Assistant People and Culture Business Partner

NHS; Bury St Edmunds; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Part time

Job summary

A healthcare organization based in Bury St Edmunds is seeking an Assistant People and Culture Business Partner. This role involves providing high-quality business partnering to support the People and Culture Strategy, ensuring workforce empowerment and support. Responsibilities include advising managers, implementing HR strategies, and leading advisory staff. The position requires CIPD qualification or equivalent experience, strong communication skills, and knowledge of employment law. This is a part-time, fixed-term role until September 2026.

Qualifications

• CIPD qualified or working towards qualification.
• Experience with grievance, disciplinary, and absence management.
• Strong organisational skills for varied workload.
• Excellent communication to translate business needs.
• Comprehensive knowledge of employment law and best practices.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice and support to managers and teams.
• Support the implementation of people and culture strategies.
• Champion best practices in human resource management.
• Manage a caseload of complex employee relations work.
• Lead and supervise People and Culture Advisors.
• Analyze workforce data to develop effective interventions.

Skills

CIPD qualified

Experience advising managers

Strong consultancy skills

Excellent communication skills

Knowledge of employment law

Education

Postgraduate diploma or equivalent

Job description

NSFT is seeking an Assistant People and Culture Business Partner to deliver high‑quality, proactive business partnering to our teams. This is an exciting opportunity to support the delivery of our People and Culture Strategy, working collaboratively to ensure our workforce is empowered, valued, and supported. This post is based at Wedgwood House, Hardwick Lane, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk and is fixed term to cover maternity leave until 30th September 2026.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist advice and support to managers and teams within a designated locality, helping to deliver quality patient‑focused services and achieve business goals.
• Support the planning and implementation of people and culture strategies, including workforce modernisation, role redesign, and organisational development projects.
• Champion best practice in human resource management, coaching managers in excellent people management and supporting the implementation of the People and Culture Strategy.
• Manage a caseload of complex employee relations work, providing proactive advice and ensuring compliance with policy and legislation.
• Lead and supervise designated People and Culture Advisors, providing professional leadership, guidance, and development.
• Analyse workforce data and staff feedback to identify issues and develop creative, effective interventions.

Qualifications

• CIPD qualified (postgraduate diploma) or working towards CIPD qualification, or equivalent level of knowledge and experience.
• Experience advising managers on a wide range of people and culture operational issues (e.g., grievance, disciplinary, absence management).
• Strong consultancy, customer service and organisational skills, with the ability to manage a varied workload and conflicting deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate business needs into creative solutions.
• Comprehensive knowledge of employment law, equality and diversity, and best practice in people and culture.
• Friendly, approachable, and confident, with a positive ‘can do’ attitude and a commitment to collaborative working.

Employer Details

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Wedgwood House, Hardwick Lane, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 2QZ

Salary and Contract

£38,682 to £46,580 a year pro‑ratio (Agree for 8‑month fixed term, part‑time).