HR Business Partner


Company:	Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service
Salary:	£44,253 to £47,665 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Exeter, EX3 0NW
Working pattern:	On-site
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	25 Sept 2026
Closing date:	11 Oct 2026

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Summary

Location: Based at Service Headquarters, Exeter - work location can be flexible on agreement with Line Manager. Expectation is that you will need to work from a Service location for at least 2 days per week.

Contract: Permanent, Full Time (37 hours per week)

Salary: Starting at £44,253 rising annually to £47,665

As an HR Business Partner, you will support the delivery of our People Strategy by partnering with managers and teams across the Service. Acting as a trusted advisor, strategic partner and critical friend, you will provide expert HR guidance on a wide range of people matters, helping managers make informed decisions and enabling positive workforce outcomes.

In addition to your business partnering responsibilities, you will take a lead role in one of the team's key areas of focus:

Policy and Procedures

Casework

Change and Trade Union Relations

Management Development

Job Evaluation

Key responsibilities

Strategic HR Partnership and Policy Development:

Provide proactive, high-quality HR advice and guidance that supports the People Strategy, workforce plans and Service objectives.

Build effective partnerships with managers and senior leaders, promoting consistency, fairness and best practice across people processes.

Support organisational change projects, restructures, reviews, reorganisations, redundancies and contractual changes.

Lead the review and development of HR policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with legislation and organisational need.

Contribute to Service-wide projects, providing professional HR expertise and insight.

Employee Relations and Case Management:

Manage complex employee relations cases, including disciplinary, grievance, capability and long--term sickness matters.

Provide HR support and advice throughout formal hearings and meetings.

Ensure policies and procedures are applied fairly, consistently and in line with legislation and Service expectations.

Analyse HR Data and trends to identify opportunities for improvement and support informed decision making.

Maintain positive and constructive relationships with Trade Unions, Service representatives, Speak Up Guardians and Staff Networks.

Workforce Planning and Talent Management:

Support workforce planning, succession planning and talent management activities across operational and professional services teams.

Work with managers to identify capability requirements and develop plans to meet future workforce needs.

Provide guidance on Job Evaluation processes, including reviewing role requirements and developing job descriptions.

Partner with operational management teams on workforce-related matters, including working patterns and secondary contracts.

Employee Wellbeing and Development:

Promote a positive, inclusive workplace that supports employee engagement and wellbeing.

Work closely with Health and Wellbeing colleagues to facilitate appropriate workplace support and return-to-work arrangements.

Coach and support managers to build confidence and capability in managing people issues.

Research, develop and deliver training to support management development and policy implementation.

Essential Qualification

To be eligible to apply you must hold:

CIPD Level 7, or equivalent experience and/or qualification demonstrating a theoretical understanding of Human Resource Management.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact:

Renee Naughton - Senior HR Business Partner, via 07929 664862 or rnaughton@dsfire.gov.uk.

If you have the skills, experience and enthusiasm to succeed as our new HR Business Partner, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today to help us build an outstanding workforce that supports the communities of Devon and Somerset.

Closing Date: 2359hrs Sunday 11 October 2026.

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