Leeds University Union
HR Business Partner
Salary: £41,510 per annum (with further increment rises available per annum)
Working pattern: 5 days per week (36.5hrs)
Location: Leeds. Primarily office based.
Contract: Permanent
Atkinson HR is proud to be partnering with Leeds University Union (LUU) to recruit their new HR Business Partner, a vital role acting as the trusted people partner to directorate leadership teams.
About Leeds University Union
Leeds University Union (LUU) is an independent education charity led by, and for, students.
LUU is central to the University experience and works to support all aspects of student life for their 39,000+ students studying at the University of Leeds. Located in a vibrant city, LUU is an ambitious and diverse organisation, committed to supporting every student at the University of Leeds in achieving personal success.
LUU support students through a variety of services including academic representation, campaigns on issues that matter to them, wellbeing services and supporting student communities. They also host a number of events throughout the year and operate a variety of eating and drinking venues for everyone to enjoy.
About the role
As HR Business Partner at Leeds University Union (LUU), you’ll provide strategic people support to our leadership teams, helping shape how we deliver great people practice across the organisation. You’ll work closely with directorates to translate our People & Culture strategy into practical action, supporting workforce planning, organisational change, and leadership capability to ensure our teams can thrive.
Working in partnership with the Director of People & Culture, you’ll play a key role in establishing LUU’s business partnering approach and act as a trusted advisor to managers and senior leaders, providing expert guidance on complex employee relations while building manager confidence and capability in handling people matters.
The successful candidate won’t necessarily need to come from the Higher Education sector but will bring strong HR generalist experience, excellent relationship-building skills, and the confidence to influence and coach managers at all levels. You’ll be motivated by improving organisational culture, using people insight to drive decisions, and helping leaders create environments where people can do their best work.
This is an exciting opportunity to help shape how strategic HR partnering works at LUU, and we look forward to receiving your application!
How to Apply
Please click 'Apply' to be redirected to our website, where you can download the Candidate Information Pack and apply.
For an informal conversation about the role and the application process, please contact our recruitment partners at Atkinson HR Consulting. Their email address can be found in the candidate job pack.
Key Dates
Closing date: Monday 13th April, 9am
Interviews (In-person in Leeds): 27th April
Battersea is committed to attracting, developing and supporting a skilled and highly engaged workforce. The Learning & Organisational Development (L&OD) team at Battersea is ambitious and innovative and strives to build a culture of learning to empower people to drive their own development. We aim to achieve this by working in partnership with the organisation and by developing solutions which are fit for our culture and people. You will play a key part in a team who are passionate about people development and are trusted throughout the business.
The L&OD Consultant leads the scoping, design and delivery of projects across the L&OD portfolio. Working in partnership with HR colleagues, senior leaders and subject matter experts, the postholder translates business needs into high-quality learning and organisational development solutions that deliver measurable impact.
The role combines facilitation, digital design, project management, supplier management and evaluation, contributing to a culture of continuous learning aligned to Battersea’s values.
What we can offer you:
In return for your commitment to our cause and to recognise the value of our employees, Battersea offers a range of benefits to support the wellbeing of our employees. These include:
- 28 days of annual leave (plus 8 days paid public holidays) per year.
- Discounted gym memberships and cycle to work schemes.
- Employee Assistance Programme and access to Wellbeing Resources.
- Generous pension contributions - up to 10% employer contribution.
- Free healthcare cash plan, where you can claim for a range of treatment including dental, optical, physiotherapy, chiropody and acupuncture every year.
- Annual interest-free season ticket loans.
We are also committed to providing learning and development to our employees. During your time with us, we provide support for your professional and career development, including access to digital and in-person training programmes, leadership and management training, mentoring and much more.
Our hybrid working model:
We operate a 50% onsite hybrid working model, with our office-based staff splitting their time between site based and home working. This enables our office-based staff to balance the benefits of home working with onsite collaboration and maintaining a connection to our cause.
Diversity and inclusion:
We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive experience for all staff, volunteers and trustees and those hoping to join us. We operate an anonymised shortlisting process and actively seek to ensure our process is fair and equitable for all.
We understand the value of diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences to help us deliver even more for our dogs and cats, and we welcome applicants from all sections of the community.
As a Disability Confident Committed Employer we will ask about any adjustments you may need at application and/or interview stage, and if you are offered a role with us, we’ll talk to you about any workplace adjustments you may need to help you perform at your best. If you would like to talk more about this, please contact us. Greyscale copies of the recruitment pack are also available on request.
More about us:
At Battersea, we aim to never turn away a dog or cat in need of help. We give each one lots of love, expert care and get to know their characters and quirks so we can find them a new home that’s just right for them. Join us and help us be here for every dog and cat, wherever they are, for as long as they need us.
Acceptable use of AI:
At Battersea, we value expertise. We recognise each candidate that applies to us will have a range of expertise they can offer us, so we want to hear about this in your own words. We understand the support that generative artificial intelligence (AI) software can offer but it can also lead to numerous applications presenting as generic and impersonal. This makes it difficult to gain understanding of your unique experience.
To best showcase yourself, we encourage you to write your responses without the assistance of AI. If you require the use of AI software to aid in completing your application, we ask you use the generative responses as a prompt for writing your answers and avoid copying and pasting. You must also ensure the information presented in your application accurately reflects your experience.
Closing date: 25th March 2026
All applications must be submitted before the closing date advertised. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications is received.
Interview date(s): Two-stage interview - dates to be confirmed
First stage: Online, via Teams
Second stage: In person, at Battersea London
For more information about the role, please download our Recruitment pack from our Careers website.
Battersea is here for every dog and cat, and has been since 1860. We believe that every dog and cat deserves the best.



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