Senior Manager of People and Business Partnerships

Requirements

• Significant senior HR business partnering experience (at least 5 years+) with proven success in complex, commercial environments (preferably entertainment and / or European exposure)
• Deep working knowledge of UK employment law, with strong judgement in employee relations and risk management
• Commercially minded approach and able to balance people outcomes with operational reality and deliver measurable improvements (retention, absence, performance)
• Exceptional communication skills, able to influence and coach leaders at all levels and build credibility quickly across sites
• Business acumen with a natural ability to link people strategy to business objectives
• A creative mindset, able to contribute new ideas and see through to fruition
• Excellent relationship building and influencing skills
• Ability to analyse data, spot opportunities for strategic action and measure impact
• Ability to thrive and seek opportunities for action in a fast-moving environment
• Strong project management and organisational skills
• Highly self-motivated with a proactive, solutions-led approach to problem-solving and decision-making
• CIPD Level 5+ desirable (or equivalent experience)

What the job involves

• UTA seeks a Senior Manager, People and Business Partnerships to play a central and influential role in shaping the employee experience and driving effective people strategies across a dynamic, fast-paced, and highly creative environment
• Reporting to and working in close partnership with the VP, People across EMEA. This role partners closely with managers and Heads of Department to strengthen team performance, nurture talent, and champion an exciting, progressive culture.
• It requires deep technical expertise in UK employment law, strong commercial awareness, and the confidence to navigate both immediate operational needs and longer-term organisational goals
• Business Partnering and Strategic Support
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and other business leaders across creative, commercial, and operational teams to deeply understand business goals and deliver people solutions that drive high performance and innovation
• Support the VP, People to embed the EMEA People strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives and fostering a high-performance culture
• Provide clear, pragmatic, and commercially sound advice across the full employee lifecycle
• Drive change management initiatives, supporting leaders with organisational transformation and maintaining employee engagement
• Help build leadership capability through coaching and equipping managers with practical people skills
• Partner with global People teams to ensure local initiatives align with EMEA-wide priorities and frameworks
• Employee Relations and Policy
• Provide expert guidance on complex employee relations matters, ensuring consistency in approach and adherence to best practices
• Continuously refresh and refine HR policies and processes to ensure compliance and reflect both best practice and the evolving expectations of a creative workforce
• Culture, Engagement, and Wellbeing
• Partner with employee groups and leaders to sustain engagement and connection across hybrid and international teams
• Support and influence wellbeing strategies and programmes that respond to the unique demands of a creative, fast-paced agency environment, fostering balance, resilience and sustainable performance
• Champion inclusion and authenticity, helping ensure all employees feel seen, valued, and able to thrive
• Operational Excellence
• Strengthen excellence in HR operations by continuously streamlining processes, improving data insights, and ensuring compliance with UK employment legislation
• Collaborate on annual people cycles, including performance reviews, salary benchmarking, and benefits updates, ensuring consistency and fairness
• Use analytics and feedback to guide continuous improvement in the employee experience
• Learning and Development
• Partner with the global L&D team to identify skills gaps and deliver targeted development programmes that align both business and individual growth goals
• Support the design and delivery of ongoing career development through partnering with the local L&D Manager and global L&D team to facilitate coaching, mentoring frameworks, and personalised learning pathways
• Lead initiatives that foster continuous learning and creative excellence, ensuring employees have opportunities to stretch and evolve in their roles

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