Associate People Partner

Studio Overview

Sports Interactive is the studio behind Football Manager. Founded in 1994, it became a wholly owned subsidiary of SEGA Europe in 2006. Based at the Here East technology hub in Stratford, East London, Sports Interactive continues to expand as we bring our titles to an ever-growing audience across various platforms.

Position Overview

We are looking for a proactive and adaptable Associate People Partner to help foster a positive, high-performing culture across the Studio, supporting managers and team members to do their best work and continue to develop. You will be working closely with the People Partner Team and line managers providing practical day-to-day people support and guidance. You will join a small, well-respected and supportive People team, aligned with the wider Sega of Europe HR function. With the benefit of HR shared service support across Recruitment, Total Reward, L&D, HR Tech, and HR Ops, you will have the tools and support to make a meaningful impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Build strong relationships with stakeholders to become a trusted advisor and the go-to for HR matters.
• Work closely with the People Partner team to support Studio people priorities and help managers deliver their people plans.
• Support and coach managers to effectively manage performance, development, well-being and engagement within their teams.
• Support performance and development processes, including objective setting, performance reviews, succession planning and career development activities.
• Partner with line managers and the Recruitment team to support recruitment activity, delivering a positive candidate experience and effective hiring outcomes.
• Contribute to the People Manager Group and other initiatives that support managers in developing their people-management skills.
• Provide guidance to managers on day-to-day employee relations matters, including absence, probation, performance and conduct issues, escalating more complex cases where appropriate.
• Take ownership of key aspects of the team member lifecycle, supporting activities such as onboarding, probation reviews, internal moves and offboarding.
• Support initiatives that strengthen engagement, retention and a high-performing culture aligned to Studio values.
• Identify opportunities to improve people processes and ways of working.
• Use engagement survey results and other people data to identify themes, support action planning and track progress.
• Prepare and maintain people reports and metrics, helping to identify trends and inform people-related decisions.
• Ensure HR policies and processes are applied consistently and maintain legal compliance.

Qualifications

• Good understanding of HR best practice and UK employment law.
• Understanding of core people processes, including performance management, talent development, engagement and employee relations.
• Strong interpersonal, relationship-building and communication skills; ability to build trust and credibility with managers and team members; coaching skills.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to translate people data into meaningful insight and action.
• Strong organization, attention to detail and ability to manage competing priorities.
• Adaptable, resilient, able to respond quickly and identify practical improvements.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Outlook and Word.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• HR generalist experience at the level of HR Advisor or Junior HRBP/People Partner.
• Experience supporting managers with day-to-day people matters.
• Experience supporting performance, talent and engagement processes.
• Experience using HR systems and databases; Workday is an advantage.
• Previous experience or interest in the games industry, sport or a creative environment is advantageous.

Benefits

• Private healthcare and dental plans.
• Gym membership options through our benefits partners.
• Travel insurance for yourself and your family.
• Subsidised mental health, therapy and coaching sessions.
• Access to on-site physical and massage-therapist services.
• Free access to games released under the SEGA Europe umbrella.
• Contributory pension scheme (up to 7% of annual salary).
• Regular events in collaboration with partnered football clubs.
• Free on-site evening bar in London HQ.
• Well-stocked breakfast bar with cereals, fruits, teas and coffees.
• Multiple clubs and societies to join (e.g. book club, art workshops).
• Club shirt personalised upon passing probation.
• Trophies and gift cards for length of service milestones.
• Cupcakes delivered on your birthday.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from any relevant candidate irrespective of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief. SI is a Disability Confident committed employer. We are dedicated to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible. Our studio has disabled access and facilities, and we welcome requests for reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process.