People Experience (PX) Business Partner (Maternity Cover)

Scheduling isn't simply filling shifts. It's finding the sweet spot that enables businesses to grow and team members to enjoy the perfect work/life balance.

At Planday from Xero, we aim to use Agentic AI to build a future where managers can seamlessly free up invaluable time for their business and teams. We're not just building software: we're on a mission to make shift work more human, to change work/life balance from a luxury to a reality for all shift workers. We're using advanced technology to help humans reach their full potential. At work and in life.

Founded in 2004, Planday is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark and helps create perfect schedules for hundreds of thousands of users across the world.

How you’ll make an impact

As a PX Business Partner, you will be a strategic advisor embedded within your business unit, acting as a connector between people priorities and business outcomes. You’ll work closely with leaders to build organisational capability, enable high-performing teams, and support our business strategy with practical, human-centred people solutions.

You will navigate the full employee lifecycle - from onboarding and performance to change management and retention - helping leaders make thoughtful, data-informed people decisions while ensuring alignment with Planday’s PX strategy and Xero Group’s frameworks.

You’ll be a trusted voice to leadership, coaching them through change, culture and growth - ensuring people and business strategies evolve together.

This role is a maternity cover for about 10 months.

What you’ll do

Strategic People Partnering

• Act as a key partner to all leaders within your business unit, ensuring people strategies are tightly aligned with business goals and PX team priorities.

• Develop and deliver People Plans that support business performance, talent development, retention and cultural outcomes.

• Translate business challenges into actionable people solutions that scale effectively across the functions.

Leadership Coaching & Capability Building

• Coach and challenge leaders to build strong, inclusive and high-performing teams.

• Support talent reviews and capability assessments; help leaders identify and nurture high-potential talent.

• Provide guidance on performance management, career progression, team effectiveness, and succession planning.

Data & Insight-Driven Advisory

• Use data and people metrics to identify trends, risks and opportunities within your business unit.

• Provide insights and recommendations to leadership on issues such as engagement, turnover, performance and organisational health.

• Partner with PX Operations Manager to inform reporting and dashboards that support strategic decision-making.

PX Project Delivery

• Lead or contribute to strategic PX initiatives both within your business unit and to the wider business, ensuring local relevance and aligned implementation.

• Collaborate closely with other PX team members and relevant internal stakeholders (including the wider Xero group) to share insights, learn from diverse approaches, and work together on strategic PX initiatives, tailoring projects and programmes to Planday's specific needs.

What you’ll bring with you

• Experience (ideally 4+ years) in strategic HR or People Business Partnering roles, preferably in fast-paced, tech or SaaS environments.

• Strong knowledge about UK and Nordics labour regulations and policies.

• Proven ability to translate business strategies into people priorities and guide leaders through change and growth.

• Deep understanding of employee relations, organisational design, engagement and performance management.

• Strong coaching and influencing skills, with the ability to challenge and support leaders constructively.

• Experience managing complex employee lifecycle events and processes with rigour and care.

• Data-driven mindset with the ability to use insights to inform people strategy and track progress.

• Ability to collaborate cross-functionally and influence stakeholders across levels and geographies.

Finally, our offices are not just workplaces (although they are pretty nice and well-located, we have to say!). Plandayers are open and welcoming and at Planday, everyone has the freedom and support to show their true self at work.

At Planday, we firmly believe that diversity and inclusion are the cornerstones of innovation and a vibrant workplace culture, and we highly value the strength that diverse backgrounds offer.

As an equal opportunity employer, we strive to create an equitable experience for all our candidates throughout the process. Please let us know if you need reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process.

All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to any personal characteristics.