HR Business Partner

Contract: Fixed-term maternity cover for up to 12 months

Salary: £51,356 - £54,495 + wellbeing cash plan + pension scheme (LGPS) + additional Lift Schools benefits

Hours: 37 (full-time)

Start date: June 2026 (some flexibility)

Lift Schools is seeking an experienced HR Business Partner to provide maternity cover within our East region. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced HR professional, interim HR consultant, or senior HR generalist looking for a meaningful, values-driven role within a large education trust.

This is a senior, hands-on role providing expert HR leadership across 12 schools in the Essex region, supporting leaders to create positive staff cultures that enable excellent outcomes for pupils.

You will work closely with principals, regional leaders and the wider HR services team, advising on complex people matters and helping schools navigate organisational change while maintaining a strong focus on staff wellbeing and safeguarding.

The role:

Regional HR leadership

• Leading and developing the regional HR team, including:
  
  • Line management of two HR Advisors
    
  • Oversight and professional support for six HR Coordinators
    
• Working closely with the Lead HR Business Partner and Head of HR Services to deliver a consistent, high-quality HR service across the region

Employee relations and safeguarding

• Managing complex employee relations casework, including:
  
  • Disciplinary, grievance, absence and capability matters
  • Safeguarding and child protection-related investigations

• Strategic HR support for schools
  
• Advising and supporting schools through:
  
  • Restructures and organisational change
    
  • Ofsted preparation and follow-up activity
    
• Building strong, trusted relationships with school and regional leaders
  
• Providing pragmatic, solutions-focused HR advice in a fast-paced environment

About you:

We are looking for someone who:

• Has significant HR experience, ideally within education, local government or the wider public sector
  
• Is confident managing complex employee relations and safeguarding cases
  
• Has experience supporting multiple sites or services within a large organisation
  
• Can build credibility quickly with senior leaders and provide calm, pragmatic advice
  
• Has experience leading or supporting HR colleagues in a team environment
  
• Is comfortable working at pace and managing competing priorities
  

We also welcome applications from candidates who may bring strong transferable skills, including those with:

• Experience in complex employee relations or organisational change in large organisations
  
• Strong academic or professional HR backgrounds looking to move into the education sector
  
• Experience delivering HR support across multi-site organisations

Location and working pattern

• Hybrid working: typically three days on site, two days remote
  
• Base location: Lift New Rickstones, Witham, Essex
  
  • Witham benefits from excellent transport links, including direct train services to London Liverpool Street in around 45 minutes, easy access to the A12, and convenient connections to Chelmsford, Colchester, and surrounding Essex towns.
    
• Regular travel to other schools across the Essex region will be required
  

Candidates should be based within reasonable travel distance of the Essex schools.

Who is Lift Schools?

We’re a diverse and inclusive network of schools with one clear mission; to provide an excellent education to every child - in every classroom, every day. And we do this across each of our 58 schools.  As with our students, we want our team to be empowered to do their best work, supported by the best leadership they’ve ever had.

We acknowledge and appreciate the exceptional efforts of everyone here in making this an incredible organisation.

We offer you:

• Comprehensive training: Access a wide range of developmental training to boost your career.
• Generous benefits: From your pension plan to healthcare and financial support, we've got you covered.
• Lifestyle perks: Enjoy discounted gym memberships and travel deals.

Closing Date: Wednesday 18th March 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response. All candidates are advised to refer to the job description and person specification before making an application.

Lift Schools are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our people and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair and consistent recruitment process which is inline with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check.

Lift Schools embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. Job share, part-time and flexible working opportunities will be considered.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and there is a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.