Job Description

We are hiring! We are seeking a HR Business Partner for Distribution & Retail. The successful candidate will partner with our leadership teams to deliver a HR Strategy that builds the people capability required to achieve our short and longer term business goals. They will act as a guardian of the employee experience and work in collaboration and partnership with HRBPs and our Centres of Excellence to identify opportunities that continuously improve our employee experience and ensure that all of our colleagues feel at home.


The role can be offered on a hybrid working basis with at least 2 days in the office. The role will require travel to Watford and Northampton and may occasionally involve working outside of normal working hours to see colleagues on different shift patterns.

Key Responsibilities:

Collaborate and partner with our leadership teams to deliver the HR Strategy. Work alongside the leadership team on a day to day basis building relationships, making connections and supporting the achievement of the short and longer term business goals. Facilitate the talent and succession routines that will deliver strong and diverse talent pipelines at all levels. Work alongside our Early Careers, Resourcing and L&D teams to ensure that the right interventions are in place to identify, develop and nurture future talent and business leaders. Collaborate with our leaders to coach and develop brilliant line managers to build capability, drive performance and build a place where all of our colleagues feel at home - encouraging diversity of thought, attracting diverse talent and leading inclusive teams. Use insight from listening channels and data sources to understand the colleague experience at key moments in the employee lifecycle. Work alongside the HRBP team and the CoE teams to share best practice, drive consistency and support project work that continuously improves the colleague experience. Be an ally for inclusion, using your role to influence and make changes to measurements, policies and practices that continue to build an inclusive and diverse culture that allows colleagues to feel at home. Use organisational design principles, effective demand planning and an understanding of future resource and capability requirements to build a workforce plan that meets the growth needs of the business area. Use ER and organisational change skills to facilitate business change and partner with the ER team to coach and support line managers through complex ER cases and conflict resolution

What are we looking for:

CIPD, psychology or relevant HR qualification Experience in similar HRBP roles supporting an operational or fast paced environment Experience implementing an HR Strategy in partnership with functional leaders and centres of excellence teams Implementing projects that deliver changes or improvements to colleagues or customers Experience leading change and managing complex ER cases alongside ER and HR Legal teams Strong knowledge of UK Employment laws, regulations and employment practices. Has good judgement, a sense of urgency and has demonstrated commitment to high standards of ethics, regulatory compliance and business integrity. A curious mindset. Proactive, self-motivated and the ability to handle multiple priorities. Feels comfortable working alongside colleagues at all levels. High degree of initiative, dependability, and ability to work with limited supervision

What can we offer you:

You'll be supported with fantastic learning and development and have the opportunity to grow and develop your career with us.
We'll also equip you with a benefits package that includes:

Competitive bonus Private medical healthcare Save-as-you-earn scheme Contributory pension scheme Colleague discount Discount platform including savings and cash back at numerous retailers, savings on gym membership, cycle to work scheme Our widely recognised wellbeing strategy is something we're proud of at Wickes. As part of this, we offer a range of health and wellbeing benefits and support, including an Employee Assistance Programme, financial education & loans, and access to parental, menopause and fertility support.
By giving you the support you need to do well at work, and the flexibility to make life work for you. We are giving you a career that doesn't put your life on hold. Where you can be yourself, do your best work, and make a positive difference every day.
We recognise the value of bringing our teams together to collaborate, support each other and build on our amazing culture. We are also encouraging our teams to work flexibly, with a blend of remote / office working.

About Us:

Wickes is a multi-channel retailer operating in the home improvement market. With 50 years in industry, Wickes now generates revenue in excess of 1.6bn across 230 stores delivered by 8,000+ colleagues.
But it is the Wickes culture that we are really proud of. It's a collaborative, down to earth, fun and inclusive environment where people feel part of a winning team. All our colleagues come from different backgrounds, but what we all have in common is a determination to succeed and a passion for being the best we can be. If that sounds like you, we'll make you feel right at home.