About us
Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals and over 600 staff based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.
We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face.
Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do. RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 6th best law firm to work at in 2026.
With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 45% of our partnership.
The team you will join
Our HR team sits within the wider Business Services Division, providing expert guidance and trusted advice to managers and employees to support the effective delivery of HR processes across the firm.
As we continue to grow and evolve, the team plays a key role in shaping a future-focused firm driving positive change, fostering a high-performance culture, and ensuring our people strategy aligns with the firm’s long-term ambitions.
By proactively partnering with the business, the HR team champions innovation in people practices, supports leadership capability, and enables an engaging and inclusive employee experience. Through continuous improvement and a forward-looking approach, the team helps build a resilient, adaptable workforce that is equipped to meet future challenges and opportunities as we expand.
The work you will be doing
Reporting to the HR Director, this role will act as a strategic and trusted HR Business Partner to designated client groups, delivering expert advice on people issues and supporting leaders to build and retain high performing, engaged and resilient teams.
The role will focus on enabling strong leadership capability, effective performance management, talent development and proactive workforce planning, while ensuring alignment with employment legislation, firm values and HR best practice.
This role works closely with the other HR Business Partner(s), HR Operations Manager, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits Manager, Wellbeing & Inclusion Manager as well as the L&D and Talent Acquisition teams to ensure a joined up, consistent and high quality HR service.
Strategic Partnering
- Build strong relationships with Partners, Heads of Divisions and team leaders, acting as a trusted adviser on all people-related matters.
- Understand business priorities and workforce needs, using insight and judgement to shape people plans and interventions that support firm and departmental objectives.
- Provide coaching to leaders to strengthen capability in managing performance, engagement, wellbeing, and team dynamics.
Performance, Talent & Workforce Planning
- Support leaders with effective performance management, including feedback conversations, addressing underperformance and strengthening high performer development.
- Lead talent discussions with client groups, identifying succession risks, development needs and opportunities to grow internal capability.
- Partner with managers and the Talent Acquisition team on resourcing needs, role scoping, selection decisions and onboarding quality.
Employee Relations
- Advise and guide managers through complex or sensitive ER issues, ensuring timely, fair and legally compliant outcomes.
- Take a solutions focused approach that balances legal risk, commerciality and the firm’s values.
- Ensure cases are well documented and progressed in partnership with the HR Operations team.
Change, Engagement & Leadership Support
- Support organisational and departmental change initiatives, ensuring effective communication, consultation and people impacts are well managed.
- Produce and deliver written proposals, ad hoc research and formal presentations to senior management and colleagues on HR issues and best practice. Provide leadership and support on HR projects and wider business change initiatives.
- Provide actionable insight and feedback to leadership on cultural themes, morale, engagement (via Q12 survey) and retention risks.
- Contribute to and deliver leadership workshops, manager toolkits and people related development sessions where relevant.
Reward and Salary Review
- Coordinate and run the annual salary review process for designated client groups, working closely with the HR Director, HR Operations Manager
- Provide guidance to Partners and Heads of Divisions on reward principles, market benchmarking, internal equity and pay governance.
- Review salary proposals, identify anomalies or risks, and prepare structured recommendations for sign off.
- Support communication of salary outcomes in partnership with line managers.
Policy Application & Employment Best Practice
- Ensure managers understand and apply HR policies consistently, escalating policy improvement suggestions to the HR Operations Manager as needed.
- Keep up to date with employment law developments and HR best practice, ensuring advice is accurate, pragmatic and risk aware.
Data, Insight & Reporting
- Use people data and MI to identify trends, diagnose issues and develop targeted solutions.
- Develop, produce and share regular KPI reports for Team Leaders and Heads of Departments,
- Prepare succinct reports, briefing papers and presentations for senior stakeholders.
Collaboration Across HR
- Work closely with colleagues across HR to ensure seamless delivery across all workstreams (Operations, DEI, Talent Acquisition, Payroll and Systems).
- Line manage the HR Adviser/s, providing coaching, guidance, workload oversight and support with professional development to ensure consistent, high-quality delivery of advisory and first line HR support.
- Contribute to the wider HR team’s goals, projects and continuous improvement initiatives.
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