Hr Business Partner (Contract, Temporary) in Hemel Hempstead

Selecta is the largest provider of unattended self-serve coffee and convenience food in Europe, leading the way in vending solutions and specialist coffee services. Within the UK, we deliver a national service, relied on and trusted by circa 3,500 businesses to serve tasty beverages and snacks at a variety of locations from workplaces to schools, universities, and hospitals.

We are seeking a Junior HR Business Partner to join our UK HR team. This is a true HR generalist Business Partner role with a strong emphasis on employee relations. You will support a defined business area, partnering closely with managers to deliver practical, commercially focused HR advice across the full employee lifecycle.

A key part of this role is confidently managing employee relations cases end-to-end. You will act as the first point of HR support for ER matters, helping managers navigate issues such as absence, performance, conduct, and workplace concerns, ensuring fair, consistent, and legally compliant outcomes.

We are looking for someone who is comfortable being hands-on in ER, enjoys working closely with operational managers, and is keen to develop into a strong and credible HR Business Partner. In this role, you will support the delivery of people-focused initiatives and partner closely with managers to drive performance, engagement, and organisational effectiveness.

You will provide guidance on employee relations, support talent and capability development, and help implement HR policies and processes across your assigned business areas. Your goal is to foster a positive working environment, support leaders in making informed people decisions, and ensure a consistent, high-quality HR service is delivered across the organisation.

• Partner with managers to provide proactive, practical HR guidance on a range of people matters, supporting informed decision-making and building management capability.
• Build strong relationships with operational leaders and support them in effective people management.
• Coach managers in handling difficult conversations and applying HR policy consistently.
• Challenge constructively where needed to support fair and commercially sound decision-making.
• Support the delivery of HR initiatives and organisational priorities, including engagement, culture, recognition, and communication activities.
• Manage the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, offboarding, probation reviews, secondments, work experience placements, and changes to terms and conditions.
• Manage employee relations cases across your business area, including investigations, disciplinaries, grievances, absence, performance, and probation management.
• Support managers through ER processes from initial issue through to outcome and documentation.
• Provide practical advice on risk, policy, and appropriate outcomes in line with employment law and company policy.
• Support end-to-end recruitment activity, including pre-employment checks, references, and DBS processing.
• Maintain accurate HR records and ensure compliance with employment legislation and internal policies.
• Build strong, trusted relationships with stakeholders across operational and support functions.
• Collaborate with HR colleagues to ensure consistent and high-quality delivery of people processes across assigned business areas.
• Contribute to HR projects, change programmes, and continuous improvement initiatives aligned to business needs.
• Support workforce processes such as job changes, organisational updates, and system access requirements.
• Maintain awareness of operational HR processes to support a seamless end-to-end employee experience.

Experience in an HR, People, or advisory support role within a fast-paced environment is essential. Strong exposure to employee relations case management is required, along with a strong understanding of UK employment law and HR principles (or working towards CIPD Level 5). Confidence in partnering with managers and building effective relationships is crucial, as is a strong analytical mindset with the ability to interpret people data and trends. A genuine interest in developing as a HR Business Partner is also important.

Benefits include:

• 25 days holiday per annum + bank holidays
• Health Cash Plan
• Life assurance of 2x annual salary
• Competitive pay rates – above market in most locations
• Free tea and coffee
• Free parking
• Statutory pension scheme
• 5 weeks paid sick leave
• Clear development pathways and career progression opportunities

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK on a permanent basis and will be required to provide proof if invited to interview. Selecta is committed to equal opportunities, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and will support any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process.