HR Business Partner (Series A, AI Scale-up) - Paying up to £50k Equity

Salary: £50k+ Equity

Office Location: Central London

Working Pattern: Remote-first

Hawkwood are currently partnering with a high-growth, AI scale-up who are looking to hire a HR Business Partner! With 160 employees globally, our client is looking to build out their HR function to support the next stage of their growth.

As a HR Business Partner, you’ll support a growing team by providing hands-on, day-to-day HR support, partnering closely with managers and employees. You will serve as a key point of contact for departments, helping implement HR programs and initiatives that support the business’s strategy and create a positive, high-performance culture.

Reporting to the Head of HR, you will partner with team leaders to support all HR-related issues. You’ll work closely with the wider HR team to ensure consistent and fair application of HR advice while identifying opportunities to improve HR processes and employee engagement. ⚙️

The Role

✅ Business Partnering: You’ll serve as the main HR point of contact for dedicated departments/teams, providing advice and support on all HR-related issues, from hiring to performance management.

✅ Champion of our Culture: You will role-model value-driven business partnerships. Supporting the continuous improvement of the business' culture, promoting adaptability and growth at every level.

✅ Talent Management: Support managers in identifying high-potential employees, recognising contributions, and driving career development initiatives across teams.

✅ Employee Relations: Handle employee relations issues, including conflict resolution, disciplinary matters, and performance improvement plans.

✅ HR Policy Implementation: Help implement HR policies and procedures across the business, ensuring compliance with legal requirements and promoting best practices.

✅ Engagement & Retention: Work on initiatives aimed at improving employee engagement and satisfaction, such as wellness programs and feedback mechanisms.

✅ HR Metrics & Reporting: Monitor and report on HR metrics, identifying trends in turnover, engagement, and performance, and recommending areas for improvement.

✅ Talent Advocate: You will elevate our talent selection process and be a rigorous bar raiser, ensuring we only attract and hire the most exceptional talent. By closely collaborating with leaders and teams, you will challenge existing hiring practices, implementing innovative approaches and assessments that identify not just technical skills, but also cultural fit and potential for future growth.

✅ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): You will lead and support DEI initiatives to ensure a diverse and inclusive work environment. Develop and implement programs that support diversity in hiring, leadership development, and employee retention, ensuring that the organisation continues to be a workplace where all voices are heard and valued.

What you’ll bring

✅ CIPD qualification with strong HR generalist experience, ideally in a scaling tech company.

✅ Proven experience in business partnering, with the ability to support and influence managers and teams.

✅ Strong knowledge of UK employment law (US or international experience is a plus).

✅ Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to manage employee relations issues with discretion and fairness.

✅ Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective working relationships across the business.

✅ Resilience and adaptability in supporting teams through periods of growth, change, or uncertainty, with a proactive approach to solving challenges and ensuring business continuity.

✅ Demonstrated experience with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, ensuring HR policies and practices create an inclusive and fair workplace culture.

✅ Resilience and adaptability in leading leaders and teams through periods of growth, change, or uncertainty, with a proactive approach to solving challenges and ensuring business continuity.

✅ Experience in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, with the ability to balance both strategic and operational responsibilities.

We recognise how challenging this current job market is for candidates, and Hawkwood are therefore striving to provide the best candidate experience we can.

If you are interested in this opportunity, we kindly request that you apply via this LinkedIn advert, as opposed to sending us an email or LinkedIn direct message. We are eager to ensure that each candidate application is considered fairly, and receives a consistent experience. Unfortunately, we cannot ensure this standard if you enquire about a role via email or LinkedIn message, as it falls outside of our established process.