Senior HR Business Partner

Lift Schools, London, W12 7TF

14 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  As soon as possible

• Closing date

  19 May 2026 at 8:21am

• Date listed

  5 May 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Administration, HR, data and finance
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Fixed term
• Full-time equivalent salary: Up to £60000 per annum

Senior HR Business Partner job summary

Salary: £60,000 + wellbeing cash plan + pension scheme (LGPS) + additional Lift Schools benefits

Hours: 37 (full-time)

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

Start date: As soon as possible

Hybrid working: typically three days on site, two days remote

Base location: Lift New Rickstones, Witham, Essex with regular travel across Essex schools

A role where your impact is felt every day

At Lift Schools, we believe every child deserves an excellent education. Behind every great school is a strong, supported team and that's where you come in.

We are looking for a senior HR business partner to to provide maternity cover and lead people strategy across our East region. This is a high-impact role supporting 12 schools in Essex, working directly with principals and regional leaders to build positive, inclusive cultures where colleagues thrive and pupils succeed.

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 growing national trust.

What you'll be doing

Lead HR across the region

* provide strategic and operational HR leadership across 12 schools
* lead, coach and develop a team of HR advisors and coordinators
* work closely with the lead HR business partner and head of HR services to deliver a consistent, high-quality service

Be the expert on complex people matters

* manage high-level employee relations cases, including disciplinary, grievance, absence and capability
* lead on safeguarding and child protection-related investigations
* offer clear, confident and balanced advice in sensitive situations

Partner with leaders to drive improvement

* support organisational change, restructures and workforce planning
* contribute to Ofsted readiness and follow-up activity
* build trusted relationships with school and regional leaders
* bring practical, solutions-focused thinking to complex challenges

About you

You bring credibility, sound judgement and a calm, confident approach.

You might come from education, local government or another large, complex organisation. What matters most is your ability to lead, influence and deliver.

You will:

* have strong experience in HR, including complex employee relations
* be confident handling safeguarding-related cases
* have experience working across multiple sites or services
* build trust quickly with senior leaders
* support and develop others within a team
* stay organised and focused in a fast-paced environment

We also welcome applicants with transferable experience from large organisations or consultancy backgrounds who are ready to bring their expertise into education.

Join us and help shape what's possible

This is more than a maternity cover. It's an opportunity to step into a senior role, lead with purpose and make a lasting impact across a region.

Early applications are encouraged. We review applications as they come in.

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 59 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.

If you'd like to find our more and have an informal confidential conversation, please contact us.

Closing Date: Friday 15th May 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.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

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.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Lift Schools

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• Website: Lift Schools website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/academies-enterprise-trust

Who is Lift Schools? Lift Schools is made up of 59 primary, secondary and special schools, educating more than 33,000 pupils across the country. We believe education can transform lives – and we want every child in our schools to achieve their full potential. Our mission: 1.We will provide an excellent education to every child, in every classroom, every day. 2.With excellent leadership and teaching in every school, we will help children go on to lead successful and happy lives. 3.We will work with others beyond our network to benefit more children and communities. Every adult in a school has the power to transform lives, and that’s why talented people are essential to us. Our ambition to give every pupil the best start in life relies on our dedicated teachers, teaching assistants, senior leaders, and admin teams. We attract dynamic individuals and provide the space to reimagine what’s possible. That’s why your career is as important to us as it is to you. We want you to develop, we want you to grow, and we want you to feel valued.

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