Senior People Partner (Learning & HR)

Do you want to be part of something more than just a financial services business? Do you believe everyone, regardless of wealth, should have the opportunity to save and look after their loved ones? Do you want to be part of something that has been here for 160 years and help it be here for 160 more?

Scottish Friendly have an exciting opportunity to join our team. Based in Glasgow City Centre, we are one of the most progressive mutual life insurance offices in the UK. We have a strong, clear culture which has grown since 1862 with our customers and colleagues of today and the future being at the heart of that growth.

The Senior People Partner leads the design, delivery, and governance of the organisation's capability and learning strategy, ensuring people development directly supports business performance, regulatory expectations, and long‑term organisational growth.

This role plays a critical part in enabling the organisation to build the skills needed for future success. Working closely with senior leaders, the People Partner identifies capability gaps, shapes the learning agenda, and ensures interventions are practical, impactful, and aligned to strategic priorities.

The role provides expert guidance across the full learning cycle and acts as an escalation point for complex issues, coaching the People Partner and wider colleagues to build capability within the HR function itself. Alongside L&D leadership, the role also supports generalist HR activity where needed, ensuring a joined‑up approach to people processes.

Operating with a high level of autonomy, the People Partner solves complex problems, influences senior stakeholders, and contributes to organisational culture, engagement, and change programmes.

Key ResponsibilitiesStrategic Capability Partnering

• Lead the organisation's capability strategy, ensuring learning and development solutions align with business goals and future‑skills requirements.
• Partner with senior leaders to identify emerging capability needs, ensuring the business is equipped for regulatory, strategic, and operational priorities.
• Provide expert consultancy to shape functional development plans, talent pipelines, and succession planning activity.
• Translate strategic workforce needs into a coherent annual capability roadmap.

Learning Leadership & Governance

• Oversee the full learning cycle-from needs analysis, design, and delivery through to measurement and continuous improvement.
• Ensure learning solutions reflect best practice in adult learning methodology, digital learning, and behavioural science.
• Maintain quality and compliance standards for all internal and external learning content.
• Oversee vendor management and procurement of external learning partners when required.

Management & Team Development

• Line‑manage the People Partner, providing coaching, mentoring, and development opportunities to support their career growth.
• Delegate effectively while ensuring appropriate oversight of learning projects, HR support activity, and stakeholder engagement.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the People Partnering team.

Stakeholder Engagement & Influence

• Build trusted relationships with senior leaders and influence decision‑making through data, insights, and expert advice.
• Act as the senior point of contact for complex or high‑impact learning and capability queries.
• Represent the People function on cross‑business projects, steering groups, or change programmes.

Evaluation & Insight

• Oversee use of learning analytics, ensuring decisions are evidence‑based and interventions show measurable impact.
• Produce capability and learning dashboards for the Head of People and Executive teams.
• Monitor external trends and bring forward recommendations on innovation, digital learning, and future‑capability development.

Culture, Change & Organisational Development

• Champion a positive learning culture and drive adoption of consistent capability standards across the organisation.
• Support organisational change programmes through capability planning, learning interventions, and leadership support.
• Contribute to culture, engagement, and talent initiatives across the employee lifecycle.

HR Generalist Leadership (as required)

• Provide expert HR support for escalated queries, regulatory requirements, and cyclical people processes.
• Ensure the People Partner maintains accurate employee records and supports HR compliance.
• Collaborate across HR, People Operations, Digital/Tech, and Finance to ensure integrated people solutions.

Qualifications & SkillsEssential Criteria:

• Significant experience in a senior Learning & Development, Capability, or People Partnering role.
• Proven experience leading capability strategies or large‑scale learning programmes.
• Strong consulting skills with the ability to influence senior leaders.
• Expertise across the full learning cycle and evidence‑based learning methodologies.
• Strong project and programme management skills.
• Experience coaching or managing others.
• High emotional intelligence with resilience, adaptability, and strong relationship‑building skills.
• Ability to interpret learning and people analytics, generating insights for decision‑making.
• Strong HR generalist understanding with the ability to contribute to people processes.
• Knowledge of UK employment law and regulatory expectations.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills**.Desirable:**

• Experience leading capability transformation programmes.
• Experience in a regulated environment.
• Psychometric accreditation (e.g., Insights, MBTI, DiSC).
• Experience with LMS/LXP platforms and digital learning tools.
• CIPD Level 5 or equivalent L&D/OD qualification.
• OD/change experience.

With assets under management of over £4.2bn and more than 853,000 members we have lots to look after and lots more to do. If you want to be part of the team and you think this is you, we would love to hear from you.

We support life inside and outside work, offering:

Recognition awards: Win exciting prizes, including one weeks’ annual leave plus £3,000 spending money.

Refer-a-friend scheme: Earn rewards for bringing talented friends to our team.

Annual Leave: 25 days annual leave (rising to 28 with service) plus 8 bank holidays, and options to buy or sell extra days.

Supporting the future: 10% employer pension contribution, 4 x group life cover.

Getting around: Access to cycle-to-work schemes, Electric Vehicle scheme* and travel loans.

Wellbeing: 24/7 GP access, EAP, Private Healthcare, and free legal/financial advice a variety of savings at top high street and online retailers.

Hybrid model with up three remote days per week, totaling 35 hours per week Monday to Friday.

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where all colleagues feel valued, respected and represented. If you require any accommodations during the application process, please don’t hesitate to let us know.