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On our graduate programme, you’ll experience real responsibility and purpose from day one. Working with people who value your ideas and invest in your success, you’ll be helping to solve complex business challenges while earning a respected qualification at the same time - all with the support of a friendly and welcoming team that brings out the best in you.

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iconJob ID:
R17028
iconLocation:
London, United Kingdom
iconDate posted:
13 January 2025
iconCategory:
Human Resources

HR Manager

Ideas | People | Trust


We’re BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions entrepreneurial organisations need to navigate today’s changing world.


We work with the companies that are Britain’s economic engine – ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high growth businesses that fuel the economy - and directly advise  the owners and management teams that lead them.

We’ll broaden your horizons 


Our greatest asset is our people, so our HR team focus on ensuring we are all reaching our potential. They use their specialist expertise to help us attract great talent, enable our employees to succeed and inspire a unified culture of development across our firm. By playing a role in the recruitment and management of our people, they help change lives and influence the future of BDO. Join a driven and passionate team where you can be yourself, while also helping your colleagues to achieve their ambitions.

We’ll help you succeed


Leading organisations trust us because of the quality of our advice. That quality grows from a thorough understanding of their business, and that understanding comes from working closely with them and building long-lasting relationships.

You’ll be someone who is both comfortable working proactively and managing your own tasks, as well as confident collaborating with others and communicating regularly with senior managers, directors, and BDO’s partners to help businesses effectively. You’ll be encouraged to identify and draw attention to opportunities for enhancing our delivery and providing additional services to organisations we work with. 

You will;

  • Provide business-focused and best practice HR support to designated areas of the business.
  • Act as a primary contact for HR matters to Partners and People Managers (PMs) with support of HR Advisors and the wider HR function.
  • Work closely with specific People Partners or business leaders to drive forward the firm-wide people proposition and local people priorities within your designated business areas. 
  • Be a credible and commercial business advisor, offering Partners and Business leaders considered HR guidance in line with employment legislation, firm policy and best practice. 
  • Lead and deliver key HR calendar activities such as annual performance reviews, promotions and reward reviews. 
  • Work closely with your business areas to identify localised HR initiatives and priorities, keeping closely connected with the Senior HR Manager and wider HR function to ensure alignment and consistency. 
  • Support the Senior HR Manager to drive firm-wide and stream-specific strategic priorities, collaborating across the HR function to provide a seamless and first-class HR Service.
  • Manage two HR Advisors, offering ongoing career development and guidance to ensure the delivery of a seamless HR experience in your business areas. 
  • Identify areas for improvement in the delivery of calendar activities and help implement recommendations and changes.
  • Establish and maintain influential relationships with key stakeholders – including Partners, PMs and the wider HR function.
  • Pro-actively coach PMs and Partners in HR matters.
  • Provide HR support for projects within your designated business areas and lead on firm-wide projects as required.
  • Have an excellent understanding of the Centres of Excellence and what the HR team can and does deliver, leveraging and working in partnership with them to support your designated business area.

Principal Accountabilities

  • Resolve people issues to deliver commercially pragmatic outcomes, escalating as appropriate.
  • Resolve people issues to deliver commercially pragmatic outcomes, escalating as appropriate.
  • Take a commercial, considered stance to HR-related risk assessment linking in with the Senior HR Manager and ER team and escalating issues as appropriate.
  • Coach PMs and Partners on HR matters to share your knowledge and increase their capability in dealing with people matters
  • Advise PMs and Partners on HR policy and process and helping managers to make fair and commercially sound decisions e.g. flexible working requests, absence etc).
  • Advise PMs and Partners on broader HR activities such as absence management, performance and talent management and other people related matters. 
  • Lead cyclic events like salary review, consistency meetings and promotions (e.g. preparing ad hoc reports, attending consistency meetings)
  • Actively share knowledge and experience proactively across the team and be recognised as an expert in your business area.

You'll be someone with:

  • Ideally educated to degree level and/or CIPD qualified or working towards completion of CIPD qualification.
  • Experience of working within professional services useful but not essential.
  • Proven experience of employee relations issues and taking a pragmatic approach to managing them.
  • Strong working knowledge of employment legislation and best practice.
  • Proven experience as a credible and assertive HR business partner influencing up to Partner level.
  • Proven experience of developing effective processes and suggesting new ways of working.
  • Comfortable with systems with an ability to make commercially based recommendations based on MI.

