Senior People Business Partner
We’re Pret: proud makers of freshly made food, organic coffee, and big ideas. Across 750+ shops and 20+ countries, our teams are shaping the future of Pret through innovation, inclusion, great customer service and a shared passion for doing the right thing. We’re growing fast on our mission to be the employer of choice in hospitality, everywhere we operate – so this an exciting time to hop on board.
We Believe in Growing Good Things
Growth is at the heart of everything we do. From the freshly hand-made food we create every day, to supporting our teams, we help our people grow in confidence, skills and to pursue their unique paths. Pret is where passionate, hardworking, wonderful people (like you!) find what they need to shine. And the proof is in the pudding – over 80% of our Managers started on the shop floor! So did 20% of our Support Centre teams, including our CEO, Pano.
What we’re looking for
We’re looking for passionate team players to bring joy to our customers every day—starting with the teams that serve them. As Senior HR BP, reporting to the UK & International People Director, you’ll be a key voice on the UK and International People Senior Leadership Team, shaping how we drive operational excellence through our people.
Your mission? To make sure every Operations team has the right people, in the right roles, at the right time—with clear succession plans, strong bench strength, and “aces in places.” You’ll align our HR strategy with operational goals, helping our shops deliver exceptional results while building a culture grounded in well-being, equity, and consistent, high-integrity employee relations.
You’ll lead and coach two Business Partners, each responsible for ER, People Policies, DEB, and Well-being across multiple regions. Together, you’ll embed best-in-class people practices, strengthen leadership capability, and ensure our workforce is engaged, supported, and set up to thrive.
Key Responsibilities
Drive Operational performance through a People lens
- Partner with Operations Directors and Managers to optimise succession in our shops—maintaining a clear, simple view of "ready now/ready soon" talent from Leader → AM → GM, including cross-training needs and development actions.
- Own and lead talent cycles for Ops and GMs, running monthly performance calibrations to assess potential, address gaps, and ensure timely Performance Improvement Plans where needed.
- Convert commercial goals (speed of service, NPS, comp sales, EBITDA, etc.) into clear people KPIs and actionable, region-specific plans that drive real-world impact.
- Implement a coaching-first performance framework, setting clear standards, enabling regular check-ins, and building feedback and recognition into daily routines.
- Run practical, high-impact manager training focused on coaching, feedback, ER fundamentals, and inclusive leadership—delivered in bite-sized, on-the-job formats.
- Partner with Operations leadership to translate business objectives into meaningful people performance metrics and deliverables.
- Monitor, analyse, and report on key people KPIs (turnover, absenteeism, performance, engagement, etc.), identifying trends and driving root-cause solutions.
- Design and embed people interventions—from training and recognition to feedback loops—that enhance operational efficiency, service quality, and customer satisfaction.
- Lead and develop your team (2 People Business Partners)
- Set priorities, coach, and develop both PBPs; ensure regional coverage is aligned to trading patterns and risk.
- Create a joined-up playbook where ER/Policy and DEB/Wellbeing reinforce each other (e.g., inclusive scheduling reduces ER risk).
- Build future bench (succession) for People Partner roles; champion psychological safety and continuous learning.
ER & Policy (oversight and escalation)
- Ensure policies are clear, accessible, inclusive, and compliant with UK employment law and the ACAS Code.
- Oversee complex cases (grievance, discipline, capability, discrimination, whistleblowing); coach managers to resolve early and fairly.
- Maintain consistent practice on right-to-work, National Minimum/Living Wage, holiday pay, Working Time Regulations, under-18 protections, data privacy (GDPR), and safe scheduling.
- Lead policy updates for legislation or operational change (e.g., acquisitions/TUPE, restructures).
DEB & Wellbeing (strategy to shop-floor)
- Deliver a DEB roadmap focused on practical behaviours: inclusive leadership, fair access to hours & development, etc.
- Expand wellbeing: MHFA network, manager confidence in conversations, signposting, crisis support; measure usage and impact.
- Partner with L&D to ensure inclusive talent pathways (Leader → AM → GM), apprenticeship optimisation, and equitable promotion decisions.
