Application Guide

How to Apply for Senior HR Business Partner

at Shelter

🏢 About Shelter

Shelter is a leading UK housing and homelessness charity that campaigns for social change and provides direct support to people facing housing issues. What makes Shelter unique is its dual focus on both frontline service delivery and systemic advocacy work, creating meaningful impact through both individual assistance and policy change. Someone might want to work here to contribute to a vital social mission while developing HR expertise in a complex, unionized nonprofit environment.

About This Role

This Senior HR Business Partner role involves driving HR strategy alignment with Shelter's organizational goals across both Shelter and Shelter Scotland, while managing a small team of HR Business Partners. The role is impactful because it directly supports the charity's ability to deliver its housing and homelessness services through effective people management, organizational change, and strong union relationships in a remote, part-time capacity.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve morning virtual meetings with HR Business Partners to provide coaching and support, followed by strategic planning sessions with directorate leaders to align HR initiatives with organizational goals. The afternoon could include reviewing complex ER cases, analyzing HR data to identify trends, and preparing recommendations for the HR Senior Leadership Team, all while navigating the nuances of operating across both Shelter and Shelter Scotland remotely.

🚀 Application Tools

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Shelter Is Looking For

  • Has 5+ years of strategic HR leadership experience specifically in unionized environments, with demonstrated success in managing complex TUPE transfers and organizational change initiatives
  • Possesses hands-on experience handling complex employee relations cases at all levels within a charity or nonprofit setting
  • Has managed small HR teams (1-2 direct reports) with a coaching and development approach, ideally in a remote or hybrid environment
  • Can demonstrate ability to translate HR data and insights into actionable recommendations for senior leadership in a multi-site organization

📝 Tips for Applying to Shelter

1

Explicitly quantify your experience with TUPE transfers and organizational change in your resume - Shelter specifically mentions these as required competencies

2

Highlight any experience working with Scottish employment law or operating across different UK jurisdictions, given the role covers both Shelter and Shelter Scotland

3

Demonstrate your remote work capabilities by mentioning specific tools or approaches you've used to manage teams and partner with stakeholders virtually

4

Include concrete examples of how you've fostered partnerships with Trade Unions in previous roles - this is explicitly mentioned in the requirements

5

Tailor your application to show how HR supports social mission organizations, rather than using generic corporate HR examples

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your specific experience with organizational change and TUPE in unionized environments', "Examples of how you've used HR data and insights to drive strategic decisions in previous roles", 'Your approach to managing and developing small HR teams in a remote setting', "Why you're specifically interested in applying your HR skills to Shelter's housing and homelessness mission"]

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Shelter's current strategic plan and how HR might support its implementation
  • → Shelter's recent organizational changes or restructuring (check their annual reports)
  • → The specific challenges facing housing/homelessness charities in the current economic climate
  • → Differences between English and Scottish employment law relevant to HR operations

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Describe your experience managing complex ER cases in a unionized charity environment
2 How would you approach developing HR strategy to support Shelter's strategic plan across both England and Scotland?
3 Tell us about a time you successfully managed a TUPE transfer process
4 How do you balance strategic HR leadership with hands-on business partnering in a remote, part-time role?
5 What approaches have you used to build effective partnerships with Trade Unions?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Using only corporate/private sector examples without demonstrating understanding of charity sector HR challenges
  • Failing to address the specific requirement for union experience and TUPE expertise
  • Not showing how you would manage the part-time, remote nature of the role effectively

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Shelter!

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