Senior People Business Partner

DEPT® is a Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, our 4,000+ specialists deliver growth invention services across Brand & Media, Experience, Commerce, CRM, and Technology & Data. We’re 50|50 tech and marketing, partner-led, and first to move. Clients include Google, Lufthansa, Meta, eBay, and OpenAI. We have been certified B Corp and Climate Neutral since 2021

JOB PURPOSE:

The Senior People Business Partner contributes to business and People success by:

Partnering with BU leadership to drive key People initiatives and provide trusted advice.
Developing and guiding junior People Business Partner(s) in their roles.
Contributing to the professionalisation of the wider People team, helping it become a strategic, efficient, and trusted function that delivers excellent employee experiences through data-driven decision-making.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

A. Business-focused

Strategic partnership BU

Act as a sparring partner to BU leadership on people topics (workforce planning, talent management, culture, sentiment, and well-being).
Data-driven decision-making: Use HR analytics to provide insights and support decision-making.
Contribute actively to business decisions from a People perspective, embedding data in strategic advice.
Take ownership of strategic HR projects within the BU (e.g., strategic plans for trends on both voluntary and involuntary leaver numbers; structural exit data analyses; focus groups for topics we need input from the BU and teams, surveys, succession, L&D, health & wellbeing).

Policies & structures within BeNo and BU

Strengthen BENO and BU effectiveness by improving People policies and structures.
Ensure core processes (absence, mobility, onboarding, exits) run smoothly in practice, in close collaboration with the People team.
Leverage data insights (e.g., sickness rates, onboarding outcomes, attrition trends) to continuously review and improve these processes.

Supporting change initiatives

Support BU leadership in driving and embedding change initiatives (e.g., culture programmes or transitions) by bringing in a People perspective.

B. People team-focused

Development of junior People Business Partners

Develop and guide junior People Business Partners.
Ensure juniors take ownership, moving from signalling issues to solving them.
Provide mentorship on knowledge, prioritisation and stakeholder skills.
Teach juniors to work with data effectively so their advice and decisions are evidence-based.

Improvements in the People team

Contribute to the transformation of the People team: from reactive to proactive, from operational to strategic.
Initiate and lead improvement projects that help shape a strategically positioned, efficient People team.
Embed a culture of data-driven decision-making in the People team’s way of working.

KPIs (0–6 MONTH):

A. Business-focused

Strategic partnership & HR analytics – BU leadership experiences clear added value and actively uses People data (absence, attrition, engagement, exits, C&B) in decision-making.
Operational excellence (BU) – Ticket turnaround time reduced; within xx months, all backlogs cleared and open cases resolved.
Employee experience – Improvement visible in Peakon engagement score within the BU (specific targets to be defined).
Core BU People KPIs – Demonstrates impact on broader People KPIs such as engagement, retention, sickness, etc., with structured reporting dashboards in place.

B. People team-focused

Development of juniors – tbd, including the ability to use and present People data independently.
Contribution to People team practices – Initiates and/or leads at least one improvement project that strengthens the entire People team.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING:

Strategic thinking – Connect business goals with people impact and translate them into actionable steps for the BU (1–3 year horizon).
Analytical ability – Collect, interpret and use data to underpin data-driven decision making.
Stakeholder management & influencing – Communicate and influence effectively, tailored to different stakeholders; anticipate and respond to counterarguments.
Organisational sensitivity – Understand culture, dynamics and informal patterns, and act effectively within them.
Goal-oriented working & decisiveness – Prioritise, decide, deliver and embed critical goals.
Ownership & people leadership – Take full responsibility for delivering results, while coaching juniors and supporting their professional growth.
Continuous improvement & innovation – Proactively seek opportunities to make People practices more effective and impactful, introduce new ideas and excite others to adopt them.

*Please note that we are looking for someone fluent in Dutch & English.

WHAT YOU’LL GET:

*Please note that specific perks and benefits will vary based on location – Ask your recruiter for more details

A flexible, hybrid working policy (2-3 days from the office, depending on location)
DEPT®/YOU Learning Menu and DEPT®/YOU Special Programs. Develop your skills with courses and programs tailored to your needs.
Stay happy and healthy with a contribution to your health through the OpenUp platform, gym and wellness discounts, and healthy lunches at the office.
A reputation for doing good. DEPT® has been a Certified B Corp® since 2021, has been named a Great Place To Work in 2022 in the Netherlands and named ‘Agency of the Year’ at both The Lovies and The Webby Awards.
Awesome clients. Whether big, small, local or global — at DEPT® you’ll get the opportunity to work with all of them. And we celebrate all of our successes together!
You can discover even more employee benefits here.

WHY DEPT®?

We are a Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, we create what is next by pioneering ideas, acting fast, and moving further because standing still just is not in our DNA.

We are drawn to people who stay curious, move with intent, and never stop inventing. Our culture runs on three values: better together, relentlessly curious, and get sh*t done. It is how we work, how we grow, and how we make things that matter.

