HR Apprentice

Reports to: Head of People & Place

Location: Castlereagh House, Manse Road, Belfast

Hours: Full-time apprenticeship arrangement, with four days per week working at SONI (hybrid working with flexible start and finish times) and one day per week dedicated study.

About the Apprenticeship

This apprenticeship offers a supportive and practical way to learn about People & Place, gain real workplace experience, and build your confidence while contributing to meaningful work at SONI. You will support the People & Place team across areas such as recruitment, onboarding, learning and development, employee engagement, wellbeing, inclusion, HR systems, and team administration. You will not be expected to know everything from day one. We will support you to learn through practical experience, mentoring, feedback, and part-time study.

In simple terms, HR is about helping people have a positive experience at work and making sure colleagues are supported, treated fairly, and able to do their best. This could be a great opportunity if you enjoy working with people, helping others, organising information, solving problems, communicating clearly, and being part of a team. You do not need to have your whole career planned out. If you are curious about people, workplaces, and how organisations support their employees, this apprenticeship will help you learn, build confidence, and explore whether HR is the right path for you.

How the Apprenticeship Works

This role combines paid work at SONI with part-time study towards a recognised BSc Hons Human Resource Management degree. You will normally attend Ulster University one day per week, currently on Fridays, and the rest of your learning will happen through practical experience, mentoring, and support in the workplace. There are no tuition fees. You will earn while you learn, gain practical experience from the start of your career, and develop skills that are useful across HR, business, communication, teamwork, and people-focused roles.

What Youll Be Doing

• Recruitment & Onboarding Support
  • Support recruitment activity by helping prepare role information, coordinate interviews, communicate with candidates, and maintain recruitment records.
  • Assist with graduate, intern, and early career recruitment campaigns, including career events and candidate communications.
  • Help with pre-employment checks, new starter arrangements, and onboarding administration to support a positive candidate and employee experience.
  • Support fair employment monitoring by helping collect, record and submit equality information accurately and confidentially, with guidance from the People & Place team.
  • Learn how recruitment and onboarding processes are managed fairly, consistently, and in line with SONI procedures.
• Learning & Development Administration
  • Assist with the coordination of learning and development activity, including maintaining training records, booking arrangements, and preparing materials.
  • Help track attendance, feedback, and follow-up actions from learning activities.
  • Contribute to the administration of early career related meetings, reviews, and development planning, with support from the People & Place team.
• Employee Engagement, Wellbeing & Inclusion
  • Support employee engagement activities such as surveys, internal communications, team events, and follow-up actions.
  • Assist with wellbeing campaigns and initiatives that encourage colleagues to look after their health and wellbeing.
  • Contribute to diversity, equity and inclusion activity, including employee network support, awareness campaigns, and event coordination.
  • Help prepare clear, inclusive, and accessible communications for colleagues across the organisation.
• HR Systems, Records & Reporting
  • Maintain accurate HR, recruitment, onboarding, policy, and project trackers, with guidance from the team.
  • Support employee record-keeping and file management, including SharePoint administration, where required.
  • Learn how HR systems and reports are used to support good decision-making, compliance, and employee experience.
  • Handle personal and confidential information carefully and in line with data protection requirements.
• People & Place Administration and Team Support
  • Provide administrative support across core People & Place activities, including preparing documents, correspondence, and meeting materials.
  • Monitor shared inboxes and help respond to routine queries appropriately.
  • Assist with policy and process support, including maintaining review schedules and formatting policy documents.
  • Help coordinate meetings, capture actions, and support project administration across the People & Place function.
  • Support workplace and facilities-related activities, including helping coordinate office arrangements, well-being initiatives and activities that contribute to a positive employee experience.
  • Attend team meetings, contribute ideas, and support follow-up actions where appropriate.
  • Undertake any other reasonable duties that support learning, development, and the needs of the People & Place team.

Who Can Apply:

This is an entry-level apprenticeship role. We do not expect applicants to have previous HR experience. We are looking for potential, growth mindset, and a genuine interest in people, learning, and work.

What Were Looking For:

• Applicants must have BCC A Levels, or equivalent, and GCSE English and Maths at Grade C, or equivalent.
• Genuine interest in people, workplace culture, employee experience, and how organisations support colleagues to do their best work.
• Willingness to learn, ask questions, receive feedback, and develop new skills through both work and study.
• Good organisational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to keep information accurate, follow tasks through, and manage commitments responsibly.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate respectfully, professionally, and inclusively.
• Ability to handle personal and confidential information with care, discretion and an understanding of data protection responsibilities.
• Confidence using Microsoft Office or a willingness to develop IT and digital skills.
• Ability to work well as part of a team, build positive working relationships, and provide helpful, service-focused support to colleagues and candidates.
• Reliability, professionalism, curiosity, and a positive approach to personal development.
• Respect for diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing.

Helpful but Not Essential:

• Interest in HR, business, psychology, communication, administration, sustainability, wellbeing, inclusion or public purpose work.
• Experience from school, volunteering, part-time work, clubs, societies, or community activities that demonstrate organisation, communication, teamwork, responsibility or commitment.

Ready to Apply?

If you are ready to start your career, keep learning and be part of a supportive team doing meaningful work, we would love to hear from you. This is a chance to gain a degree, build real workplace experience and contribute to work that supports both SONIs people and Northern Irelands energy future.

Application Deadline

Closing date for applications is 12 noon on 28 August 2026. SONI reserves the right to extend this deadline where necessary to maximise the applicant pool.

How to Apply

Submit your application by uploading your CV with a cover letter (in one document).

Eligibility to Apply

If you already hold a BSc degree-level qualification, it must be in a subject unrelated to this degree apprenticeship.

Right to Work in the UK

You must have the legal right to live and work in the UK. Apprentices are not eligible for a Tier 4 student visa.

Interview and Start Date

Interviews are expected to take place in early September 2026. The successful apprentice should be available to start during the week commencing 21 September 2026.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

SONI is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued. We welcome applications from people who are curious, motivated, and interested in learning, and we will support you to develop the confidence and skills needed to succeed.