Associate People Partner in London

This position offers a hybrid work model, allowing flexibility between working from home and our office. Typically, employees are expected to work 2 days in the office per week.

At QS, we believe that work should empower you. That’s why we foster a flexible working environment that encourages every employee to own their career whilst flourishing personally and professionally. Our commitment to people development is recognised globally: QS is a Gold-accredited Investors in People organisation, placing us among the top 28% of workplaces worldwide. Our company values underpin everything we do – we collaborate, respect and support each other. It’s our mission to empower motivated people around the world to fulfil their potential through higher education, ensuring that everyone has access to opportunities that change lives. Our diversity makes us stronger. By sharing our experiences, we learn from one another and achieve more together, driving progress across the sector.

As an Associate People Partner, this is what you’ll be doing:

• The Associate People Partner is an important operational role within our People and Workplace team, helping us provide a responsive, accurate and people-first service to colleagues and managers.
• You will support the day-to-day delivery of People services across the employee lifecycle, including payroll, onboarding and offboarding, employee documentation, HR systems and records, the HR Support inbox and general People administration.
• Working closely with our People Partners, you will help ensure they have the information, administration and coordination they need to support their areas of the business effectively.
• You will also have opportunities to support People projects, undertake research, prepare information and analysis, and gradually develop your HR knowledge and advisory capability.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone at the beginning of their career in the People profession. You might already have one or two years' experience in an HR or People role, or you may have recently completed a relevant university degree and be looking for your first substantial opportunity to build your career.

Alongside your People responsibilities, you will work collaboratively with our Senior Office Manager and UK Social Committee to help create a welcoming, engaging and well-organised experience for colleagues working from our London office.

Role responsibilities

• HR Support and employee queries: Act as one of the first points of contact for colleagues contacting the People team through the HR Support inbox. Respond to routine People queries accurately and promptly, using our policies, processes and guidance, and ensure more complex or sensitive matters are escalated to the appropriate People Partner.
• People administration and employee lifecycle: Provide accurate and timely administration throughout the employee lifecycle. Prepare and coordinate People documentation including contracts, contractual changes, salary and role changes, promotions, probation documentation, family leave correspondence and other employment documentation.
• Payroll: Support the preparation and processing of payroll, working with colleagues within the People team and our external payroll providers. Collate and process payroll changes including new starters, leavers, salary changes, allowances, deductions and other relevant employee changes.
• Onboarding and offboarding: Coordinate the People elements of onboarding so that new colleagues receive a smooth and welcoming introduction to QS. Prepare employment documentation, coordinate required People information and ensure relevant systems and records are established before a new colleague joins.
• People Partner support: Work closely with the People Partners to provide administrative and coordination support across their areas of responsibility. Prepare documentation, timelines, meeting materials and background information for People activities and projects.
• People data and reporting: Maintain accurate People data and carry out regular checks to identify missing or inconsistent information. Prepare routine People reports and management information when required.
• Workplace and UK office support: Work collaboratively with the Senior Office Manager to support the smooth running of the London office where People and Workplace activities overlap.
• Projects and continuous improvement: Support People projects by undertaking research, gathering data, coordinating activities and helping prepare materials and communications.
• Learning and development: We want this role to provide a strong foundation for a career in the People profession. You will have the opportunity to develop your HR knowledge through practical experience across a broad range of People activities and through regular coaching and support from experienced members of the People team.

Key skills and experience:

• Experience in an HR, People, People Operations or similar role; or a recently completed degree in Human Resources, Business, Psychology or another relevant discipline.
• A genuine interest in developing a career within the People profession.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks, deadlines and employee requests.
• Excellent attention to detail, particularly when working with employee information, payroll data and documentation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the confidence to communicate with colleagues at different levels of an organisation.
• A helpful and service-focused approach, with an understanding that even routine People processes can have a significant impact on an employee's experience.
• Good judgement and an understanding of when an issue can be resolved directly and when it should be escalated.
• A high level of discretion and an understanding of the importance of confidentiality when handling employee information.
• Confidence using Microsoft Office applications and the ability to learn HR systems and other technology quickly.
• An interest in using data, technology and process improvement to make People services simpler and more effective.
• The ability to work collaboratively as part of a team while also taking ownership of your own responsibilities.
• Curiosity and a willingness to research unfamiliar topics, ask questions and develop your knowledge.
• Flexibility and a willingness to support different priorities across the People and Workplace team.

QS is the world leader in higher education services, analytics, insights and intelligence. From consultancy to student mobility, academic partnerships to branding solutions, our services power both institutional and individual success.

We take investing in our people very seriously. As standard you will have:

• Competitive base salary
• Access to an annual bonus scheme (for qualifying roles only)
• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays – increasing to 27 days after 5 years’
• Access to a Buy Holiday scheme allowing you to buy up to 5 additional holiday days per year
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Generous pension through Royal London
• Comprehensive private medical insurance and wellness scheme through Vitality
• Cycle to work scheme
• A vibrant social environment and multicultural and multinational culture

But that’s not all. Outside of these standard benefits we also offer resources to allow professional growth and wellness initiatives to nurture a healthy mindset:

• Free subscription to the Calm App – the #1 app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation
• A focus on welfare which is led by our global wellness team, with mental health first aiders globally
• Access to a variety of diversity and inclusion initiatives and groups
• Strong recognition and reward programs – including a peer-to-peer recognition platform, quarterly and annual QS Applaud Awards, Connect with your Career annual PD event
• Support for volunteering and study leave
• Free subscription to LinkedIn learning – with over 5000 courses and programmes at your fingertips
• Options to join our outstanding global Mentorship programme

QS Quacquarelli Symonds is proud to be a fair and equal organisation where everyone has the same opportunity to achieve their full potential, irrespective of their background or personal attributes. We celebrate our diversity and believe through sharing our experiences we can learn from one another, be stronger together, and enable our business to thrive.