Junior HR Business Partner (Fixed Term Contract)

Cooper Parry; Derby; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible approach to work

Generous holiday entitlement

Enhanced parental leave policy

Enhanced pension scheme

No dress code – wear something!

Multi-award-winning wellbeing offering

Volunteering opportunities

Cooper Parry social/sports clubs

Job summary

Cooper Parry is seeking a Junior HR Business Partner in Derby to join our dynamic People Team. You’ll be the first point of contact for line managers and employees, delivering pragmatic HR support and guidance across the full lifecycle.

This fixed term contract runs until January 2028, with a collaborative culture and opportunities to grow as a business partner. As a Junior HRBP you’ll partner with the HRBP/SHRBP and stakeholders, contribute to people strategies, and develop strong relationships

Qualifications

• 2–4 years’ experience in a generalist HR role.
• Exposure to employee relations and providing HR advice to line managers or stakeholders.
• People-centred and credible with ability to build trust while balancing needs and priorities.
• Confident and constructive challenger, able to support while holding stakeholders to account.
• Commercial and pragmatic, delivering practical, value-adding solutions.
• Resilient and adaptable, performing at pace amid change.
• Proactive and accountable, following through on commitments.
• Collaborative and influential across the People Team and wider organisation.
• Be insight-led, using people data and feedback to inform decisions.
• Professional and ethical, maintaining integrity, confidentiality and professionalism.

Responsibilities

• Provide HR support to line managers and employees across the full lifecycle.
• Deliver HR processes and projects in collaboration with HRBP/SHRBP.
• Support implementation of People strategies designed by senior HR leaders.
• Develop behaviours and drive change to improve organisational effectiveness.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships and confidently challenge decisions.
• Offer professional HR advice aligned to business and people strategy.
• Identify engagement opportunities from feedback and implement actions.
• Assist managers with development plans to drive performance and growth.
• Support delivery of core HR processes with Centres of Excellence.

Skills

Employee relations

HR advisory

Stakeholder management

Policy interpretation

People data analysis

Education

CIPD Level 5 or working towards

Job description

About the role...

Are you an energetic HR generalist looking to develop and growth in a dynamic, fast paced environment?

We’re looking to add a Junior HR Business Partner to our award-winning People Team - acting as the first point of contact for line managers and employees, providing confident, pragmatic advice and support across all people related activities and the full people lifecycle.

We're offering this role on a Fixed Term Contract basis until January 2028.

You’ll partner closely with the HR Business Partner (HRBP), Senior HR Business Partner (SHRBP) and service line stakeholders to deliver and champion a great employee experience, helping to create and maintain a high performing, inclusive culture aligned to both our people and wider CP strategies.

This is an extremely varied role which will allow you to build you business-partnering capabilities, giving you the opportunity to;

• Support the HRBP/SHRBP in providing HR support to your business areas and assisting in the delivery of people processes and projects
• Support implementation of People strategies designed by the HRBP/ SHRBP
• Work with the HRBP/SHRBP to develop behaviours and drive appropriate change to transform and improve organisational effectiveness across the business
• Build strong relationships with your stakeholders and having the confidence to challenge and influence people decisions
• Provide professional HR advice and support aligned to our business and people strategy across key areas of practice - including engagement, resourcing, succession planning, performance and absence management, talent management, and learning and development
• Assist in identifying opportunities to increase employee engagement – reviewing key themes from feedback methods and ensuring action plans are implemented as a result
• Work with managers to support the development of team and individual development plans to drive performance, encourage personal growth and enable the realisation of career aspirations
• Work with Centres of Excellence across the People Team to support the delivery of core HR processes, contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, and ensure consistent application of policies and practices
• Effectively support ER issues providing an appropriate level of guidance and advicebefore escalating to the ER team
• Understand and follow company policies to support and advise line managers and our employees
• Support the ER team to actively review and update HR policies and procedures
• Brilliantly execute our people processes throughout the employee lifecycle
• Collate and analyse people data to identity trends and creating actions plans as required
• Undertake HR project work when required

About you...

At Cooper Parry, we’re in it together. All we ask of our people is that they play all in. You’ll continuously strive to keep learning – whether you’re a trainee or a Partner – and you’ll be brave, stepping out of your comfort zone to tackle new challenges. Above all, be nice. A simple notion, but an irreplaceable part of what makes CP, CP.

In addition to those core values, as a Junior HR Business Partner you should;

• Have 2–4 years’ experience in a generalist HR role.
• Have exposure to employee relations and providing HR advice to line managers or stakeholders.
• Be people‑centred and credible with the ability to build trust and balance individual needs with business priorities.
• Be a confident and constructive challenger, able to provide appropriate support while holding stakeholders to account.
• Be commercial and pragmatic, applying sound judgement to deliver practical, value‑adding people solutions.
• Be resilient and adaptable, performing effectively at pace and responding positively to change and ambiguity.
• Be proactive and accountable, taking ownership for outcomes and following through on commitments.
• Be collaborative and influential, working effectively across the People Team and wider organisation.
• Be insight‑led, using people data and feedback to inform decisions and drive action.
• Be professional and ethical, demonstrating integrity, confidentiality, and professionalism at all times.
• Be CIPD Level 5 qualified or be working towards it (ideally but not essential).

About us...

We’ve been dubbed ‘the rebels of accountancy’. We’re straight-talking. Never afraid to share our opinions. We put people and relationships before products and services, and deliver a streamlined, client-focused service – free from unnecessary red tape.

Check out our recent achievements:

• Best Companies’No.1 Accountancy Firm & No.30 Best Large Companyto Work For in the UK
• BecameB CorpCertifiedin 2023 and we’re still the UK’s largest accountancy B Corp, measuring and improving our impact beyond business for a brighter tomorrow
• Achieved 5 awards at theInspiring Workplace Awardsin 2025: winner in the Large Business category and best in class for inspiring People & Culture, Wellbeing, Inclusion and Employee Experience

What's in it for you?

Our people are the beating heart of our culture. We know that if you love working here, and you’re given the trust and autonomy to work in a way that best suits you, you’ll produce amazing results.

That’s why we offer things like:

• A flexible approach to work - balancing working from home, in office or with clients
• A generous holiday entitlement
• An enhanced parental leave policy
• An enhanced pension scheme
• No dress code – just “wear something!”
• A multi-award-winning wellbeing offering to support your physical, mental, spiritual, and financial health
• Volunteering opportunities to work closer with local communities and charities
• Cooper Parry social/sports clubs

Feeling supported and welcomed is such a big part of bringing your whole self to work. As an equal opportunities employer, we’ll work with you to ensure you have everything you need to develop your skills and achieve your best.

Get in touch if you have any questions about our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion or about accessibility/accommodations during your application process.

For the attention of agencies - unsolicited CVs will not be honoured. We will only accept CV submissions for roles briefed to you by our Talent Acquisition team.

#LI-MH1