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Breen & Associates

HR People Partner

Full-Time No working from home possible

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HR People Partner: Breen & Associates - Results Through People

Job Description

Is this you?

Are you the kind of HR professional who brings calm, clarity and confidence when businesses need it most?

The person business owners trust because you combine commercial thinking with genuine empathy?

At Breen & Associates, we believe HR should be people first. We're an award-winning HR and People Development consultancy supporting ambitious SMEs across the UK. Our clients don't want generic advice, they want trusted partners who understand business, communicate in plain English and help them build exceptional workplaces.

As we continue to grow, we're looking for an exceptionally driven HR People Partner to join our team.

This role is ideally suited to someone whose experience has primarily been gained within the UK private sector. Our clients are ambitious SMEs, owner-managed businesses and fast-growing organisations that need commercially focused, pragmatic HR support. You'll understand the pace, priorities and realities of working in the private sector and be confident balancing employment law, commercial objectives and practical people solutions.

You'll thrive here if you enjoy becoming a trusted adviser rather than simply providing HR advice.

You're also excited by the future of HR.

Technology doesn't intimidate you, it energises you.

You're naturally curious about emerging technologies, particularly AI, automation and digital tools, and you're always looking for smarter ways to improve the way you work and the value you deliver to clients.

You don't see technology as replacing great HR. You see it as enhancing it.

You're naturally fast-paced, comfortable experimenting, learning and embracing new ways of working, helping us remain at the forefront of modern, commercially focused HR consultancy.

About Us

What started at the kitchen table just a few years ago has grown into an award-winning consultancy that small businesses and SMEs love to work with. We provide HR services, training, coaching, and people development solutions across Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, Bucks, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Wiltshire, London and beyond.

We’re not your average HR consultancy. We’re passionate about people, bold in our thinking, and committed to delivering results through people. That’s why we’ve been recognised with multiple awards including Best HR & People Development Business 2025, Best HR and People Training Business 2025, Best HR & People Development Consultancy 2024, and why our clients stay with us.

Breen & Associates is an emerging HR and People Development consultancy making a big impact for businesses across the UK. We’re on an exciting growth journey, partnering with small businesses and SMEs to help them navigate HR challenges, nurture their people, and create workplaces where everyone can perform at their best

This is an exciting opportunity to join Breen & Associates at a pivotal stage in our growth. We're building something special and are looking for an exceptional HR People Partner who shares our ambition.

This is more than just another HR role. It's an opportunity to become a trusted adviser to ambitious business owners, help SMEs build stronger workplaces, embrace innovation, and play a genuine role in shaping the future of our consultancy.

We're looking for someone who is commercially minded, driven by making a real impact, and excited by the opportunity to grow alongside us. If you thrive on building trusted relationships, solving complex people challenges, and helping businesses succeed through their people, we'd love to hear from you.

We believe the future of HR is the combination of exceptional human relationships and intelligent use of technology. We're looking for someone who shares that belief and is excited to help shape what modern HR consultancy looks like.

Before you read on, a quick heads-up! We’ve included a short application challenge as part of our recruitment process. Please make sure you complete it when you apply, as we’re only able to take applications with a completed challenge through to the next stage.

The Role

An exceptional HR People Partner, you will be the heartbeat of our clients’ people experience and to play a key part in helping our business grow. This isn’t your typical HR role. You will genuinely love people, enjoy variety, and want to make a real difference to businesses and the people who power them.

You’ll be the person our clients turn to when they need advice, reassurance, or a fresh perspective. Some days you’ll be drafting contracts, updating Breathe HR, or untangling a tricky employee issue. Other days you’ll be helping shape a people strategy, supporting a restructure, or running a workshop that leaves everyone feeling inspired and capable.

You’ll also get involved in the exciting bit, helping us grow. You’ll chat with potential new clients, walk them through what we do, and share the brilliant experiences and results our current clients have had. You’ll love connecting with people and helping them see how working with us makes their lives easier and their businesses stronger.

This role’s perfect for someone who’s naturally curious, down to earth, and not afraid to roll up their sleeves. You’ll balance the practical with the strategic, the people first with the business focused. You’ll spot opportunities to make HR more human, more effective, and more impactful and you’ll take real pride in doing the right thing for people and businesses alike.

