Associate People Partner

QS Quacquarelli Symonds; Greater London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

QS Quacquarelli Symonds in London is seeking an Associate People Partner to join the People and Workplace team. You will support day-to-day HR services across the employee lifecycle, including payroll, onboarding and offboarding, documentation and HR systems.

Working with Senior colleagues, you will gain exposure to projects, research, and data analysis while developing advisory capability. This role is aimed at those early in their People career, with 1–2 years’ experience or a recent related

Qualifications

• Experience in an HR, People, or similar role.
• Recent degree in Human Resources, Business, Psychology, or related field.
• Strong organisational skills with ability to manage multiple tasks.
• Excellent attention to detail and confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Act as a first point of contact for People queries and provide timely responses.
• Maintain accurate employee records and HR documentation across the lifecycle.
• Support payroll, onboarding/offboarding, and HR system updates.
• Assist with People projects, research and data analysis to inform decisions.
• Support coordination of office and employee communications and events.

Skills

HR experience

Organisational skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Discretion/confidentiality

Microsoft Office

Education

HR/Business/Psychology degree

Tools

HR systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Note- Please do not apply for this role if you require Visa sponsorship to work.

As an Associate People Partner, this is what you’ll be doing:

The Associate People Partner is an important operational role within our People and Workplace team, helping us provide a responsive, accurate and people-first service to colleagues and managers.

You will support the day-to-day delivery of People services across the employee lifecycle, including payroll, onboarding and offboarding, employee documentation, HR systems and records, the HR Support inbox and general People administration.

Working closely with our People Partners, you will help ensure they have the information, administration and coordination they need to support their areas of the business effectively. You will also have opportunities to support People projects, undertake research, prepare information and analysis, and gradually develop your HR knowledge and advisory capability.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone at the beginning of their career in the People profession. You might already have one or two years' experience in an HR or People role, or you may have recently completed a relevant university degree and be looking for your first substantial opportunity to build your career.

Alongside your People responsibilities, you will work collaboratively with our Senior Office Manager and UK Social Committee to help create a welcoming, engaging and well-organised experience for colleagues working from our London office.

Role responsibilities

HR Support and employee queries

Act as one of the first points of contact for colleagues contacting the People team through the HR Support inbox.

Respond to routine People queries accurately and promptly, using our policies, processes and guidance, and ensure more complex or sensitive matters are escalated to the appropriate People Partner.

Help maintain a helpful, professional and people-first service, ensuring colleagues understand what will happen next and who is supporting their query.

Identify recurring questions or issues and help improve guidance, FAQs and processes to make it easier for colleagues and managers to find the information they need.

People administration and employee lifecycle

Provide accurate and timely administration throughout the employee lifecycle.

Prepare and coordinate People documentation including contracts, contractual changes, salary and role changes, promotions, probation documentation, family leave correspondence and other employment documentation.

Maintain accurate employee records and ensure relevant People systems are updated promptly following changes.

Support the administration of probation periods, absence, leave and other employee lifecycle processes, ensuring key dates and required actions are followed up.

Provide employment references and other standard documentation in accordance with QS processes.

Maintain organised and accurate electronic People files and ensure documentation is stored appropriately and confidentially.

Payroll

Support the preparation and processing of payroll, working with colleagues within the People team and our external payroll providers.

Collate and process payroll changes including new starters, leavers, salary changes, allowances, deductions and other relevant employee changes.

Check payroll reports and employee data for accuracy, investigate discrepancies and ensure queries are resolved before payroll is finalised.

Maintain clear payroll records, supporting documentation and audit trails.

Respond to routine employee payroll queries and work with payroll providers and People colleagues to resolve issues.

Support the continued documentation and improvement of payroll processes and controls.

Onboarding and offboarding

Coordinate the People elements of onboarding so that new colleagues receive a smooth and welcoming introduction to QS.

Prepare employment documentation, coordinate required People information and ensure relevant systems and records are established before a new colleague joins.

