Junior HR Business Partner in Colchester

Who are we? Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 23,000 employees spanning over 56 countries. People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

Role Purpose: We are looking for a Junior HR Business Partner who will be responsible for supporting the deliverance of commercially aligned HR solutions for our Corporate & Commercial pillar of business. The individual will work in a transformational environment and with the divisional leaders who are building substantial businesses. The leaders have business models that are appropriate to their customer bases and channels of which require HR business partnering support. It is important the Jr. HRBP embeds themselves within the business to foster strong stakeholder relationships by understanding their requirements and support the HRBP with providing HR solutions that are appropriate to enable the business to deliver their plans to stakeholders. The individual shall support the HRBP in delivering effective people strategies across the Corporate & Commercial pillar, and wider Retail business. Additionally, the individual will seamlessly collaborate with the Centre of Expertise in Recruitment, Reward, Talent & Development and HR Ops to deliver best-in-class people interventions that underpin the growth and transformation of Howden.

The successful incumbent will bring with them prior experience of partnering with a fast-paced, highly commercial and ambitious business whilst embedding consistent HR practices and will have a demonstrable track record of delivery. The candidate should have experience working with a HR Director and colleagues in the Centres of Expertise to achieve broader HR initiatives and contribute to the group’s strategy and growth.

Key Accountabilities:

• Support the HR Business Partner in implementing people initiatives that align with the business strategy and objectives for Howden UK&I Retail.
• Assist in gathering and understanding information about the pillar’s people, their aspirations, challenges, and talent requirements, helping to inform future planning.
• Contribute to recruitment, onboarding, performance, and talent management activities, ensuring key HR processes are efficiently delivered.
• Facilitate the coordination of people-related elements of organisational change, such as mergers and acquisitions, following established frameworks and supporting team engagement.
• Collaborate closely with team members across HR and the business, helping to deliver a consistent and positive employee experience.
• Collaborate with Centres of Expertise (COEs) to support the development and delivery of solutions tailored to business needs, as guided by the HR Business Partner.
• Assist in administering the annual compensation and rewards process, ensuring accuracy and transparency under the guidance of the HR Business Partner.
• Build professional working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders throughout the organisation.
• Assist in collecting and analysing HR data to inform recommendations and support business decision-making.
• Maintain awareness of external market trends and developments, sharing insights with the HR Business Partner to support team learning and adaptation.
• Act as a point of contact for the HR Advisory team on employee relations and employment life cycle matters.

Skills & Experience:

• Experience in the Insurance industry.
• Experience supporting a HR Business Partner with a proven understanding of all HR subject areas.
• Experience of supporting leaders and partnering in a complex business, working across cultures and building and managing relationships virtually.
• Translating strategic people requirements and or regional/global context into language with which the wider business can engage and operate.
• A hands-on HR practitioner.
• In this role, you will work on both strategic and operational HR matters, developing effective relationships with collaborators, customers, partners, and team members.
• Approachable and innovative, able to proactively streamline and simplify processes and problem-solve using technology-based solutions to drive automation and scalability.
• Comfortable working with ambiguity and able to navigate solutions in a fast-paced, unpredictable environment with a varied workload.
• Able to challenge confidently whilst maintaining credible relationships as well as handling a range of difficult conversations and situations.

What do we offer in return? A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new.
• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges.
• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond.

Reasonable adjustments: We’re committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours or hybrid working. If you’re excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.