You’ll be able to be yourself; we’ll recognise and value you for who you are and celebrate and reward your contributions to the business. We’re committed to agile working, and we offer every colleague the opportunity to work in ways that suit you, your teams, and the task at hand.


At BDO, we’ll help you achieve your personal goals and career ambitions, and we have programmes, resources, and frameworks that provide clarity and structure around career development.

We’re in it together


Mutual support and respect is one of BDO’s core values and we’re proud of our distinctive, people-centred culture. From informal success conversations to formal mentoring and coaching, we’ll support you at every stage in your career, whatever your personal and professional needs. Our agile working framework helps us stay connected, bringing teams together where and when it counts so they can share ideas and help one another. At BDO, you’ll always have access to the people and resources you need to do your best work.


We know that collaboration is the key to creating value for the companies we work with and satisfying experiences for our colleagues, so we’ve invested in state-of-the-art collaboration spaces in our offices. BDO’s people represent a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and we’ll encourage you to build your network, work alongside others, and share your skills and experiences. With a range of multidisciplinary events and dedicated resources, you’ll never stop learning at BDO.

We’re looking forward to the future 


At BDO, we help entrepreneurial businesses to succeed, fuelling the UK economy. Our success is powered by our people, which is why we’re always finding new ways to invest in you. Across the UK thousands of unique minds continue to come together to help companies we work with to achieve their ambitions.

We’ve got a clear purpose, and we’re confident in our future, because we’re adapting and evolving to build on our strengths, ensuring we continue to find the right combination of global reach, integrity and expertise. We shape the future together with openness and clarity, because we believe in empowering people to think creatively about how we can do things better.

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Success Profile

What makes you successful on the HR Manager? Check out the traits we’re looking for and see if you have the right skill level.

  • Business thinking
  • Communicating
  • Decision making
  • Developing self & others
  • Collaborating
  • Innovation & Change

Our culture at BDO

We’re a thriving business that is respectful and client-focused while remaining firmly anchored in our core purpose – helping you succeed. Our Unifying Culture encourages us to be ourselves, to be inspired, challenged, collaborative and ultimately successful.

How we’ll support you.

We offer a range of support services to help you thrive in your new role. From study leave to taking care of your mental wellbeing, we'll be with you every step of the way.

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Buddy support

Your buddy will have first-hand experience of what it’s like to work and study towards a professional qualification and will support and guide you as you settle into your new career.

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People Manager support

Your PM will play a pivotal role in your career journey, providing guidance and support throughout your day-to-day work and your studies.

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Dedicated study support & study leave

Our Professional Qualifications team will assist you with everything from exam bookings to study leave allocations.

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Peer networks

Sharing your experience of working and studying with other trainees will see you building networks and future friends to support you throughout your career.

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Workable

Discover life at BDO from all angles – the office, client sites, or occasionally, your home. We’ll need you to join us in the office so we can best support your development, so ensure you’re a commutable distance away.

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BDO Networks

We have a number of groups where you can celebrate being yourself, including BLEND (LGBTQ+ network), BDO Inspire (Gender balance network), CEDAR (Celebrating Ethnic Diversity and Races network).

YOU READY FOR MORE?

Working at BDO is more than just an experience. It is an opportunity to be yourself and feel supported to succeed. Find out more about life at BDO.

Rewards & Benefits

We offer a wide range of core and voluntary benefits, with a few examples below.

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Holidays

Our holiday benefit enables you to purchase up to 10 days of additional leave.

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Health and Wellness Programmes

We promote a positive working environment where our people can thrive.

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Bike to work scheme

A convenient, environmentally friendly and tax-effective way to acquire a bike for travelling to and from work.

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Pension Plan

A Group Personal Pension Plan, with matched employer contributions.

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Private Medical

Access to private medical treatment for you and your family.

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Income Protection Plan

Provides a proportion of your basic salary if you suffer a loss of earnings because of illness or injury.