Strategic & Continuous Improvement
- Forecast people-related risks & opportunities in operations and help shape strategic planning accordingly.
- Benchmark practices against peers/industry standards and recommend innovative people solutions.
- Lead change initiatives related to performance management, employee engagement, and process improvements.
What success looks like
- Retention: Frontline 90-day turnover 100%; Annualised overall turnover 50%
- Labour productivity: Improved labour productivity through smarter scheduling, skills mix, and attendance gains.
- Absence: Unplanned absence below 2%
- Experience: Engagement score to be in the top 10% of industry peers
- ER health: Improve case volumes/time-to-resolution and zero upheld claims where policy was followed.
- Capability: 90% of managers achieving the desired performance with clear bench strength for Ams, GMs, Ops and Heads of Operations.
- Compliance: 100% on right-to-work, working time, under-18 protections, and policy adoption; audit-ready always.
Experience & Skills Required
- Solid senior HR/People Partnering in QSR/retail/hospitality or similar high-volume, multi-site environment.
- Confident line leader (managed 2–4+ professionals); proven at building capability in others.
- Strong ER/Policy grounding with UK employment law; comfortable with complexity and pace
- Demonstrable DEB & Wellbeing delivery that improved outcomes (not just events/comms).
- Data-driven and pragmatic: can translate dashboards into store-level actions managers actually use.
- Excellent relationship skills; able to influence Ops leaders and keep things simple.
- Clear, inclusive communication—spoken and written.
About you
- Be kind, honest and generous: bring genuine warmth and your authentic self to work every day.
- Bring your passion: share our passion for food and exceptional customer service.
- Spread joy every day: small acts of kindness are a big part of what makes the Pret experience special.
We offer
- £70,000 - £80,000 per annum plus 20% bonus potential
- Gold Card: We love making people’s day through our food and drinks. That goes for our teams too. That’s why everyone gets a Gold Card. When you’re in the office, your food and drinks are on us. And when you’re not, you can use your Gold Card to get up to 5 Barista-made drinks a day, and 50% off everything else (food, snacks, bottled drinks – the lot).
A few more perks
- You’ll get 33 days of annual leave (including flexible Bank Holidays), increasing to 38 days the longer you’re with us.
- Free private medical cover, with the option to add family or partner at an additional cost
- 4% of your pension contribution matched by Pret, rises to 5% after 5 years
- Life assurance at 3x annual salary
- Loyalty award for 5, 10, 15, 20 years’ service
- Flexible Benefits Platform packed with lifestyle discounts
- Season ticket loans
- Healthcare cash plan
- Financial wellbeing provisions
- Free mortgage services
- Sabbatical after 3 years
- Opportunities to support our charity, The Pret Foundation
We also offer
- Individual ways to grow - We offer lots of opportunities for learning, whether you join us for a short stint or the long game, you’re good to grow with us. Including fully funded professional qualifications, leadership development and mentoring.
- Diversity and belonging - Everyone is welcome at Pret, we want you to feel confident and valued for who you are and to truly belong.
- Pace and variety - Our work is fast paced with lots of variety, you’ll build a diverse skill set and learn a lot!
- Community and purpose - We’re proud to make a difference through The Pret Foundation, from tackling homelessness to reducing food waste and creating positive change for people and communities.
Our values
- Happy Teams Happy Customers
- Amazing Standards Every day
- Never Standing Still
- Doing The Right Thing
The interview journey
Every interview process at Pret begins with the same two stages. First, you’ll have a relaxed 30-minute conversation with our Talent Acquisition Manager and the Line Manager for this role so we can get to know you and your experience. Next, you’ll be invited to a one-hour, in-person interview with the hiring manager and a team member at our Head Office in London Victoria.
Depending on the role and function, there may be additional stages. These could include time spent in one of our shops, completing a task, or meeting a senior leader.
Before you apply
This role is based at Pret’s Support Centre in London Victoria, where we work in a hybrid way - typically three days a week in the office.
We’d love to get to know you, not a robot, so please do not rely on AI to complete your application.
Deadline to apply for this role: 20th February 2026
