Senior HR Business Partner

Job Type:

Build a brilliant future with Hiscox

About us:

HISCOX is an international insurer specialized in the market of luxury goods & property, and high end professional insurance. As experts in risk we give people and businesses the confidence to realise their ambitions. With offices in 9 European countries we have a very international staff and encourage a culture that fosters inclusion and collaboration, offering exciting opportunities for personal and professional growth.

In our Lisbon office we have the privilege of employing approximately 500 exceptional professionals representing 29 diverse nationalities. Despite our central location within the city, we recognize the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. As part of our commitment to our employees’ well-being, we provide a 35-hour workweek along with the option for a hybrid working schedule.

The Team:

The European business is supported by Operations based in Lisbon. In this role you will report to the Head of HR Iberia & Ireland and work within the Human Resources team in Lisbon.

The Role:

As Senior HR Business Partner, you will partner with assigned business areas to translate agreed business and people priorities into practical plans and effective delivery. Reporting to the Head of HR, you will contribute business insight and recommendations to the people agenda and take responsibility for implementing agreed initiatives within your remit.

Based in Lisbon and working with leaders across Operations, Finance, Claims and Underwriting, you will provide credible HR advice, influence stakeholders and constructively challenge proposals where appropriate. You will combine business partnering with hands-on delivery, managing assigned HR projects, change workstreams and Employee Relations matters. You will exercise professional judgement within agreed policies and delegated authority, working closely with the Head of HR on priorities, sensitive matters and decisions with wider organisational implications. The role contributes to the HR strategy set by HR leadership rather than holding overall responsibility for defining it, and works with specialist teams and the People Experience Hub to deliver coordinated end-to-end solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Business partnering and stakeholder management: Work with business leaders to deliver people plans for assigned areas, aligned with agreed business and HR priorities. Advise managers and senior stakeholders on people matters, present practical options and constructively challenge proposals, seeking alignment whenver necessary on decisions beyond the role’s remit.
• Workforce planning and organisational effectiveness: Coordinate workforce planning for assigned areas with business leaders and Finance, identifying capability gaps and resource requirements. Contribute analysis and recommendations to organisational design proposals, with direction and approval from all relevant decision-makers.
• Project management and delivery: Manage assigned HR projects and people workstreams end-to-end within an agreed scope and sponsorship. Develop plans, milestones and success measures; coordinate contributors; manage risks, issues, dependencies and budgets where assigned; and track delivery and outcomes. Provide progress updates to project sponsors, escalating material changes and decisions for approval.
• Transformation and organisational change: Deliver assigned people workstreams within transformation, restructuring and operating-model initiatives, under the direction of the Head of HR and relevant programme leads. Assess employee impacts, develop implementation and engagement plans with specialist advisers, coordinate applicable consultation activities and track readiness, adoption and outcomes.
• Talent, succession and development: Coordinate talent reviews and succession planning for assigned areas, working with leaders to identify capability gaps and follow through on agreed actions. Advise and coach managers on people management and development, partnering with Learning & Development on relevant solutions.
• Performance, reward and engagement: Coordinate the delivery of performance, reward and engagement cycles for assigned business areas in line with HR frameworks and guidance. Advise managers on fair and consistent application, identify issues requiring review and follow up on agreed actions, involving the Head of HR and specialist teams where appropriate.
• Employee Relations and risk management: Manage Employee Relations cases within agreed authority, including grievances, disciplinary issues, absence and performance matters. Work with the Head of HR, ER specialists and Legal on complex or sensitive cases and proposed settlements. Apply Portuguese employment-law knowledge and fair process, maintain appropriate records and escalate material risks and decisions.
• End-to-end HR coordination: Apply comprehensive knowledge of the employee lifecycle to assess business needs and coordinate solutions across recruitment, onboarding, performance, talent, learning, reward, benefits, employee relations and exits. Work with specialist teams and the People Experience Hub to clarify responsibilities, ensure effective hand-offs and resolve issues, providing hands-on input where needed while keeping routine administration with the appropriate teams.
• People insights and continuous improvement: Analyse people data to identify trends and inform recommendations on retention, capability, engagement, workforce costs and people risks. Discuss findings and proposed actions with business stakeholders, monitor agreed interventions and implement process improvements with relevant owners, respecting local requirements, confidentiality and data quality.

Person Specification:

• A minimum of 8 years of relevant, progressive HR experience, including substantial HR business partnering and HR generalist experience in a multinational or similarly complex organisation.
• Proven stakeholder management experience, including advising and influencing senior stakeholders, constructively challenging proposals and navigating competing priorities, with sound judgement on when to align with or escalate to the Head of HR.
• Demonstrated project management experience, with responsibility for delivering HR projects or people workstreams end-to-end within an agreed scope, including planning, risks, dependencies, stakeholder coordination and measurable outcomes, rather than participation alone.
• Solid, comprehensive knowledge of HR processes end-to-end, covering workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, performance, talent and succession, learning and development, reward and benefits, employee relations and exits, including how these processes connect across specialist and shared-service teams.
• Relevant experience delivering people workstreams within transformation and organisational change, such as restructuring, organisational redesign or operating-model implementation, in complex and changing environments.
• Strong HR generalist expertise and proven ability to manage complex Employee Relations cases, supported by solid knowledge and practical application of Portuguese employment legislation and sound judgement on when to involve ER specialists, Legal or senior HR leadership.
• Business and commercial awareness: able to understand priorities, identify people implications and translate agreed direction into practical plans, well-founded recommendations and measurable outcomes.
• Strong analytical capability, with experience interpreting people and business data, developing evidence-based recommendations and presenting concise insights and options to senior audiences.
• Ability to manage day-to-day responsibilities independently within agreed priorities and delegated authority, while maintaining regular alignment and collaborating effectively across functions, countries and matrix reporting structures.
• Excellent communication, influencing, facilitation and coaching skills. Advanced written and spoken English is essential; Spanish is an advantage.
• A degree in Human Resources, Management, Law or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant professional qualification and experience. A recognised project management or change management qualification is an advantage; demonstrated delivery experience remains essential.
• High standards of integrity, discretion and professional judgement, including responsible handling of confidential information and a commitment to fair, consistent people practices.

Work with amazing people and be part of a unique culture