People & Culture Partner

We are looking for a People & Culture Partner to make a meaningful impact and be part of a dynamic team here in London!

This role provides business partnering support to Disney Theatrical Group, Studios Marketing & Distribution, Internal Comms and LGA (Legal & Global Affairs), of The Walt Disney Company EMEA, driving and enabling the delivery of the people strategy.

This role supports all business areas above but will have ownership for Theatrical Group.

You will be someone who can flex your style without losing your HR judgement. You can sit with senior leaders and contribute to conversations about strategy, organisation design and talent, but you're just as comfortable dealing with the practical and human complexities that arise in a live theatrical environment. Showing ‘boardroom to backstage’ credibility.

You don't need to arrive knowing every aspect of theatre or the studios/film industry. You do need to be curious about the business, interested in the people who make productions happen, and able to build credibility across communities that can have very different ways of working.

A key focus of the role is managing a professional, effective and proactive relationship with the business by understanding their key drivers and priorities and providing an effective collaboration with the Centres of Excellence to help the achievement of these.

You will bring a combination of:

• Commercial thinking – understanding what the business is trying to achieve and shaping HR solutions around it.
• Strong ER judgement – comfortable taking ownership of complex situations and escalating when appropriate.
• Influence – able to challenge senior stakeholders constructively and confidently.
• Adaptability – credible with corporate leaders, performers, production teams and union stakeholders.
• Curiosity – genuinely interested in understanding how theatrical productions operate and what makes this workforce different.
• Pragmatism – able to find workable solutions in an environment where situations can move quickly.
• Resilience and discretion – trusted to handle sensitive, high-profile or confidential matters appropriately.
• Collaboration – instinctively working across HR specialisms rather than operating in isolation.

Please note: This is an office-based role. 4 days working between our West End locations (Lyceum, Drury Lane, Holborn Townhall) and Hammersmith, with 1 day working from home.

Values

You’ll join a team grounded in our Disney values — acting with Integrity, welcoming everyone through Inclusion, embracing boundless Creativity, working together through Collaboration and caring deeply for our Community. These values shape how we work and how we support one another every day.

What You Will Do

• Develop a strong understanding of all lines of business, its commercial priorities, operating model and workforce, translating these into an effective people agenda.
• Drive the development and delivery of the people agenda, ensuring alignment with HR and business strategies, while actively supporting the HR agenda and business initiatives as a member of the client groups' leadership team.
• Have a sound understanding of how the business operates, the key business challenges, drivers, and financials as well as staying current on current industry trends, technology advances etc. Participate in and influence the strategy planning process, the Annual Operating Planning process as well as local business planning
• Proactively develop solid relationships with key business and HR team members to enable a solution-oriented approach, applying commercial thinking and business understanding to provide pragmatic HR solutions that align with both business needs and the HR agenda.
• Engage with the Centres of Excellent to acquire specialist advice and facilitate improved solutions for your client groups. The key Centres of Excellence are; Employee Relations, Global HR Operations, Learning and Development, Compensation & Benefits, Talent Acquisition and HR Information Systems.
• Manage annual HR processes with the business and Centres of Excellence, for example Merit, Talent Planning, Performance Management, and Organisational Change
• Share knowledge/insights/external findings etc to ensure the team is kept up to date and a culture of feedback that enables ongoing improvement is developed

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Demonstrable track record of managing client relationships - confirmed experience operating at the HR Business Partner/Manager level and managing clients at Director level and above
• Demonstrable multi-discipline Human Resources experience, in particular, Employee Relations
• Shown experience of significant change management/OD experience including restructuring, redundancy, TUPE, Compromise agreements and redeployment
• Evident experience in multi-national, fast-paced, progressive commercial organisations
• Evident experience gained within a US multi-national or similar matrixed organisation
• Ideally, experience in ‘end to end’ project management of harmonisation and/or integration projects
• Specific EMEA experience would be highly helpful

The Perks

• 25 days annual leave
• Private medical insurance & dental care
• Complimentary admission to eligible Disney Theme Parks, giving you the opportunity to experience the magic we create and make memories of your own. Admission is subject to availability, capacity restrictions, applicable rules, block-out dates, and eligibility requirements.
• Access to a wide range of Disney discounts on Disney merchandise, Disney Food & Beverage, Disney Resort Hotels, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, National Geographic Expeditions, and more. Offerings are subject to availability and may be seasonal, and subject to applicable rules, restrictions, and eligibility requirements.
• Excellent parental and guardian leave
• Employee Resource Groups – WOMEN @ Disney, Disney Mosaic, Disney PRIDE, our disability & neurodiversity focused group - ENABLED, and our Mental Health & Wellbeing Group, TRUST.

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. Disney is committed to forming a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

This position is with The Walt Disney Company Limited, which is part of a business we call The Walt Disney Company (EMEA).

To learn more about Disney's guidelines on the use of AI for candidates, click here.

The Walt Disney Company Limited is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, colour, religion or belief, sex, nationality, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, disability or pregnancy or maternity. Disney fosters a business culture where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a rapidly changing world.

Having technical issues? View the FAQs for help.