Explore is an adventure travel expert focused on sustainable, small group holidays which create stories to tell for a lifetime. From classic group tours and family adventures, to walking, wildlife and cycling trips. With around 100 countries to choose from, our customers explore the world with us. Join us on our journey, creating extraordinary travel experiences for all.

Sustainability has always been at the heart of what we do, as has the ethos of continual improvement. A trusted brand – B Corp certified and a Feefo Platinum Service Award holder, we pride ourselves on doing the right thing, by our people, our customers, and the planet. In a complicated world that's full of potential, we strive to be better than yesterday.

We put people at the heart of everything we do and are proud of the extensive benefits we offer.

This role is based in Farnborough, Hampshire with 2 days per week in the office. Our office is within walking distance of the train station and has free parking. This is a part-time position working 30 hours per week.

Salary: £50,000 (FTE) p.a. pro-rata + bonus 

Fixed term contract (maternity cover) for 9 months.

About the role:

At Explore, being Better Than Yesterday isn’t just a value written on the wall; it’s at the heart of everything we do. As our HR Business Partner, you’ll need to embody the ethos of being Better Than Yesterday, and become a guardian of applying it to everything we do.

We’re looking for someone with a solid background in generalist HR, and up to date knowledge of employment law, but you’ll be supported with a great deal of the day-to-day by our shared services HR team, who support with Recruitment, Admin, L&D and first line ER. Although you’ll technically be standalone in HR at Explore, this lot will make sure you have heaps of HR support behind you, as well as plenty of support within the Explore team.

Your overarching responsibility as Explore’s HRBP will be to keep us on the front foot, putting our people first, and making sure they’re supported, encouraged and championed to keep putting people, planet and community first.

A typical working week:

• Partner with, coach and support our Managing Director and senior management team to implement the Explore People Plan and deliver objectives. You’ll also work closely with this team to plan resourcing and recruitment activity.

• Own and develop our colleague brand immersion project, focusing on our employee value proposition and ensuring that every touch point from our recruitment process to our leaving process reflect Explore’s ethos and values, and that this is reflected in our external employer brand.

• We’re going through a period of transition as we settle into life under new owners. Whilst we maintain a high level of brand autonomy, there’s likely to be some changes to things like systems and processes within HR. You’ll need to represent Explore’s interests within the group and support all stakeholders through any change management processes, whilst also supporting and promoting group initiatives.

• Work closely with the Shared Services L&D Manager on projects keeping development a priority for the explore team,

• Take ownership of Global HR for our Australia and North America teams, working with Regional Directors to ensure the teams are set up for success in terms of compliance and colleague experience, and liaising with the shared service HR team who will support you in delivery of this. Some experience of international HR would be beneficial.

• Support our Sustainability Lead to bring our B Corp status to life, ensuring everyone at Explore understands their responsibilities as part of the B Corp community, and you’ll play an active part in our B Team, who voluntarily take on extra projects to drive Explore forward as a force for good. You’ll look out for opportunities to engage in the wider B Corp community and grow Explore’s voice, whilst getting future proofed and starting to action our People goals for our next marker point in three years’ time.

• Own and support our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion team, gathering and transparently sharing data on what we do and don’t do so well, and supporting the team to bring progress to life.

• Chair our Culture Champs, acting as a two-way line of communication between our management team and reps around the business and taking regular pulse checks on culture.

• Become a known and approachable face for the whole team – aiming to nip issues in the bud and keep Explorers on the right path. You’ll prepare and present slides at each of our monthly update meetings, celebrating the achievements and milestones of the wonderful people who make Explore.

Am I the right person? 

We’re looking for someone with a solid grounding in generalist HR, but growth mindset and a great attitude are the most important attributes we’re looking for alongside that. You’ll need to see and value the humans who make Explore brilliant, and champion them to do and feel their best every day. You’ll need to be forward thinking and flexible – we respect the rulebook, but we don’t rely on it, and we’re always looking to find creative people-focused solutions, balanced with the needs of a complex business – the travel industry is never dull!

You’ll need to be someone who recognises and embraces opportunities. You might find yourself setting up a cricket team, joining in an overnight hike, or keeping some decorum on office dog day, alongside the complex ER issues and project work. As a standalone role in brand, you’ll need to thrive on variety and lead by example. To thrive in this role, you’ll need to be someone who’s comfortable and confident presenting to a large group of people, stakeholder management and influencing, handling difficult conversations, and able to articulate HR strategies and employment law nuances in a way that makes sense to your non-HR colleagues. Our ideal candidate will have experience of working in a hybrid role and will understand and have strategies in place to mitigate the challenges of communicating and staying connected with distributed team members, particularly those overseas. Experience of global HR, particularly in Australia or North America is a bonus.

You don’t necessarily need to have heaps of travel experience yourself, or come from a background in travel HR, but a passion for the world is a must – even if that means admiring it from afar. You’ll also need to be community minded – linking our own small community with our local and travel communities. It would be ideal if you’ve got experience of working for a passionate, values driven brand – bonus points if you’re familiar with the world of B Corp.

We aim to be better than yesterday and our values will be close to your heart.

We're committed to creating diverse and inclusive experiences for customers and colleagues alike. We believe that diversity is to be celebrated; life would be dreary and change would be slow if we all thought the same way. Diversity and travel go hand in hand, and we thrive on creating connection and sharing authentic local experiences across the globe with likeminded customers from all walks of life, ranging from age 7 to 90+. We encourage you to apply for any role you think your skills are a great fit for, and if you need any extra advice or adjustments to our hiring processes, please drop us a message within your application.

We're big fans of using AI, however, when answering the application questions, please make sure your responses genuinely reflect your own experiences, thoughts and achievements so we can get to know the person behind the application.