At DEPT®, you will find the freedom to explore, the space to collaborate, and the trust to make a real impact for our clients, for each other, and for the world we are helping to build.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

At DEPT®, we take pride in creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. We actively seek to recruit, develop, nurture, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, with varying skills and perspectives.

Not sure if you meet all qualifications? Apply, and let us decide! Research shows that women and members of underrepresented groups tend not to apply for jobs when they think they may not meet every requirement, when in fact they do. We believe in giving everyone a fair chance to shine.

We also encourage you to reach out to us and discuss any reasonable adjustments we can make to support you throughout the recruitment process and your time with us. Want to know more about our dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Check out our efforts here.

Details

JOB PURPOSE:

The Senior People Business Partner contributes to business and People success by:

Partnering with BU leadership to drive key People initiatives and provide trusted advice.
Developing and guiding junior People Business Partner(s) in their roles.
Contributing to the professionalisation of the wider People team, helping it become a strategic, efficient, and trusted function that delivers excellent employee experiences through data-driven decision-making.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

A. Business-focused

Strategic partnership BU

Act as a sparring partner to BU leadership on people topics (workforce planning, talent management, culture, sentiment, and well-being).
Data-driven decision-making: Use HR analytics to provide insights and support decision-making.
Contribute actively to business decisions from a People perspective, embedding data in strategic advice.
Take ownership of strategic HR projects within the BU (e.g., strategic plans for trends on both voluntary and involuntary leaver numbers; structural exit data analyses; focus groups for topics we need input from the BU and teams, surveys, succession, L&D, health & wellbeing).

Policies & structures within BeNo and BU

Strengthen BENO and BU effectiveness by improving People policies and structures.
Ensure core processes (absence, mobility, onboarding, exits) run smoothly in practice, in close collaboration with the People team.
Leverage data insights (e.g., sickness rates, onboarding outcomes, attrition trends) to continuously review and improve these processes.

Supporting change initiatives

Support BU leadership in driving and embedding change initiatives (e.g., culture programmes or transitions) by bringing in a People perspective.

B. People team-focused

Development of junior People Business Partners

Develop and guide junior People Business Partners.
Ensure juniors take ownership, moving from signalling issues to solving them.
Provide mentorship on knowledge, prioritisation and stakeholder skills.
Teach juniors to work with data effectively so their advice and decisions are evidence-based.

Improvements in the People team

Contribute to the transformation of the People team: from reactive to proactive, from operational to strategic.
Initiate and lead improvement projects that help shape a strategically positioned, efficient People team.
Embed a culture of data-driven decision-making in the People team’s way of working.

KPIs (0–6 MONTH):

A. Business-focused

Strategic partnership & HR analytics – BU leadership experiences clear added value and actively uses People data (absence, attrition, engagement, exits, C&B) in decision-making.
Operational excellence (BU) – Ticket turnaround time reduced; within xx months, all backlogs cleared and open cases resolved.
Employee experience – Improvement visible in Peakon engagement score within the BU (specific targets to be defined).
Core BU People KPIs – Demonstrates impact on broader People KPIs such as engagement, retention, sickness, etc., with structured reporting dashboards in place.

B. People team-focused

Development of juniors – tbd, including the ability to use and present People data independently.
Contribution to People team practices – Initiates and/or leads at least one improvement project that strengthens the entire People team.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING:

Strategic thinking – Connect business goals with people impact and translate them into actionable steps for the BU (1–3 year horizon).
Analytical ability – Collect, interpret and use data to underpin data-driven decision making.
Stakeholder management & influencing – Communicate and influence effectively, tailored to different stakeholders; anticipate and respond to counterarguments.
Organisational sensitivity – Understand culture, dynamics and informal patterns, and act effectively within them.
Goal-oriented working & decisiveness – Prioritise, decide, deliver and embed critical goals.
Ownership & people leadership – Take full responsibility for delivering results, while coaching juniors and supporting their professional growth.
Continuous improvement & innovation – Proactively seek opportunities to make People practices more effective and impactful, introduce new ideas and excite others to adopt them.

*Please note that we are looking for someone fluent in Dutch & English.

WHAT YOU’LL GET:

*Please note that specific perks and benefits will vary based on location – Ask your recruiter for more details

A flexible, hybrid working policy (2-3 days from the office, depending on location)
DEPT®/YOU Learning Menu and DEPT®/YOU Special Programs. Develop your skills with courses and programs tailored to your needs.
Stay happy and healthy with a contribution to your health through the OpenUp platform, gym and wellness discounts, and healthy lunches at the office.
A reputation for doing good. DEPT® has been a Certified B Corp® since 2021, has been named a Great Place To Work in 2022 in the Netherlands and named ‘Agency of the Year’ at both The Lovies and The Webby Awards.
Awesome clients. Whether big, small, local or global — at DEPT® you’ll get the opportunity to work with all of them. And we celebrate all of our successes together!
You can discover even more employee benefits here.

WHY DEPT®?

At DEPT®, you will find the freedom to explore, the space to collaborate, and the trust to make a real impact for our clients, for each other, and for the world we are helping to build.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION