Junior People Advisor (Support Centre)

We’re Pret: proud makers of freshly made food, organic coffee, and big ideas. Across 750+ shops and 20+ countries, our teams are shaping the future of Pret through innovation, inclusion, great customer service and a shared passion for doing the right thing. We’re growing fast on our mission to be the employer of choice in hospitality, everywhere we operate – so this is an exciting time to hop on board.

We Believe in Growing Good Things

Growth is at the heart of everything we do. From the freshly hand-made food we create every day, to supporting our teams, we help our people grow in confidence, skills and to pursue their unique paths. Pret is where passionate, hardworking, wonderful people (like you!) find what they need to shine. And the proof is in the pudding – over 80% of our Managers started on the shop floor! So did 20% of our Support Centre teams, including our CEO, Pano.

What we’re looking for

We're looking for a passionate and proactive Junior People Advisor to join our Support Centre People Team. This is an exciting opportunity for someone looking to build their HR career within a fast-paced and people-focused environment. As a Junior People Advisor, you'll provide practical, commercially aware and legally compliant HR support to managers and employees across Pret's UK Support Centre (75B). You'll play a key role in supporting the employee lifecycle, managing people administration, assisting with employee relations matters and helping to deliver an exceptional employee experience. Working closely with the Head of HR, the People Advisor and wider People Team, you'll gain exposure to a broad range of generalist HR activities while developing your knowledge and experience.

Key responsibilities

• HR Operations
  • Maintain accurate employee records and documentation within Workday.
  • Process employee lifecycle changes including starters, leavers, promotions, transfers and salary changes.
  • Manage employment references and verification requests.
  • Ensure all HR-related documentation is managed confidentially and stored accurately.
  • Support the leaver process and ensure all relevant actions are completed in a timely manner.
  • Respond to employee and manager queries through agreed HR channels.
  • Support compliance and audit activities.
• Monthly Payroll
  • Manage the monthly payroll process working alongside the Payroll Supervisor.
  • Attend monthly payroll meeting.
  • Attend weekly Payroll reporting to Finance call.
• Recruitment & Onboarding
  • Support recruitment administration, including advertising vacancies and coordinating interviews.
  • Prepare contracts, offer letters and onboarding documentation.
  • Conduct Right to Work checks and pre-employment screening.
  • Coordinate onboarding and induction activities for new starters.
  • Build strong relationships with hiring managers to ensure a smooth onboarding experience.
  • Support trial period reviews and associated administration.
  • Work with the Talent Acquisition & Inclusion Manager (75B) to manage 75B non-employees.
  • Ensure all relevant documentation is on file and recorded along with the necessary documentation to support IR35 legislation.
• Employee Relations
  • Provide first-line HR advice and guidance to managers and employees on policies, procedures and people matters.
  • Assist with investigations and preparation of relevant documentation and correspondence.
  • Support managers with formal meetings, including letter preparation, note taking and administration.
  • Manage family-friendly leave administration, including maternity, paternity, adoption, parental leave and sabbaticals.
  • Support the management of flexible working requests.
  • Review and challenge current processes and ensure HR guidelines are up to date and relevant in line with employment law changes.
• People Systems
  • Workday Super User.
  • Provide Workday cover when the People Coordinator is on leave.
  • Responsible for reviewing and approving Workday changes.
  • Work with IT to ensure the People Systems we have in place are maintained and continuously improved.
  • Ownership, Super User and accountability for the POD processes and Workday processes in relation to End of Year reviews, Mid-Year reviews and Talent Management.
  • Responsible for day-to-day support, reporting and business partnering with the Tech Project Manager.
• 75B Compensation
  • Provide support to the Head of HR with 75B annual pay review and bonus process.

Experience and Skills required

• Previous experience in an HR Assistant, HR Administrator, HR Coordinator or similar People role.
• Sound understanding of UK employment law and HR best practice.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience of working in an organised manner and managing competing priorities.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to work collaboratively while using initiative.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Experience handling confidential and sensitive information appropriately.
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders at all levels.

Desirable

• CIPD Level 3 qualification or currently studying towards a CIPD qualification.
• Experience using Workday or another HR Information System.
• Previous exposure to employee relations casework.
• Experience supporting payroll processes.

About you

• Be kind, honest and generous: bring genuine warmth and your authentic self to work every day.
• Bring your passion: share our passion for food and exceptional customer service.
• Spread joy every day: small acts of kindness are a big part of what makes the Pret experience special.

We offer

• Competitive salary & 10% annual bonus potential.
• Gold Card: We love making people’s day through our food and drinks. That goes for our teams too. That’s why everyone gets a Gold Card. When you’re in the office, your food and drinks are on us. And when you’re not, you can use your Gold Card to get up to 5 Barista-made drinks a day, and 50% off everything else (food, snacks, bottled drinks – the lot).

A few more perks

• You’ll get 33 days of annual leave (including flexible Bank Holidays), increasing to 38 days the longer you’re with us.
• Free private medical cover, with the option to add family or partner at an additional cost.
• 4% of your pension contribution matched by Pret, rises to 5% after 5 years.
• Life assurance at 3x annual salary.
• Loyalty award for 5, 10, 15, 20 years’ service.
• Flexible Benefits Platform packed with lifestyle discounts.
• Season ticket loans.
• Healthcare cash plan.
• Financial wellbeing provisions.
• Free mortgage services.
• Sabbatical after 3 years.
• Opportunities to support our charity, The Pret Foundation.

We also offer individual ways to grow - We offer lots of opportunities for learning, whether you join us for a short stint or the long game, you’re good to grow with us. Including fully funded professional qualifications, leadership development and mentoring. Diversity and belonging - Everyone is welcome at Pret, we want you to feel confident and valued for who you are and to truly belong. Pace and variety - Our work is fast paced with lots of variety, you’ll build a diverse skill set and learn a lot! Community and purpose - We’re proud to make a difference through The Pret Foundation, from tackling homelessness to reducing food waste and creating positive change for people and communities.

Our values

• Happy Teams Happy Customers.
• Amazing Standards Every day.
• Never Standing Still.
• Doing The Right Thing.

The interview journey

Every interview process at Pret begins with the same two stages. First, you’ll have a relaxed 30-minute conversation with our recruitment team so we can get to know you and your experience. Next, you’ll be invited to a one-hour, in-person interview with the hiring manager at our Head Office in London Victoria. Depending on the role and function, there may be additional stages. These could include time spent in one of our shops, completing a task, or meeting a senior leader.

Before you apply

This role is based at Pret’s Support Centre in London Victoria, where we work in a hybrid way - typically three days a week in the office. We’d love to get to know you, not a robot, so please do not rely on AI to complete your application.

Deadline to apply for this role: 16 August 2026 at midnight.