Assistant HR Business Partner

Ipsum; Huntspill; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave + holidays

Hybrid working

Group Personal Pension Plan

Car allowance

Career development & progression

Private mental health support

Cycle to Work

Discount club

Life assurance

Long service recognition

Social committees

Job summary

Ipsum is seeking an Assistant HR Business Partner to translate the organisation’s people strategy into effective, commercially focused people plans across the South of England within the Water & Infrastructure division. You will work with the Head of HR and divisional leaders, advising on performance and change initiatives.

You will drive workforce effectiveness, leadership capability, engagement and change programs, including acquisitions and TUPE transfers, ensuring compliant, commercially

Qualifications

• CIPD Level 5 qualification and a degree.
• Experience in utilities sector and employment law.
• Experience leading restructures, TUPE and variations to terms and conditions.
• Ability to build relationships, influence stakeholders and drive business impact.

Responsibilities

• Deliver targeted workshops to enhance line manager capability across key areas including leadership, employee relations, and absence management.
• Support managers to take ownership of day-to-day people matters and build confidence.
• Champion employee engagement and positive relations through collaboration with managers.
• Partner with Head of HR to implement engagement action plans that drive performance.
• Embed PeopleHR across divisions to strengthen accountability.
• Maintain real-time accuracy of operational data within PeopleHR.
• Coordinate on TUPE, acquisitions, integration, restructuring and redundancy with Head of HR (Operations).
• Coach managers on handling difficult conversations and resolving issues.
• Provide pragmatic, risk-aware HR advice and escalate when needed.
• Prepare monthly HR reports for senior leadership and board reviews.
• Use HR metrics to generate insights and drive performance improvements.

Skills

Employment law

Change management

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership coaching

People data analysis

Education

CIPD Level 5

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

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

Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Working Hours: Monday - Friday

What's In It For You…

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays with the option to buy more
• Hybrid working
• Group Personal Pension Plan
• Car allowance
• Career development & progression with the opportunity to earn professional qualifications
• 24/7 access to a virtual GP and Mental health support & counselling services
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Discount club - supermarkets, phone bills, gyms & more!
• Life assurance cover
• Long service recognition
• Active local social committees
• Regular social events

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 will be comfortable building relationships at all levels, influencing stakeholders, and driving meaningful business impact through strategic HR initiatives.

You will 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 are passionate about making a difference and ready to take ownership of your HRBP remit, we’d love to hear from you.

Our commitment to Equal Opportunities…

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