Our client, a high-growth, global leader in the automotive manufacturing sector, is seeking an experienced Talent Partner to lead and enhance strategic talent initiatives. This pivotal role focuses on building and embedding competency frameworks, succession plans, and values-based performance development practices that support long-term organisational growth and capability building.

Job Title: Talent Partner
Location: Solihull (on-site)
Salary: £40,000 to £45,000
Contract: 6-month fixed-term contract
Sector: Automotive Manufacturing

About the Role:

As Talent Partner, you will collaborate with senior leaders and HR colleagues to develop and implement talent strategies that drive a high-performance culture. You’ll take ownership of designing and rolling out core talent tools and processes grounded in the organisation’s values and business priorities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and implement competency frameworks across all role levels, mapping skills to current and future workforce needs.

• Define clear behavioural and technical competencies, aligned to organisational values and growth pathways.

• Build and manage a succession planning framework, identifying critical roles and future talent pipelines.

• Lead the annual performance development cycle, including goal setting, mid-year and end-of-year reviews, and calibration processes.

• Promote a values-based approach to performance development, coaching managers on SMART objectives, effective feedback, and meaningful development conversations.

• Conduct training needs analysis and translate gaps into targeted learning interventions.

• Partner with HR, L&D, Talent Acquisition, and business leaders to ensure alignment between talent, performance, and development strategies.

• Utilise talent data and dashboards to monitor engagement, performance trends, and development progress.

• Act as an expert advisor to managers throughout the appraisal and succession planning process.

• Ensure tools, templates, systems, and processes meet both operational needs and audit/compliance standards.

What You’ll Bring

• Proven experience designing and embedding competency frameworks, career pathways, and capability models.

• Strong understanding of succession planning methods and organisational design principles.

• Track record of delivering performance development strategies in values-led, high-growth or scaling organisations.

• Strategic thinking, with the ability to translate organisational goals into talent development solutions.

• Strong project management and stakeholder engagement skills.

• Confident facilitator and coach, with excellent communication and influencing ability.

• Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret talent data and make insight-led recommendations.

• Agile, proactive, and adaptable in fast-paced environments.

Ideal Background

• Experience in a global, matrixed, or manufacturing environment is advantageous.

• HR, OD, or L&D qualification desirable but not essential.

Lily Shippen is a leading recruitment agency, specialising in executive support and business support recruitment. We connect top talent with exceptional opportunities across the UK and internationally. Our expertise spans Executive Assistant, Personal Assistant, Office Manager, Chief of Staff, and HR recruitment, offering tailored solutions for businesses across various industries.

We recruit for permanent, temporary, and fixed-term contract roles across London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Cheshire, and beyond. Whether you’re seeking a new opportunity or looking to hire top talent, we’re here to help. If you’re an experienced Executive Assistant looking for a new challenge in a strategic, data-driven role, we would love to hear from you.