We’re looking for a Head of People Partnering to join our People team!

As the Head of People Partnering, you’ll play a pivotal role in driving our people strategy across the business. Leading a team of People Partners, you’ll act as both a strategic leader and hands-on partner to one or more of our key business areas, working closely with senior leaders and our People teams (Talent Acquisition, Learning, EDI&B, Comms and Engagement and Reward & Insight) to ensure that our people plan supports the achievement of our ambitions. This is a high-impact role for a people leader who thrives in a fast-moving environment, can influence at all levels, and is passionate about building high-performing teams and an outstanding colleague experience.

What will you do as a Head of People Partnering at N Brown?

You’ll lead, coach, and develop a team of People Partners and Managers to deliver high-impact support to their respective business areas.
You’ll build a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and continuous improvement within the People Partnering team, creating succession and knowledge sharing pathways.
You’ll act as the People Partner to one or more of our core business areas, providing trusted advice and guidance to senior leaders.
You’ll use data to proactively identify people challenges, opportunities and influence decision-making, crafting tailored solutions that align with both the local business needs and our overall People strategy.
You’ll translate our People strategy into actionable functional people plans, ensuring alignment with business objectives and priorities.
You’ll partner with the wider People teams and be a proactive member of the people leadership team to shape and inform the design and delivery of people initiatives (e.g., talent acquisition, organisational design, performance, engagement, and reward).
You’ll lead workforce planning, organisational design, and talent planning conversations in partnership with the business and People team.
You’ll oversee ER processes and advises on Final Stage ER issues including FWW, Dismissals and Employment Tribunal applications/defence.
You’ll build strong, trusted relationships with senior leaders and cross-functional teams.
You’ll act as a change agent, guiding leaders and teams through transformation and change initiatives.
You’ll be able to review and present data and solutions to senior leaders to hold them to account and track progress against key people metrics.
You’ll champion and demonstrate our values & behaviours and help build an inclusive, high-performance culture
You’ll drive colleague engagement, retention, and development across all areas of the business.
You’ll lead pay and negotiations with USDAW for Logistics colleagues at our distribution centre, with support from Logistics People Partner

What skills and experience will you have?

You’ll have proven experience in a senior People Partnering role, ideally in a fast-paced digital, retail, financial services or consumer-facing environment. You’ll have experience of leading and developing high-performing teams.
You’ll have a strong business acumen with the ability to align people initiatives to commercial objectives. You’ll have exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills at all levels.
You’ll have hands-on experience of driving change and transformation. You’ll be comfortable with data, insights, and reporting to drive decision-making.
You’ll have a collaborative approach, with the ability to work effectively across a matrixed environment. You’ll have a passion for developing people and building inclusive, high-performance cultures.

What’s in it for you?

* Hybrid working

* 24 days holiday (+ 8 bank holidays) with the option to buy an additional 10 days

* Annual bonus scheme

* Enhanced maternity and adoption leave

* Access to Apricity, a self-funding IVF benefit at a reduced rate

* Company pension with up to 8% N Brown contribution

* Mental Health support both internally and externally, including access to our wellbeing champions and counselling services

* A range of financial wellbeing support

* Colleague discount across all N Brown brands

* Onsite café with subsidised rates and local restaurant discounts!

* Life Assurance and Private Medical Insurance

* Paid volunteer time – all our colleagues can take a full day paid to volunteer for a charity of their choice

N Brown – who we are and why work for us?

At N Brown, we’re committed to building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment that values equality for all. Our vision is that by ‘championing inclusion, we’ll become the most loved and trusted fashion retailer’. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging are, therefore, at the heart of our culture.

We’re a forward-thinking digital retailer with a financial services proposition to be proud of. We’re customer-obsessed, serving them through three core brands: JD Williams, Simply Be, and Jacamo. We’re experienced, with over 160 years of trading under our belt. We’re inclusive, as we believe in fashion without boundaries; and we’re sustainable, striving to make as little impact on the planet as possible.

In May 2024 we were delighted to be named one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2024. We work hard to create a happy and inclusive culture for everyone and we’re so proud to have made this list - as voted for by our very own colleagues!

Ways of Working

We offer hybrid working which varies across the business depending on the role you’re in. Our Head Office is located in the Northern Quarter in Manchester City Centre. So if you are travelling by train, tram or bus we’re perfectly located, plus we’re surrounded by cool cafes, trendy bars and the best places to eat!

Our working hours are 36.17 per week and our core working hours are between 10am - 4pm. Given we don’t have strict working hours you can find the working pattern that’s right for you.

Our promise to you:

We’re an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

What happens when you apply to a role at N Brown?

As soon as we receive your application, we’ll send you an email to let you know. We always aim to come back to you as soon as possible with an update and we really appreciate you taking the time to apply for a role with us. Good luck!