]

Research tells us that applicants (especially those from underrepresented groups) can be put off from applying for a role if they do not meet all the criteria or have been on an extended career-break. If you think you would be a good match for this role and can demonstrate some transferable experience please apply, regardless of whether you tick every box.

What's next?

If you're excited about this role and believe you have the skills and experience we're looking for, we'd love to hear from you! Please submit an application by clicking ‘apply’ below and our team will be in touch.

As a business regulated by the FCA we would advise you to familiarise yourself with the conduct regulations and in particular consumer duty obligations prior to an interview with SJP.