Key Responsibilities

Partnership & People Support (Primary Focus)

Build trusted, lasting relationships with business owners, managers, and directors becoming their go to HR partner for practical advice and people solutions.
Create a warm, approachable partnership experience where clients feel supported, understood, and confident in your guidance.
Anticipate client needs and take initiative to improve processes, systems, and solutions before they’re asked for.
Provide clear, down-to-earth HR advice that helps businesses stay compliant with UK employment law while treating people fairly and respectfully.
Support clients with employee relations matters including disciplinaries, grievances, performance issues, and absence management with empathy and professionalism.
Draft letters, update HR documents, and maintain HR systems such as BreatheHR, ensuring everything runs smoothly behind the scenes.
Help small and medium businesses build better workplaces by spotting opportunities to make HR more human, effective, and aligned with their goals.
Champion Breen & Associates’ values - trusted, independent, impartial, creative, and courageous in every client interaction and implement our 3 Cs – Calm, Clarity and Confidence.

Projects & Strategy

Support and lead HR projects such as restructures, redundancies, TUPE, onboarding, HRIS implementation and training.
Work with business owners and leadership teams on annual succession plans and people strategy.
Help shape HR frameworks and best practices that align with each client’s business goals and culture.
Contribute ideas that make HR simpler, smarter, and more impactful for small businesses.

Training & Development

Deliver engaging workshops and training sessions on HR, people development, and employment law both virtually and face-to-face.
Support the development of learning materials and toolkits for managers and business leaders.
Champion a culture of continuous learning and development across our clients’ businesses.

Growth & Relationship Building

Play an active role in helping grow our business talking to potential new clients, explaining what we do, and sharing the exceptional experiences of those we already support.
Help strengthen our presence through networking, events, and authentic relationship building.
Spot opportunities to add value and deepen relationships with clients.

Operations & Administration

Manage day-to-day HR administration, drafting contracts, updating systems, and maintaining accurate records.
Support internal HR processes, documentation, and templates to ensure everything stays organised and compliant.
Contribute ideas to improve how we work, keeping things efficient, personal, and professional.

What You’ll need

Essential Experience

CIPD Level 5 qualified or above (or equivalent experience). Level 7 or working towards Level 7 would be advantageous but is not essential.
Proven HR experience gained primarily within the UK private sector.
Significant experience supporting SMEs, owner-managed businesses or fast-growing organisations.
Strong commercial awareness and ability to balance employment law with business objectives.
Proven ability to operate strategically and provide expert guidance on complex HR and employment law matters.
Strong understanding of organisational development, employee relations, and HR best practice within a UK employment law framework.
Proven experience in an HR generalist, advisor, or business partner role ideally supporting small businesses or SMEs.
Strong understanding of UK employment law, HR best practice, and people management principles.
Confident in handling employee relations from disciplinaries and grievances to absence and performance management.
Skilled in drafting contracts, policies, and letters, and experienced with HR systems such as BreatheHR.
Comfortable facilitating HR workshops, training sessions, or people development programmes.
Able to juggle multiple clients and priorities while maintaining quality and care in every interaction.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, able to translate HR speak into plain English that people actually understand.
A proactive self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, growing consultancy environment.

HR & People Partnering Skills We Value

Exceptional relationship building - you genuinely enjoy connecting with people and building trust.
Commercial acumen and understanding of private sector SMEs.
Ability to balance day-to-day HR work with a strategic, forward-thinking mindset
Confidence in advising business owners and leaders with clarity, empathy, and professionalism.
Strong problem solving skills - you can think on your feet and find creative, compliant solutions.
Natural curiosity and the confidence to ask great questions that get to the heart of an issue.
Skilled at simplifying complexity and helping clients see both the people and business impact.
Commercial awareness - understanding how great HR supports business performance and growth.

Personal Qualities

Genuinely people focused - you care deeply about doing the right thing for people and businesses alike.
Down to earth communicator - you make HR human, approachable, and easy to understand.
Emotionally intelligent - you read situations well and adapt your style accordingly
Proactive and resourceful you don’t wait to be asked; you see what needs doing and make it happen.
Organised and detail oriented - you keep the small stuff on track so the big stuff can shine.
Curious and committed to learning - always looking for better ways to support clients and grow personally.
Warm and professional - you represent Breen & Associates with authenticity and care.
Collaborative and courageous - you’re not afraid to challenge, innovate, and think differently.
Technology positive - you actively embrace emerging technologies and are excited by how AI and digital innovation are transforming HR and the way we support our clients.
Continuously curious - you enjoy learning, experimenting and finding smarter ways to work.
Comfortable with change - you see innovation as an opportunity rather than a disruption.

