Head of HR Business Partnering BP Non Ops

Head of People (HR) Business Partnering

Reporting into – Director of People (Non-Ops) and Change  

Contract – Permanent   

Band – 5  

Location – Palestra House, London (Hybrid)  

About Us 

At TfL, we're proud to keep London moving every day. Our people's dedication and creativity help us adapt to the city's evolving needs and deliver the Mayor's Transport Strategy and TfL's business plan. 

The Chief People Office drives our Colleague Strategy with a clear vision for making TfL a great place to work for everyone. We aim to attract and retain the best talent, build a truly diverse and inclusive organisation that reflects London, and create an environment where colleagues thrive and deliver outstanding service for our customers—today and into the future. 

We now have an exciting leadership opportunity for a Head of People (HR) Business Partnering to join us permanently and play a pivotal role in shaping our Colleague Strategy, and fulfill our ambition to be the strong green heartbeat for London

About the Role 

People are at the heart of everything we do. In this role, you'll drive the development and delivery of people plans for your business area, working closely with Chief Officers and Directors to turn business priorities into practical, impactful people solutions—while staying true to TfL's overall Colleague Strategy. 

You'll champion the People and Change agenda, ensuring our Business Partnering model operates effectively and aligns with TfL's strategic priorities across colleague, finance, safety & security, sustainability, and customer care. 

As a key initiating point into the diverse service offering of the CPO function, this role leads the provision of high-quality advice, support, and challenge to senior leaders, enabling delivery of our 2030 Colleague ambitions. Working with Employee Relations (ER) colleagues and our recognised Trade Unions, you will also guide day to day ER activity including consultation, negotiation, dispute avoidance and resolution- fostering positive IR relationships. 

This role acts as a critical friend and trusted advisor offering strategic, practical, creative solutions to business leaders on all matters related to HR, ER and change requirements, using judgement to bring in discipline experts at the right time.  

Leading a dedicated, experienced and proactive Business Partnering team, you'll inspire, develop, and embed core HR capabilities to create an agile, high-performing team.  This is an active leadership role of the CPO function and wider support functions and will need to be adept at aligning objectives for a joined-up approach to delivery. This is not an individual contributor role. 

About You 

You're an experienced senior leader (ideally CIPD Chartered or equivalent experience) with a strong track record in strategic business partnering, change and employee relations within large, complex organisations, similar to the scale of TfL. 

You'll bring:

• Exceptional leadership – high personal impact, inclusive and visible leadership inspiring teams and coaching senior leaders to drive excellence.  
• Stakeholder influence – credibility and confidence to engage at Chief Officer and Director level- building consensus where needed and influencing the right outcomes for our people and organisation. 
• Trade union/ER expertise – proven experience in negotiation and building constructive partnerships. 
• Change leadership – shaping and delivering transformation programmes that balance organisational goals with colleague engagement. 
• Commercial and innovative thinking – using data and insights to drive fresh, practical solutions. 

You'll thrive in ambiguity, navigate complexity with political savvy, and champion inclusive leadership. Above all, you'll create a culture where your team feels empowered and engaged, and where collaboration drives success. 

Ready to help us deliver the future London needs? Apply now and bring your ideas, energy, and expertise to TfL. 

How to apply  

Please submit an up-to-date copy of your CV along with a cover letter (no more than 1 A4 page Arial size 12).  

We recommend that you consider the motivations, skills, knowledge and experience required for this role and ensure your application outlines where you meet these criteria.  

Closing date for applications will be Sunday 21st December :59. 

Interviews are likely to be taking place on w/k commencing Monday 26th January

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

For a more detailed copy of the job description, please contact Senior Executive Recruitment Consultant Jay Patel on

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We want to represent the city we serve, which will help us become a more innovative and efficient organisation. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. We are a disability confident employer who guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all of the essential criteria.  

Hybrid Working:

Hybrid working within this role enables a balance of 50 per cent of time split between the office and home over a 4-week period. Hybrid working arrangements can evolve subject to business requirements.  

NPL Applications:

Applications to internally advertised roles can only be accepted from temporary workers who are on PAYE terms via agency, or PAYE via Umbrella Companies. Temporary workers who are paid through their own limited companies are not covered by the Agency Worker Regulations and are ineligible to apply.  

We will make every effort to give you as much notice as possible, however some interviews/assessments could be organised at short notice.