Assistant HR Business Partner

Ipsum Utilities Limited; Deutschland; Hybrid; EUR 66,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days leave

Cycle to work

Mental health support

Career development

Job summary

Ipsum Utilities Limited is seeking an Assistant HR Business Partner to translate the organisation’s people strategy into practical plans across the South of England within the Water & Infrastructure division. Working closely with the Head of HR and divisional leaders, you will advise, challenge and enable better business performance through people.

CIPD Level 5 qualification and a degree are essential, with experience in change projects such as restructures and TUPE.

Qualifications

• CIPD Level 5 qualification and degree required.
• Experience in utilities sector and change projects such as restructures, TUPE.
• Strong relationship-building across all levels.
• Awareness of employment law.
• Proactive data governance and HR metrics.

Responsibilities

• Deliver divisional people agenda in line with HR strategy.
• Coach managers on difficult conversations.
• Prepare monthly HR reports.
• Support TUPE, acquisitions, integrations.
• Drive employee engagement and performance improvements.

Skills

HR strategy

Stakeholder management

Employee relations

Leadership coaching

Data analysis

Education

CIPD Level 5

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

SharePoint

Job description

Location: South West (Hybrid working – 2–3 days office‑based)

Travel: Regular travel across the South of England required

Working Hours: Monday – Friday

What’s in it for you…

We believe in looking after our people, and it shows. When you join Ipsum, you’re not just taking a job — you’re starting a career with real support behind it.

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays with the option to buy more

Career development & progression with the opportunity to earn professional qualifications

24/7 access to a virtual GPand Mental health support & counselling services

Cycle to Work scheme

Life assurance cover

Long service recognition

Active local social committees

About the role…

As an Assistant HR Business Partner, you will play a pivotal role in translating the organisation’s people strategy into effective, commercially focused people plans across the South of England within the Water & Infrastructure division.

Working closely with the Head of HR and divisional leadership teams, you will act as a trusted advisor, challenger, and enabler of business performance through people. You will be accountable for delivering the divisional people agenda in line with the wider HR strategy set by the HR Director, driving workforce effectiveness, leadership capability, employee engagement, and organisational change. The role also leads on people aspects of business growth activity, including acquisitions, TUPE transfers, and integration programmes, ensuring outcomes are compliant, well‑managed, and commercially effective.

As an Assistant HR Business Partner you will…

Deliver targeted workshops to enhance line manager capability across key areas including leadership, employee relations, and absence management.

Support and enable managers to take ownership of day-to-day people matters, building confidence in managing their teams effectively.

Champion employee engagement and positive relations through proactive collaboration with managers

Partner with Head of HR (Operations) to implement engagement action plans that drive performance

Embed PeopleHR across divisions to strengthen accountability and enable cultural change

Maintain real-time accuracy of operational data within PeopleHR

Coordinate with Head of HR (Operations) on TUPE, acquisitions, integration, restructuring, and redundancy

Coach managers on handling difficult conversations and resolving issues informally

Provide pragmatic, risk-aware HR advice to managers, escalating to Head of HR (Operations) when needed

Prepare monthly HR reports for senior leadership and board-level business reviews

Use HR metrics to generate insights and drive performance improvements across operational teams

About you…

We are looking for a confident and experienced Assistant HR Business Partner who thrives in a fast-paced, matrixed environment. Ideally, you’ll bring experience from the utilities sector and have a strong grasp of employment law, with a proven track record of leading complex change projects such as restructures, TUPE, and variations to terms and conditions. You’ll be comfortable building relationships at all levels, influencing stakeholders, and driving meaningful business impact through strategic HR initiatives.

You’ll be CIPD qualified (Level 5 minimum) and educated to degree level, with excellent IT skills across Microsoft Office and SharePoint. Resilience, adaptability, and a proactive approach to personal development are key, as is the ability to navigate change with confidence. If you’re passionate about making a difference and ready to take ownership of your HRBP remit, we’d love to hear from you.

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