Technology & Innovation

Confident using digital tools to improve productivity, client experience and service delivery.
Comfortable learning and adopting emerging technologies, including AI, automation and cloud-based platforms.
Naturally curious about how technology can simplify processes, improve decision-making and create better outcomes for clients.
Experience using HRIS platforms (ideally BreatheHR) and other modern workplace technologies.
Strong digital literacy with the confidence to quickly learn and adopt new systems and ways of working.

Success in This Role Looks Like

Clients describe Breen & Associates as their trusted HR partner - reliable, approachable, and genuinely invested in their success.
You’ve built strong, lasting relationships where business owners see you as part of their inner circle.
Clients feel reassured, confident, and empowered after every conversation with you.
HR processes, systems, and advice run smoothly and clients feel the impact of your support in real business results.
You’ve helped small businesses and SMEs become fairer, more inclusive, and more compliant workplaces.
You’ve played an active role in helping Breen & Associates grow through new client relationships and positive word of mouth.
You’ve contributed ideas, energy, and heart to the business helping make HR more human, practical, and impactful every day.
You've embraced technology to improve efficiency, enhance the client experience and help Breen & Associates remain at the forefront of modern HR consultancy.

Working Pattern

Full-time, 37 hours per week
Monday to Friday
Based at Stansted Courtyard with Hybrid working - 3 days in the office and 2 days working from home.

What You’ll Get

The chance to work with a fast-growing, award-winning consultancy at a really exciting stage of our journey.
A varied and challenging role where no two days are ever the same.
Flexibility – we trust our people and support hybrid working.
Ongoing professional development and CIPD support.
The opportunity to shape how we grow, your ideas will matter.
A supportive, creative, and passionate culture (plus Barney, our Chief Happiness Officer, a very cute Labrador).🐾

What We Offer

A competitive salary, depending on experience.
A company pension scheme.
25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays.
Christmas shutdown.
Free parking
Be mentored by two of the best in the HR and People Development industry.
A beautiful countryside workspace that feels a world away from the corporate grind.
Professional development opportunities to help you grow and progress.
The chance to shape and deliver meaningful projects that make a real difference.
Autonomy and trust to bring your ideas to life.
Endless cups of tea, coffee & cake to keep you fuelled and happy.
A genuinely supportive, collaborative environment where people matter.
Be part of a business that helps others achieve better work–life balance and actually lives by it.

Why Join Us Now?

Because you’ll be part of something special. We’re on a mission to change the way small and medium businesses see and experience HR, making it less about policies and paperwork, and more about people, performance, and possibilities.

If you want to grow your career, make an impact, and have fun along the way, then Breen & Associates could be the place for you.

Ready to Make a Real Difference?

If you’re passionate about helping small businesses and SMEs thrive, love connecting with people, and want to play a key part in shaping how businesses look after their people, we’d love to hear from you.

To Apply

Send your CV and a short cover letter via BreatheHR telling us why this role feels like a great fit for you. We’d also love to hear about a time you made a real difference to a business or individual through your work, big or small, it all counts.

Breen & Associates is an equal opportunities employer, committed to championing Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB), creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and able to thrive.

Your Application Challenge

Alongside your CV and covering letter, please send us either a five-minute video or a five-slide presentation answering these four questions:

What piece of HR work are you most proud of?
What's the most innovative thing you've introduced?
What's the biggest lesson you've learned in your HR career?
Why Breen & Associates?

We're not looking for polished presentations, we're looking for authenticity, commercial thinking, curiosity and someone who genuinely enjoys helping people and businesses succeed.

Important Information

Please submit your challenge alongside your CV/application.

Applications submitted without the challenge will not be progressed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

We’re not looking for perfection. We’re looking for organisation, warmth, initiative, attention to detail, and potential.

Benefits

- A competitive salary, depending on experience.
- A company pension scheme.
- Company incentive scheme.
- Medical provision.
- Life assurance.
- 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays.
- Christmas shutdown.
- Hybrid working
- Free parking
- Be mentored by two of the best in the HR and People Development industry.
- A beautiful countryside workspace that feels a world away from the corporate grind.
- Professional development opportunities to help you grow and progress.
- The chance to shape and deliver meaningful projects that make a real difference.
- Autonomy and trust to bring your ideas to life.
- Endless cups of tea, coffee & cake to keep you fuelled and happy.
- A genuinely supportive, collaborative environment where people matter.
- Be part of a business that helps others achieve better work–life balance and actually lives by it.