Support induction and onboarding activities and respond to new joiner questions.

Coordinate employee offboarding, ensuring required documentation, systems updates and People actions are completed accurately and on time.

Work with colleagues across People, IT, Payroll and Workplace to ensure joining and leaving processes are well coordinated.

People Partner support

Work closely with the People Partners to provide administrative and coordination support across their areas of responsibility.

Prepare documentation, timelines, meeting materials and background information for People activities and projects.

Support the organisation and administration of employee relations processes where appropriate, including arranging meetings, preparing documentation, maintaining case files and taking accurate notes.

Undertake research to support People Partners with projects, policy development, benchmarking and other areas of work.

Help track actions and deadlines across People projects and activities.

The role will provide exposure to a broad range of People matters, providing opportunities to build knowledge and experience while working alongside experienced People professionals.

People data and reporting

Maintain accurate People data and carry out regular checks to identify missing or inconsistent information.

Prepare routine People reports and management information when required.

Support People Partners with data gathering and analysis for projects, workforce planning and People initiatives.

Handle employee data carefully and confidentially and ensure appropriate data protection standards are followed.

Workplace and UK office support

Work collaboratively with the Senior Office Manager to support the smooth running of the London office where People and Workplace activities overlap.

Provide agreed administrative support during periods of leave or absence, helping maintain continuity for employees using the office.

Help coordinate People and Workplace communications, activities and employee events.

Work with the Senior Office Manager, People Partners and members of the UK Social Committee to plan and coordinate social events, employee activities and opportunities for colleagues to connect.

Undertake the role of fire warden and first aider in the London Office.

Support practical event administration including bookings, communications, attendance information and coordination with suppliers where required.

Projects and continuous improvement

Support People projects by undertaking research, gathering data, coordinating activities and helping prepare materials and communications.

Look for opportunities to simplify People processes, reduce unnecessary administration and improve the employee and manager experience.

Help maintain People process documentation, templates, guidance and internal resources so that information remains accurate and easy to use.

Participate in wider People and Workplace initiatives and collaborate with colleagues across the global People team where required.

Learning and development

We want this role to provide a strong foundation for a career in the People profession.

You will have the opportunity to develop your HR knowledge through practical experience across a broad range of People activities and through regular coaching and support from experienced members of the People team.

Subject to eligibility, previous qualifications and experience, there may also be an opportunity to undertake an appropriate CIPD-aligned apprenticeship as part of the role.

We will work with the successful candidate to identify the most appropriate development pathway for their existing experience and longer-term career ambitions.

Key skills and experience:

We are interested in candidates who are early in their People career and who want to learn and develop.

You are likely to bring:

• Experience in an HR, People, People Operations or similar role; or a recently completed degree in Human Resources, Business, Psychology or another relevant discipline.
• A genuine interest in developing a career within the People profession.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks, deadlines and employee requests.
• Excellent attention to detail, particularly when working with employee information, payroll data and documentation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the confidence to communicate with colleagues at different levels of an organisation.
• A helpful and service-focused approach, with an understanding that even routine People processes can have a significant impact on an employee's experience.
• Good judgement and an understanding of when an issue can be resolved directly and when it should be escalated.
• A high level of discretion and an understanding of the importance of confidentiality when handling employee information.
• Confidence using Microsoft Office applications and the ability to learn HR systems and other technology quickly.
• An interest in using data, technology and process improvement to make People services simpler and more effective.
• The ability to work collaboratively as part of a team while also taking ownership of your own responsibilities.
• Curiosity and a willingness to research unfamiliar topics, ask questions and develop your knowledge.
• Flexibility and a willingness to support different priorities across the People and Workplace team.
• Previous experience of payroll, HR systems or employee lifecycle administration would be helpful but is not essential if you have the aptitude and willingness to learn.
• A CIPD qualification is not required, as it can be undertaken as part of the role. We are more interested in your potential, approach and commitment to developing your career in the People profession