Head of People Business Partnering & Change

CompanyUK Atomic Energy Authority

LocationCulham, England, United Kingdom

Posted At1/22/2026

UK Visa Sponsorship Analytics

Occupation Type

Human resource managers and directors

Occupation Code Skill LevelHigher Skilled

Sponsorship Salary Threshold

£52,900 (£27.13 per hour)

Occupation rate applies

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Description

Fusion, the process that powers the sun and stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs. UKAEA leads the way in realizing fusion energy, partnering with industry and research organisations to achieve ground breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid by developing the power stations of tomorrow and the skilled workforce to deliver them.

Job Description

The Head of People Business Partnering & Change will develop and lead a high-performing team to deliver strategic, proactive people partnering across a complex, mission-driven organisation. Working closely with the Director of People & Culture and senior leaders, the role will shape and deliver the People Strategy, embed it across divisions and programmes, and lead the people aspects of major organisational change. The postholder will ensure Business Partners operate as trusted advisers within Senior Leadership Teams, anticipating people risks and opportunities and delivering joined-up solutions in partnership with specialist People & Culture functions.

The role also leads the people governance and analytics capability, providing senior leaders with high-quality insight to drive evidence-based decisions and proactive interventions. Operating in a unionised environment with highly skilled scientific and technical communities, the Head of People Business Partnering & Change will bring strong judgement, credibility and clarity of communication to influence a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.

Core responsibilities include:

Lead, coach and develop a high-performing team of business partners and change specialists, ensuring proactive, consistent and consultative people support.
Lead the governance and data team to ensure robust management information is collected and reported on to senior leadership teams to enable well-evidenced, data-driven decision-making on people matters.
Co-ordinate the development and delivery of the People Strategy and associated Delivery Plan on behalf of Senior People & Culture Leadership Team.
Ensure Divisional and programme-level people plans are developed to a high standard.
Inform and influence the design of UKAEA-wide organisational initiatives, leading on the people workstreams of organisational change, such as restructures, mergers, spin-outs, or cultural transformations.

Act as a senior leader within the People & Culture SLT, deputising for senior colleagues and collaborating closely with Centres of Expertise and Shared Services.

In particular, ensure the BP team partner closely with ER colleagues to support cases, identify trends and implement preventative interventions; and with Resourcing colleagues to implement and maintain good workforce planning practices across the organisation.

Qualifications

Educated to degree level with CIPD Level 7 qualification 
Extensive experience delivering strategic HR business partnering within complex organisational environments.
Proven expertise advising across EDI, Pay and Reward, Organisational Development & Design, Employee Relations, and Learning & Development.
Strong people leadership capability, with a demonstrable track record of coaching, developing and leading high-performing teams
Experience in setting strategic priorities and translating them into measurable culture and organisational change outcomes.
Demonstrable experience operating effectively in a unionised environment, engaging with recognised trade unions and managing stakeholder relationships constructively.

Additional Information

A full list of our benefits can be found here https://careers.ukaea.uk/life-at-ukaea/employee-benefits/ but highlights include:

£69,592 base salary*
Final salary defined benefit scheme with an equivalent of 21.5% employer pension contribution
25 days annual leave, plus 3 days Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days, in addition to UK bank holidays
Flexible and hybrid working options

* Please note that following the conclusion of trade union negotiations, a new pay framework will be implemented from 1 March. While details have not yet been shared with existing staff, the starting salary for this role will be higher than listed above.

UKAEA’s mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds to help us achieve this goal. We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce. We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, while ensuring all appointments are made on merit. Further information can be found here. UKAEA is committed to being accessible. Please email talent@ukaea.uk if you require help or adjustments to compete on a fair basis.