Head of People - 12 Month FTC (Maternity cover) at NearForm · Uk

This is a 12 Month FTC Maternity Cover

About Nearform

Nearform is an independent team of data & AI experts, engineers, and designers who build intelligent digital solutions and capability at pace. We create AI-enabled solutions that enhance digital experiences, empower developers, and deliver measurable results. In these ways, we partner with ambitious enterprises to deliver enduring impact.

Our deep expertise in solving the world’s most complex digital problems, along with our collaborative, people-first approach, enables enterprises to build breakthrough products and modernise legacy systems by unleashing the power of AI.

Today, our team of 500 experts in 20+ countries is trusted by leading enterprises including Lululemon, Puma, Sun Life, Starbucks, Travelex, Virgin Media 02, and Walmart.

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced and commercially minded Senior People Business Partner or Head of People to join our People & Talent Team. Reporting to the Chief People Officer, you will partner with managers and senior leaders across the business to drive people strategy, organisational effectiveness, and high-performance cultures that support Nearform's continued growth.

As a trusted advisor, you will work closely with managers and leaders to navigate complex people challenges, enable organisational change, and ensure that people decisions align with both business objectives and our values. You will play a key role in delivering an exceptional employee experience while helping to shape scalable people advisory practices across a globally distributed workforce.

This role is ideal for a strategic HR professional who enjoys balancing operational excellence with long-term people planning and thrives in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Business Partnering

• Partner with senior leaders and functional teams to align people strategies with business goals and commercial priorities.
• Provide trusted advice and coaching on organisational design, workforce planning, performance, engagement, and talent management.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders across multiple regions and teams, influencing decision-making through insight and expertise.
• Support managers and leaders in creating high-performing, inclusive, and engaged teams.

Employee Relations & People Advisory

• Lead and manage complex employee relations matters, providing pragmatic, risk-balanced advice to managers and stakeholders.
• Coach managers and leaders through performance management, capability concerns, organisational change, and sensitive people issues.
• Ensure consistent application of company policies, employment legislation, and people practices across relevant jurisdictions.
• Partner with legal and external advisors where required on complex employment matters.

Organisational Change & Transformation

• Support business leaders through periods of growth, change, restructuring, and transformation.
• Act as a trusted advisor during organisational design and change initiatives, helping leaders assess impacts and manage transitions effectively.
• Drive adoption of people programmes and initiatives, ensuring alignment with business objectives and employee experience goals.

Talent & Performance

• Partner with Talent Acquisition and business leaders to support workforce planning and hiring strategies.
• Support succession planning, talent development, and retention initiatives across key business areas.
• Contribute to performance and career development frameworks that enable growth and progression.
• Use people insights and data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities within client groups.

People Strategy & Culture

• Translate business priorities into actionable people plans that support growth and organisational effectiveness.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of People & Talent initiatives across engagement, performance, inclusion, wellbeing, and culture.
• Champion Nearform's values and culture, ensuring people practices reinforce a positive employee experience.
• Leverage people data and metrics to inform recommendations and measure impact.

Who You Are

• Experienced HR Business Partner: You have significant experience operating as a Senior HR Business Partner or Head of People within a fast-paced, scaling organisation, ideally within technology, consulting, engineering, or professional services environments. You have a proven track record of partnering with managers and senior leaders, influencing business decisions through strong commercial and people insight.

• Trusted Advisor: You are skilled at building credibility and trust with stakeholders at all levels. You balance empathy with pragmatism and are confident in navigating complex and sensitive employee situations. You are comfortable challenging constructively and influencing without direct authority.

• Change and Organisational Effectiveness: You have experience supporting organisational change, transformation, restructuring, and growth initiatives. You understand how organisational design, leadership capability, and culture contribute to business performance.

• Commercially Minded: You understand the commercial realities of a consulting or professional services business and can align people strategies accordingly. You are comfortable using data, insights, and business context to inform decisions and recommendations.

• Global Perspective: You have experience supporting globally distributed teams and navigating employment considerations across multiple jurisdictions. You can balance local requirements with global consistency and business needs.

• Delivery Focused: You are highly organised, adaptable, and comfortable operating in an evolving environment. You take ownership of outcomes, build strong partnerships, and focus on delivering practical, business-focused solutions.

Benefits & Perks:

• Annual Company Bonus - We all help Nearform to hit company goals so we all receive a share of the profits on an annual basis in line with company performance.
• Work Remotely and Flexibly - We have a genuine dedication to work/life balance. Our flexible working culture allows you to work around what matters - school run, no problem!
• Paid Time Off Package - We offer an annual leave of 25 days plus public holidays. We also offer sick leave, marriage leave and many more.
• Remote Working Allowance - Every 2 years, you will have a budget of up to €1250 (equivalent in GBP) to help you set up a comfortable and productive workspace in addition to your essential equipment provided by Nearform when you join.
• Healthcare - It’s important to always take care of your health, so we offer additional private healthcare here at Nearform. If you wish to learn more about the plan offered feel free to reach out to our team.

Pension & Insurances - We offer a pension match of up to 5% and Income Protection and Death in Service for peace of mind.