Interim HR Business Partner

A District Council in the South West is establishing a new Local Authority Trading Company (LATCo) to deliver its waste and recycling collection service in-house from July 2026.

We are seeking a dedicated and experienced HR Business Partner (HRBP) on an interim contract for a period of 6 months. There is potential for this role to be made permanent thereafter.

You will initially be joining in a standalone capacity to support the organisation through a period of operational growth. The role will primarily focus on providing hands on operational HR support, whilst in the longer term evolving into a more strategic capacity as the organisation continues to grow.

This role will play a key part in supporting ongoing TUPE activity, organisational development and workforce planning.

The initial role will include high quality operational HR delivery, providing hands-on support to all employees. As the team develops, the focus of the HRBP role will shift towards supporting organisational change and helping embed long-term cultural and people initiatives.

This role requires an HR professional who is comfortable working in a fast paced, operational working environment, with the ability to build credibility quickly with managers and help set a positive cultural change.

Candidate Requirements:

• Proven generalist HR experience, ideally within a Business Partnering, Senior Advisor or equivalent role, supporting managers across a broad range of people matters
• Strong experience managing employee relations cases
• Strong experience working with operational workforces
• Desirable – background in public sector, civil service or local authority
• Experience supporting organisational change and TUPE processes
• CIPD qualified (Level 5 minimum, Level 7 desirable) or equivalent practical HR experience
• Strong working knowledge of UK employment law with confidence advising on employee relations cases including disciplinary, grievance, absence, performance, capability and organisational change
• Experience supporting managers through complex people issues, balancing commercial judgement with risk and compliance
• Comfortable operating both strategically and hands-on, with the ability to move between day-to-day casework and wider people initiatives
• Strong experience building credible relationships with senior stakeholders and influencing decision-making
• Confident drafting and reviewing HR policies, guidance and people documentation to a high standard
• Strong analytical skills, with experience using HR systems and people data to identify trends and support decision-making
• High level of technical confidence across Microsoft 365, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to handle sensitive conversations professionally and constructively
• Emotionally intelligent, resilient and able to manage conflict, ambiguity and competing priorities in a busy environment
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to manage multiple deadlines effectively.

This role will be based at the council’s depot near Exeter, with scope to work from home for part of normal operations.

Ref: J9661

Application form