Senior HR Business Partner – Talent Development Lead | 15-Month Fixed-Term Contract
London hybrid working
Remit: Hybrid HRBP and de facto Talent Development Lead
Middlemore are retained by a prestigious, UK-centric SME seeking an experienced interim HR professional to join on a 15-month fixed-term contract from October 2026.
This is a newly scoped role for an HR Business Partner who will also operate as the firm’s Talent Development subject matter expert.
Reporting to the HR Director, the successful individual will partner with their own client group, whilst also serving as the internal expert for talent development — building organisational capability, future skills and talent. Beyond the talent development remit, the role carries broader HR business partnering responsibility, making this a genuinely rounded, high-impact position.
Key Competencies & Technical Requirements
We are looking for an individual who can demonstrate strength across the following:
Talent Development
- Lead conversations around succession, capability and future skills.
- Support strategic workforce planning.
- Drive and embed talent initiatives.
- Lead a small team.
- Talent and capability frameworks.
- Skills development.
- Leadership capability.
- Early careers and entry-level talent pipelines.
- Strategic workforce planning.
- Building future organisational capability.
The individual will contribute to the strategic direction of these initiatives whilst also helping to operationalise them across the business. This isn’t simply about designing frameworks; it’s about ensuring they are embedded and deliver meaningful outcomes.
Commercial & Strategic Acumen
- Robust, dynamic and commercially minded, rather than someone who simply delivers the fundamentals of HRBP work. The successful candidate should be able to think strategically, influence senior stakeholders and bring energy to the agenda, whilst remaining pragmatic enough to execute.
Cultural & Behavioural Fit
- Comfortable operating in a high-touch, relationship-driven environment where standards are high and discretion is non-negotiable
- Able to hold firm on process rigour whilst remaining pragmatic, empathetic and solutions-oriented
- A natural collaborator who builds trust quickly across all levels of an organisation
We are open to two distinct profiles:
- A seasoned HR generalist with deep, demonstrable Talent Development expertise
Full or part-time working arrangements will be considered for the right individual.
The role offers:
- Basic salary of £100,000–£110,000
- Circa £15,000 completion bonus
- Comprehensive benefits package
- Hybrid working
- The opportunity to operate as a genuine SME within a sophisticated, high-touch environment at a genuinely interesting moment in its evolution
Calibre is everything. If you are credible, commercially sharp and thrive in environments where discretion, judgement and technical depth matter in equal measure — this is worth a conversation. For more information please reach out to jenna.stocks@middlemore.co.uk or apply!
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