HR Business Partner - UK & U.S. Employment Law Experience Required (Fully remote)

Please note this role is part time (30 hours a week which can be worked over 4 or 5 days) 

Role Purpose 

The HR Business Partner plays an important role in shaping the employee experience at Oxford as the organisation grows and becomes more interconnected. The role supports Oxford’s work across both the UK and the United States, so strong experience of UK and U.S. employment law and HR practice is essential. 

Working closely with the HR Lead, you will partner with leaders across the organisation to ensure people decisions are thoughtful, consistent and aligned with Oxford’s long-term direction. You will also lead and contribute to key HR initiatives that strengthen leadership capability, organisational effectiveness and the overall employee experience. 

Through hands-on HR partnering, you will support key moments across the employee lifecycle, including performance, development, succession, employee relations and organisational growth. You will stay close to the day-to-day realities of the organisation while also identifying patterns, risks and opportunities over time. 

This role is remote based, with occasional travel to Woking or London (typically around once a month). Candidates should ideally be based within reasonable travelling distance of London. 

Who This Role Will Suit 

This role will suit an experienced HR Business Partner who enjoys working closely with leaders to navigate complex People questions and support organisations as they grow. 

The role requires strong judgement, experience working with UK and U.S. employment law, and the ability to balance legal considerations, organisational priorities and cultural impact in day-to-day decisions. 

What You Will Do 

As a trusted HR partner, you will provide pragmatic advice on people matters and support day-to-day issues including performance, conduct, absence and employee relations. You will coach leaders to handle people conversations with clarity, fairness and confidence, ensuring decisions are consistent, proportionate and legally sound, including those involving the United States. 

Working closely with the HR Lead, you will help translate Oxford’s People ambitions into clear priorities as the organisation grows. This includes supporting leaders to develop career pathways and succession approaches, and partnering on organisational design, workforce planning and team capability. You will also turn people insights, such as engagement feedback, into practical actions and support leaders to build inclusive and equitable teams. 

You will lead the delivery of core people processes including performance reviews, talent discussions, promotion and compensation cycles, and support recruitment from role design through to selection and offers. You will also help maintain people data and documentation, contribute to improvements in policies and tools, identify emerging people risks and support the HR Lead in preparing materials for leadership discussions. 

Skills and Experience 

This role will suit an experienced HR Business Partner who enjoys working in a thoughtful, collaborative environment and supporting organisations as they grow. 

• Substantial experience operating as an HR Business Partner, partnering with leaders in complex or growing organisations. 

• Strong generalist HR experience including employee relations, performance management and organisational change. 

•  Experience supporting leaders in consulting, advisory or professional services environments is desirable. 

• Experience working in the United States or supporting U.S.-based teams, with strong knowledge of U.S. employment law. Ideally including experience across federal and state law on the U.S. East Coast. 

• Experience supporting inclusion, equity and diversity, including embedding inclusive practices in hiring, development and leadership. 

• Strong judgement when navigating complex or sensitive People situations. 

• High emotional intelligence and credibility, with the ability to challenge constructively and build trusted relationships. 

• Strong analytical capability and the ability to translate People insight into practical action. 

• Comfortable influencing without formal authority and building impact through relationships and thoughtful advice. 

What Success Looks Like in This Role 

Over time, success in this role is likely to include: 

• Leaders across Oxford feeling confident navigating People matters, supported by clear, thoughtful and pragmatic HR partnership. 

• Leading and delivering key HR initiatives and People priorities that strengthen leadership capability, organisational effectiveness and the overall employee experience. 

• People decisions across Oxford being made with consistency, fairness and sound judgement, reflecting both UK and U.S. employment law considerations. 

• Core People processes such as performance, talent and progression operating smoothly and credibly, with leaders understanding their role in them. 

• Emerging People risks, organisational themes and capability gaps being identified early and addressed through thoughtful interventions and initiatives. 

• Oxford continuing to strengthen leadership capability, organisational clarity and credible career pathways as the organisation grows. 

• People matters involving the United States being handled confidently, thoughtfully and in line with U.S. employment law requirements.