The Role

We are seeking an experienced and proactive HR Business Partner to join Smartnumbers on a 15-month maternity cover fixed-term contract, starting January 2026. 

This is a standalone, high-impact role for a true senior HR generalist who is both strategic and hands-on, operating as the trusted advisor to our leadership team while leading all aspects of the people agenda. This role will report directly into the CEO and work closely with the Executive Team. 

You will be responsible for the end-to-end HR function, ensuring we continue to attract, retain and develop talent while maintaining a high-performance and inclusive workplace culture. This is an opportunity to shape and deliver impactful HR initiatives across the full employee lifecycle - from recruitment and onboarding through to engagement, employee relations, performance, and organisational development,  making this role ideal for someone who is comfortable rolling up their sleeves and being involved in every aspect of HR in a dynamic, fast-paced small business environment. 

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and deliver a HR strategy aligned to the organisation’s business objectives and growth plans.

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, providing strategic guidance and practical HR support across all aspects of people management including organisational design, workforce planning and people development.

• Champion a positive, collaborative, high-performance culture rooted in the organisation’s values.

• Lead on change management initiatives, ensuring smooth transitions and strong communication throughout.

Operational HR Management

• Manage all day-to-day HR operations including recruitment, onboarding, performance management, engagement, learning and development, compensation and benefits, offboarding and employee relations.

• Ensure all HR policies and processes are compliant and support the organisation’s objectives.

• Provide expert advice and resolution on a range of HR issues, designing and delivering high impact solutions that meet the needs of the business to ensure fair, consistent and legally compliant outcomes.

• Drive continuous improvement across HR processes, systems and employee experience.

• Support the payroll process in collaboration with the Finance Team.

• Manage all compensation and benefits administration.

Talent & Development

• Lead the talent acquisition strategy, ensuring the organisation attracts and retains the right skills for growth.

• Implement effective performance management and development frameworks.

• Support managers in coaching and developing their teams, building leadership capability across the organisation.

• Identify training and development needs and oversee delivery of relevant learning programmes.

Culture & Engagement

• Drive employee engagement initiatives and foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

• Promote diversity, equity and inclusion throughout all HR practices and policies.

• Represent Smartnumbers HR both internally and externally as an ambassador of our values and culture.

Data & Compliance

• Use HR metrics and data insights to inform decision-making and track progress against key people objectives.

• Maintain HR records, reporting and compliance with all relevant employment legislation and best practice.

• Stay current with HR best practice and employment legislation, continuously driving improvement and innovation.

We’re looking for a seasoned HR professional who thrives in a standalone environment, someone equally comfortable shaping strategy and rolling up their sleeves on delivery. You’ll bring confidence, credibility and sound judgement to every conversation.

• Qualified at CIPD Level 7 (or equivalent experience)

• Extensive HR generalist experience at senior Manager or Business Partner level, ideally within a small to mid-sized organisation 

• Proven experience operating autonomously and partnering with leadership teams to deliver measurable outcomes

• Experience managing complex employee relations issues with confidence, professionalism and integrity

• Strong understanding of current HR practices, UK employment law and organisational development principles

• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills – able to build trust, communicate effectively and drive positive change across all levels

• Commercially astute, data-driven, and able to translate insights into practical, people-focused solutions

• Adaptable and resilient with excellent organisational skills managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment

• Naturally proactive, decisive and solutions-focused – able to simplify complexity, make sound judgements, and turn ideas into action

• Acts as an ambassador for HR, promoting best practice and taking accountability for delivering results that enhance both people and business performance

As well as a competitive salary of circa £70,000 per annum, we also offer a comprehensive benefits package, covering a variety of areas, both professional and personal. These benefits include: 

• Hybrid working style, with the expectation of two days in the office (with a great City of London office base!)

• Family friendly benefits including paid parental leave policies

• An extensive health insurance policy for you, with an option to add your family members 

• A workplace pension with Aegon

• Life insurance of 4 x your salary 

• A discretionary annual bonus of up to 10% of your salary

• Weekly self-development time to spend exploring your professional development interests
  

• 25 days of annual leave (plus bank holidays), your birthday off, and an opportunity to buy up to 5 days annual leave per year

• A holistic wellbeing support plan encompassing a variety of offerings to assist you. We provide you with a monthly £50 allowance to fund activities to best support your wellbeing as well as workshops and training to provide tools and guidance. Additionally, there is a wide-ranging employee assistance programme available to advise on personal, family or financial matters, and also fun social events during the year. 

The interview process will include:

1. Interview with the Senior HR Business Partner

2. Interview with the CEO 

3. Interview with the Executive Team and culture focussed Bar-raiser interview

Smartnumbers is committed to promoting equal opportunities in employment. You will receive equal treatment regardless of age, disability, neurodiversity, gender, gender identity, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We welcome all applications for this role. 

We are committed to providing reasonable support/adjustments in our recruiting processes. If you need support, please reach out to the hiring contact.