Graphcore is a UK-headquartered semiconductor and AI compute company, now part of SoftBank’s global AI ecosystem. Our headquarters are in Bristol, with offices in London, Cambridge, Poland, Germany, and Taiwan. In 2026, we opened new key locations in India and US with the aim to build out key engineering and operational hubs to support our next phase of growth.

Our mission is to build the future of AI compute – and that depends not only on exceptional engineering but also on an outstanding People function. As we scale globally, the People team is focused on building strong operational foundations and a great employee experience everywhere we operate.

You will be part of the Global People Team, working closely with People Partners and collaborating with People Operations, Talent Acquisition, Finance, Legal, and Workplace teams.

Job Summary

You will work as part of the business partner team to provide expert advice on workforce planning, employee relations, performance management, and organisational development while ensuring compliance with UK employment law and HR policies.

This role is critical to supporting an expanding leadership team, increasing organisational complexity, and ensuring consistent and effective People practices as the business scales.

You will act as a trusted partner to senior leaders, supporting decision-making on organisational design, team effectiveness, and performance in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities and Duties

Strategic Responsibilities

Partner with senior leaders to align HR strategy with business objective

Provide strategic workforce planning and organisational design support

Analyse workforce data to inform people-related decision making

Support business transformation, restructuring, and change management initiatives

Employee Relations & Compliance

Advise managers on UK employment law, policies, and best practice

Lead and manage complex employee relations cases, ensuring timely, consistent, and pragmatic outcomes

Ensure organisational compliance with UK employment legislation e.g., Equality Act 2010, Employment Rights Act 1996

Support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies

Talent & Performance Management

Partner with leaders on talent management, succession planning, and leadership development

Support recruitment strategy and workforce capability planning

Drive performance management frameworks and employee development initiatives

Employee and Manager Experience

Provide high-quality employee support to the Operations team across the lifecycle – contracts, letters, benefits queries, and general HR advice

Support and coach managers and engineers on People policies, change management, employee relations, communication processesand day-to-day management practices to help build healthy, high-performing teams

Support employee engagement activities, wellbeing initiatives, and policy awareness

Promote consistency with Graphcore’s global people processes while adapting for local needs

Champion our values of collaboration, respect, and continuous improvement

Identify organisational capability gaps and support development initiatives

Candidate Profile

Essential

Strong Experience in HR Generalist Lead/Business Partner roles

Strong working knowledge of UK statutory requirements and employment law

Ability to coach managers on people management, leadership behaviours, and performance issues

Confident in challenging and influencing decision-making when needed

Experience in building strong relationships with senior leaders and managers

Proven ability to manage workflows, prioritise effectively, and deliver high-quality outcomes under time pressure.

Skilled at managing multiple stakeholders across the organisation

Experience supporting organisational change, restructures, and transformation programmes

Excellent communication and relationship-building skills across cultures and time zones

Comfortable with ambiguity and change – able to build structure while scaling rapidly

Desirable

Experience working in a global or technology/engineering environment

Exposure to setting up or supporting new entities or international offices

Familiarity with global HRIS, benefits, and compliance frameworks

Skilled in HR systems and data management

Mindset and Approach

Values collaboration over hierarchy and builds trust through openness and involvement

Is confident and knowledgeable, yet curious and humble enough to learn from others

Enjoys working in a fast iterative environment – building while flying

Balances structure with pragmatism, and compliance with a people-first approach

Motivated by helping managers and engineers build great teams

Builds a culture of accountability, ownership, and high standards

Demonstrates urgency and a proactive, say yes mindset

Graphcore

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