Senior HR Business Partner

JOB BAND: F
CONTRACT TYPE: Full Time Fixed Term Contract until March 2027
DEPARTMENT: Human Resources
LOCATION: London or Birmingham - Hybrid
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £86,900 - £96,000 depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.

Please note Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 19th January 2026

Purpose of The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join People Services as a Senior Business Partner. In this pivotal leadership role, you will lead a centralised operational team supporting our Extended Workforce (freelance population). Your focus will be on delivering exceptional service delivery across the organisation while ensuring operational excellence and a seamless people experience.

We are looking for an experienced leader with extensive experience in HR and/or tax and a solid understanding of the freelancer workforce, capable of driving strategic initiatives and guiding teams effectively. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on leading teams, driving efficiency, and shaping processes that make a real impact. You will bring a strategic insight and operational know-how to underpin service delivery lines, ensuring fundamentals are delivered effectively and are accessible to all.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

Freelancers are a critical part of our workforce, helping us deliver world-class content. As Senior Business Partner you will:

• Thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment where innovation and continuous improvement are at the heart of what we do
• Play a key role in shaping and implementing the Extended Workforce Operating Model
• Influence service delivery, ensuring processes and technologies are fit for purpose and future-ready
• Work with senior stakeholders and external partners to deliver streamlined end-to-end services
• Enable world-class content delivery through the timely engagement of freelancers, underpinned by robust processes and a smooth customer experience
• Join a team that values people, culture and operational excellence, making a real impact on how we work

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and develop a centralised operational team providing specialist advice on aspects of freelance engagements (contract, payment, compliance)
• Ensure legal compliance and robust governance across all processes
• Drive continuous improvement of service delivery, processes, and technology solutions
• Deliver consistently to agreed Service Level Agreements/Key Performance Indicators
• Collaborate with Business Process Outsource (BPO) providers and third-party partners for seamless service delivery
• Monitor external trends and share best practices to enhance operational effectiveness
• Use data and insights to innovate and create tools that improve business performance

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Demonstrable Senior/Manager level experience of leading operational service teams in large, complex organisations
• Experience in managing stakeholder relationships at senior level
• Experience of service delivery and operational experience in resourcing and capacity planning
• Track record of developing, adapting and executing departmental goals in line with strategic plans to enhance business performance
• Expertise in employment legislation and compliance, with clear understanding of how regulations apply to freelancers and contractors
• Experience of working to SLAs/KPIs
• Exceptional communicator with an ability to influence and persuade at Executive level
• Proven ability to deliver results under pressure, demonstrating resilience and adaptability in a fast-paced environment

DESIRED

• Experience of managing 3rd party SLAs and KPIs
• Experience of working with Extended Workforce technology products, specifically SAP HR, Finance and case management systems
• Expertise in managing and advising on international freelancer engagements
• Proven experience of managing budgets
• Confident using data and insight to create leading edge, innovative tools/solutions

Disclaimer

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of the other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.

Information at a Glance

This is your BBC

At the BBC you can create and innovate in an inclusive environment while contributing to some of the world's best loved content, and the BBC's mission to inform, educate and entertain.

Life at BBC

Here you will benefit from:
• Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a flexible 35-hour working week, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care and gym.
• Excellent career and professional development.
• Support in your working life, including flexible working which you can discuss with us at any point during the application, selection or offer.
• A values-based organisation where the way we do things is important as what we do.

Benefits may vary if you are joining on an FTC basis or on an orchestra conditions contract.

Learn more about life at the BBC and our values in our candidate pack.

You belong

We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief.

Find out more about diversity, inclusion and belonging in our strategy below.

Disability confident

We are a disability confident employer. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via email and we'd be happy to discuss:

BBC Group and Public Services, Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, United Kingdom, W1A 1AA. BBC Studios Distribution Limited, company no: , registered address: 1 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, United Kingdom W12 7FA.