People Business Partner in London

On behalf of UK Fusion Energy (UKFE), we are looking for a HR People Partner (Inside IR35) for a 12 months contract based in West Burton 3 days a week in the office. Fusion Energy has the potential to provide safe, low-carbon, sustainable baseload power, supporting global energy security and the transition to net zero. UK Fusion Energy (UKFE) has been established to deliver the UK's flagship fusion programme, STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production), which aims to design and build a prototype fusion power plant by 2040. Working alongside the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and industry partners, UKFE is helping to create a world-leading fusion energy sector and supply chain that will support economic growth, innovation and energy security for generations to come.

We are seeking talented individuals who want to contribute to one of the most ambitious scientific and engineering programmes in the world. Reporting to the Deputy Head of People, the HR People Partner will play a key role in shaping and delivering the UKFE People Strategy. Working closely with leaders, managers and employees, you will provide both strategic and operational HR support, helping to build organisational capability, drive employee engagement and support the continued growth of UKFE. The role combines HR business partnering, organisational development, employee relations, talent management and workforce planning.

You will lead a range of people initiatives while ensuring managers are equipped to effectively lead their teams and deliver high performance. As a HR People Partner, your main responsibilities will be:

• Support the development and delivery of the UKFE People Plan, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives and workforce requirements.
• Lead and deliver people-related projects across areas such as organisational development, employee engagement, wellbeing, change management and culture.
• Partner with leaders and managers to provide expert advice on people matters, employee relations, performance management and workforce planning.
• Manage and advise on employee relations cases, including conduct, capability, absence and grievance matters, supporting early resolution wherever possible.
• Analyse and interpret people data, producing meaningful management information and insights to support decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Support talent management, succession planning, career development and capability-building initiatives across the organisation.
• Lead employee engagement and wellbeing surveys, facilitating action planning and continuous improvement activities.
• Support the development and implementation of career frameworks, job architecture, competency frameworks and grading processes.
• Collaborate with colleagues to develop and deliver early careers programmes, including graduates, apprentices and placement schemes.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of HR policies, processes and best practice approaches.
• Support reward, benefits and recognition initiatives to help attract, retain and motivate employees.
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation, internal policies and governance requirements.

Essential:

• CIPD Level 5 qualified (or equivalent experience) with proven experience in an HR Advisor, Junior HR Business Partner or HR Business Partner role.
• Strong employee relations expertise with a sound understanding of UK employment law, HR policies and best practice.
• Experience delivering HR projects, organisational development initiatives and people-focused programmes within a complex or fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical skills, with experience producing HR metrics, management information and data-driven recommendations to support decision-making.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships at all levels.
• Strong organisational and project management capabilities, including the ability to manage multiple priorities and use Microsoft Office tools, particularly Excel, PowerPoint and Teams.

Desirable:

• Degree in Human Resources Management (or related discipline) and/or HAY Job Evaluation accreditation with experience in career architecture and grading frameworks.
• Experience supporting talent management, succession planning, workforce planning and early careers programmes.
• Experience leading organisational change, transformation and culture initiatives.
• Experience working within engineering, scientific, technical, energy, infrastructure, public sector or other highly regulated environments, with strong HR analytics capability.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following: 'this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.'