Associate HR People Partner (6 Months Fixed Term Contract) in London

UCL HR is a service driven function of approximately 140 HR professionals, working closely alongside our eleven academic faculties, our nine professional services divisions and the President and Provost's Offices to understand and collaborate on their priorities, opportunities and challenges. Our culture and interactions with each other are underpinned by our values, and we seek out innovative ways to demonstrate our commitment to inclusion and diversity by removing barriers and actively promoting the diversity of our community.

At UCL, our HR People Partnering team work with leaders and teams to create an inclusive, high-performing workplace. We partner closely with faculties and professional services to deliver impactful people strategies in a complex, dynamic environment.

About the role: We are seeking an experienced HR professional to join our HR People Partnering team, supporting UCL's Professional Services portfolios. This is an excellent opportunity for somebody looking to develop their business partnering and coaching skills within a complex environment, while making a meaningful contribution to UCL's people agenda.

Working closely with HR People Partners, you will provide high-quality HR advice and support across a diverse client group. The role combines operational excellence with the opportunity to contribute to strategic people initiatives, supporting UCL's wider HR delivery across a mixed portfolio of departments and services.

A key aspect of the role will be working with managers helping to resolve employee relations matters and working with our specialist Employee Relations Team on more complex cases. You will play an important role in building management confidence and capability, coaching line managers to effectively navigate people issues to foster a positive and inclusive working environment. Experience of providing high quality HR administrative support and managing employee relations issues will be essential.

You will also support the implementation of people-focused projects and diversity initiatives, contribute to organisational change activity, coordinate job evaluation and grading processes, and provide insight through the analysis and reporting of HR metrics. In addition, you will design and co-deliver workshops and training sessions on HR policies, procedures and best practice, helping to strengthen the capability of our line manager community across the institution.

This role is particularly well suited to an ambitious HR Adviser seeking a clear development pathway towards a HR People Partner position over time. It offers the opportunity to build strategic HR exposure whilst navigating high-volume casework, supporting organisational change, and developing the confidence and capability to partner effectively with leaders across a diverse and multifaceted institution.

For someone looking to take the next step in their HR career, this role provides an excellent platform from which to develop into a future HR People Partner within a supportive team.

Please note, this is a 6-months fixed term contract role available on a hybrid basis with a minimum of 2-days per week based onsite (Monday plus one other) at our London Kings Cross office (subject to change).

About you: We are seeking an experienced HR professional with a foundation in employee relations and a passion for delivering high-quality people support within a complex organisational environment. You will have substantial experience in an HR Adviser or equivalent role, providing pragmatic and solutions-focused advice to managers on a broad range of people matters. You will be comfortable managing a high volume and varied employee relations caseload and will have experience supporting complex cases including disciplinary and grievance processes, absence management, performance and capability concerns. Experience of supporting TUPE or other significant organisational change activity would be advantageous.

You will have an understanding of UK employment legislation and HR best practice, coupled with the ability to apply policy and procedure consistently while balancing organisational needs with a positive employee experience. You will be recognised for your judgement, professionalism and ability to manage sensitive matters with discretion and integrity.

Alongside your employee relations expertise, you will have experience delivering high-quality HR operational support, with excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment. You will be comfortable analysing and interpreting HR data, producing meaningful insights and supporting evidence-based decision-making.

We are looking for an individual who has experience designing, facilitating or co-delivering training sessions, workshops or briefing sessions for managers on HR policies, procedures and people management practices. You will be committed to building manager confidence and capability through coaching and practical guidance.

Most importantly, you will demonstrate the curiosity, resilience and adaptability needed to work effectively across diverse stakeholder groups, understand differing priorities, and influence outcomes in an environment where change can be multifaceted and incremental. The successful candidate will be an excellent relationship builder, able to establish credibility and trust with managers, colleagues, and stakeholders at all levels. You will bring a collaborative approach, a commitment to continuous improvement, and a genuine interest in supporting people and organisational success.

We are currently operating hybrid working within the HR Division, and you will have the opportunity to currently work remotely for up to three days a week if you wish (subject to change). You must be available to work on-site on Mondays and at least one additional day each week.

What we offer: As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave, 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Relocation scheme for certain posts
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.