Strategic Workforce Business Partner

Job Description

Recruiter: Liam Bull

Hiring Manager: Jay Nash

Career Grade: D

Internal Closing Date: 4th June 2026

About the role

The Strategic Workforce Planning Business Partner (SWP BP) in BT Business plays a critical role in ensuring that workforce investment is aligned to commercial priorities, operational demand, and financial plans. Acting at the intersection of the business, HR, and Finance, the role translates strategic intent and delivery plans into a forward-looking workforce outlook that is both cost-effective and executable.

The newly created role is not about producing detailed plans in isolation, but about creating a single, coherent view of workforce demand and supply, enabling leaders to make informed decisions on where to invest, slow down, or re-shape capacity.

BT Business operates in a complex, fast-moving, and cost-sensitive environment, where:

• Workforce demand is driven by large transformation programmes and commercial delivery.
• Multiple teams generate planning inputs at different levels of maturity.
• Financial discipline (TLC, cost optimisation) is a key priority.

This role is based in London and our hybrid working model means you are expected to be in the office 3 days per week.

This role closes for applications on 4th June 2026.

What you’ll be doing

1. Translate Strategy into Workforce Demand

• Partner with senior leaders to understand business priorities, transformation programmes, and delivery plans
• Convert “big rocks” into workforce requirements (FTE, capability, timing)
• Challenge demand where: It is unfunded, Lacks clarity on delivery

2. Create a Single, Integrated Workforce View

• Bring together multiple data sources into one coherent outlook: TLR (actuals), MTP (plan), Programme demand, Vacancy pipeline, Director-level forecasts
• Establish consistent assumptions across:Hiring phasing, Attrition, Workforce structure, Is not aligned to strategic priorities

3. Align Workforce to Financial Outcomes (TLR, MTP, TLC)

• Bridge workforce plans to financial metrics:Headcount (TLR), Plan (MTP), Cost (TLC)
• Structure outputs by career level to support Finance cost modelling
• Enable clear visibility of variance vs plan and associated cost impact

4. Enable a Rolling Workforce Outlook (Forward-Looking)

• Move the organisation from static plans to a dynamic monthly outlook
• Track movement through key drivers: Programme demand, Vacancy fills, Structural changes, Attrition
• Provide visibility of: Peaks and troughs in capacity, Emerging gaps or surpluses

5. Surface Risk, Not Just Numbers

• Introduce confidence and risk overlays (e.g. RAG status)
• Highlight: Dependency on hiring or external supply, Delivery timing uncertainty, Over/under capacity risk
• Clearly differentiate: Committed vs pipeline demand

Essential Skills / Experience

• Business Partnering & Strategic Influence
• Commercial Acumen & Cost Awareness
• Strategic Workforce Planning & Forecasting

Desirable Skills / Experience

Core Skills

• Financial Alignment (TLR, MTP, TLC)
• Data Analysis & Decision-Led Storytelling
• Workforce Modelling & Scenario Planning

Critical Enablers

• Risk & Assumption Management
• Demand Shaping & Prioritisation
• Workforce Planning Governance & Cadence
• Cross-functional Alignment (HR, Finance, Business)

Our Package

Tailored benefits make a real difference. That’s why we offer a comprehensive range to support your growth, wellbeing, and everyday life.

You can design the package to suit you and your lifestyle. Your core benefits include:

• 10% on target annual bonus
• Access to an online private GP 24/7 for you and your immediate family
• Market-leading paid carers leave with up to 2 weeks off
• Equalized maternity, paternity, and adoption leave – 18 weeks’ full pay and 8 weeks’ half pay
• Discounted EE and BT products, including mobile and broadband
• Market leading Pension scheme – 5% from you and 10% from us
• Holiday purchase scheme

BT Group is the UK’s leading communications group and the holding company behind some of the country’s most recognised brands – including BT, EE, Openreach and Plusnet. Our purpose is as simple as it is ambitious: we connect for good. Our customers include consumers, small, medium and large businesses, public sector organisations and other communications providers.

BT Group’s role is about setting direction, unlocking value and creating the conditions for our brands and businesses to thrive.

Having come through the most capital-intensive phase of our fibre investment, our focus now is on what comes next – simplifying how we operate, using technology and AI to work smarter, and organising ourselves to serve customers better and grow sustainably. Group teams shape strategy, policy, brand, capital allocation and transformation, helping the whole organisation perform at its best.

We have a singular culture that unites all our people: we are customer-first challengers, who are committed, clear and connected. These behaviours unite us as one team to deliver for our colleagues, our customers, our stakeholders and the country. Joining BT Group means working at the heart of a business that matters to the UK, with the opportunity to shape decisions, influence outcomes and help set the future course of one of the country’s most important companies.