Post: Senior HR Business Partner
Salary: £56,071 per annum
Grade: FRS F
Salary range: £56,071 – £72,807 per annum
Contract type: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Application closing date: 4 PM on Wednesday 12 August 2026
London Fire Brigade (LFB) is London’s fire and rescue service – one of the largest firefighting and rescue organisations in the world. We are here to make London a safer city. Employing over 5000 people across our operational team (our firefighters), control (our call handlers who answer 999 calls), fire safety and our non-operational team (our team who work behind the scenes to support our front-line services, which includes Fleet, IT, HR, Finance, Procurement, Communications team and many more).
LFB has been on a journey of transformation and improvement over the last few years and this includes improving the culture of the organisation and modernising our ways of working. Our journey is clearly laid out in our Community Risk Management Plan, ‘Your London Fire Brigade’, demonstrating our commitment to evolve and meet future challenges.
Following organisational restructure, the London Fire Brigade is now focused on embedding a new HR Business Partnering model. This Senior Human Resources Business Partner role offers the opportunity to help define and deliver a mature, trusted, and high-impact HR service.
You will work with a recently established HRBP team, embedding and developing new ways of working, strengthening stakeholder confidence, and resetting expectations of the HR function. Partnering with senior leaders, you will provide strategic, pragmatic advice on complex people matters, supporting organisational resilience and effective leadership in a critical public service environment.
Utilising data to provide strategic insights, you will collaborate with departments leads at Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) and Top Management Group (TMG) level to deliver HR services in line with policy and procedure as well as the Brigade’s Values of Service, Courage, Learning, Teamwork, Integrity and Equity.
You will be integral in providing HR expertise throughout organisational change, supporting leaders and workforce improvements.
Within the People Services Directorate, you will successfully manage and develop your Business Partners and support professional development.
You will have excellent interpersonal skills and people skills to develop and maintain positive and effective working relationships with senior leaders within the business and subject matter experts across HR and other enabling functions.
Further information about the main duties and responsibilities of the role are detailed in the job description. If you are unable to see the job description, salary range or the full advert, please visit our jobs pages at https://jobs-london-fire-gov-uk.jobsmarket.site/pages/en-gb/jobs to access the full advert.
Assessment Overview
Stage 1
To apply, please complete the online application, upload a copy of your up-to-date CV and provide evidence to address the following selection criteria:
1. Describe a specific example where you have used workforce or organisational data to identify a risk or opportunity and drive measured improvement. In you answer consider how you would verify the integrity of the data set, the context of the improvement, your role in the change, and the risk/reward of the outcome.
2. Describe your experience operating as a Senior HR Business Partner (or equivalent) within a unionised and politically complex organisation. Please include an example demonstrating how you balanced organisational priorities, employee relations in a multi-discipline workforce, and stakeholder expectations.
3. Provide an example of how you have delivered high-quality, consistent advice on complex HR matters both directly and through a team, demonstrating an early-intervention approach and the impact this had on subsequent outcomes.
4. Describe when you led significant project or organisational change where you provided HR expertise to senior leaders to support delivery of organisational objectives. Please include the scale of the activity, your role, the organisational impact, the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.
Please note that we will score the evidence you provide based on the competencies listed in the selection criteria above.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend stage 2.
Please ensure you give yourself enough time to complete and submit your application. Late or un-submitted applications cannot be accepted.
Please note any correspondence received from us will be via e-mail and sent to the address you provide on your application form.
Stage 2
Assessment for this role is due to take place in late August 2026. Please be advised that if you are unable to make the scheduled assessment date, we may not be able to make alternative arrangements.
Please note: Our application system has recently changed.
After you submit your application, you’ll receive an email asking you to confirm your email address. This is a quick security step and is required for your application to be successfully submitted.
Once you’ve confirmed your email address, you’ll receive a confirmation email letting you know we’ve received your application. This email will also include your applicant number for future reference.
If you’ve submitted your application but haven’t received the email acknowledging receipt of your application, please check that you’ve confirmed your email address as soon as possible and before the closing date. Look out for an email from our recruitment system with a confirmation link. If you can’t see it, please check your junk or spam folder and add the sender to your safe senders list.
Additional Information
We value the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects our diverse communities across London. The London Fire Commissioner is an Equal Opportunities Employer and we positively welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals, irrespective of people’s age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances. We have guidance in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability.
Anyone who has contact with children, young people or adults at risk will be subject to an enhanced DBS check as part of our commitment to safeguarding.
Benefits of working for the London Fire Brigade
• 26 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
• Additional leave between Christmas Day and New Year
• Family (including maternity) leave and emergency support leave
• Hybrid working is available, subject to business need.
• Free access to the Brigade gym
• Use of the Brigade’s Medical Adviser/physios/fitness advisers
• Free counselling
• Season ticket loan
• Join social networks including our Equality Support Groups
• Contributory pension scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Staff discount scheme including access to Blue Light Card retail and hospitality discounts
• Opportunity to access affordable accommodation
Criminal records check
In line with the Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) employment checks will be completed by successful candidates, which will include a Standard criminal records check. Successful candidate will be required to declare any convictions for offences and any offer of employment is subject to the LFC receiving a criminal records disclosure which it considers satisfactory.