Assistant HR Business Partner

Ipsum Group; Chorley; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the utility sector is seeking an Assistant HR Business Partner to support HR initiatives and drive employee engagement. The role involves working closely with senior HR leaders and contributing to various HR projects, ensuring alignment with business goals. The ideal candidate will have experience in HR business partnering and a strong understanding of UK employment law, with opportunities for career development and a range of employee benefits.

Benefits

Career Development

Employee Assistance Programme

Access to 24/7 virtual GP

Occupational Health support

Employee Discount Scheme

Flexible Working

Life Assurance Cover

Long Service Awards

Volunteer Opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in fast-paced HR environments.
• Understanding of UK employment law.

Responsibilities

• Support strategic HR projects and employee engagement.
• Coordinate performance management and talent reviews.

Skills

Employee Engagement

Talent Management

Communication

Organisational Skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

CIPD Level 3 qualification

Tools

PeopleHR

Job description

Assistant HR Business Partner (Group Functions)

Chorley – Hybrid

Your new role

Working closely with the Senior HR Business Partner (Group Functions & Strategic Initiatives) and in partnership with managers and leaders across Group Functions, the HR Assistant Business Partner supports the delivery of the Ipsum HR strategy, ensuring alignment with business goals. This role provides support in delivering HR initiatives, driving employee engagement, talent development, performance, and organisational effectiveness.

The HR Assistant Business Partner also contributes to Group-wide HR priorities and initiatives, strengthening Ipsum’s employee value proposition and supporting our journey to be an employer of choice.

What you will do

• Support strategic and local HR projects, including restructures, TUPE, and policy improvements
• Assist in delivering employee engagement, onboarding, and exit surveys, and help shape a positive culture
• Coordinate performance management, talent reviews, and internal career development activities
• Support graduate, apprenticeship, and leadership development programmes
• Manage onboarding and offboarding processes, contracts, and employee lifecycle actions
• Provide first-line advice on employee relations and support case handling
• Contribute to HR reporting, compliance checks (e.g. right to work, gender pay), and HRIS data accuracy
• Assist with internal HR communications and wellbeing initiatives in collaboration with marketing and ESG teams

The skills you bring

• Experience supporting HR business partnering in fast-paced or multi-site environments
• Exposure to talent management, employee engagement, and succession planning processes
• Understanding of employee relations and HR operations, including supporting disciplinary, grievance, and absence cases
• Familiarity with UK employment law and experience in change projects like TUPE and redundancy
• Confidence using HR systems (e.g. PeopleHR) for records management and reporting
• Involvement in HR project delivery, policy updates, or L&D activities
• Organised, detail-oriented, and confident handling sensitive information professionally
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and coaching skills with a collaborative approach

Qualifications & professional membership

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent (preferred)
• CIPD Level 3 qualification and/or Associate Membership (preferred)
• A passion for continuous learning, HR best practice, and driving people-focused change
• Personal qualities aligned with our core values: accountability, teamwork, humility, and integrity

Your new company

The UK’s utility sector is ever evolving and expanding to meet increasing customer requirements. At Ipsum, our vision is to be the leading customer service-focused provider of specialist utility and infrastructure solutions, operating on both public and private networks.

At Ipsum, we are committed to supporting and developing our people to achieve their full potential. As a fast-growing and ambitious business, we offer opportunities to acquire a wide range of skills and gain broad and varied experience to help you progress in your career. Our investment in our people enhances our expertise and flexibility, enabling us to deliver the highest standard of service to our customers

We value our people and offer a comprehensive range of employee benefits, including:

• Career Development: Professional qualifications and accreditation

Employee Assistance Programme with mental health support and access to counselling

Access to 24/7 virtual GP

Occupational Health support

• Tax-Efficient Benefits via Salary Exchange (Salary Sacrifice):

Cycle to Work

• Employee Discount Scheme: Discounts on hundreds of retailers, including supermarkets, mobile phone/broadband providers, gym memberships, and more
• Social Committees: Established local social committees with a calendar of regular social events
• Life Assurance Cover
• Flexible Working
• Long Service Awards
• Volunteer Opportunities: Opportunities to volunteer and make a difference through local community projects and initiatives

Assistant HR Business Partner (Group Functions)