People Partner

Norwich City College of Further and Higher Education; England; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Norwich City College of Further and Higher Education is seeking an experienced People Partner to join our People Services team and work with college leaders to shape support, development and management of our people.

This broad HR role blends employee relations expertise with strategic workforce planning, organisational design and delivery of the People Strategy, with emphasis on influencing at all levels and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• CIPD Level 5 qualification (or above) with solid, hands-on HR experience.
• Experience of employee relations in a complex or unionised environment.
• Ability to influence at all levels and build strong relationships.

Responsibilities

• Act as trusted People partner to leaders and managers, offering pragmatic, balanced advice
• Leading employee relations casework: performance, attendance, disciplinary and grievances
• Support managers through change: restructuring, workforce planning and organisational design
• Coach and develop leaders to improve people management capability
• Use data and insights to inform decisions and improve outcomes
• Work with Trade Unions to maintain positive employee relations
• Engage with external HR networks; benchmark and bring best practices
• Shape and deliver elements of the People Strategy

Skills

CIPD Level 5

Employee relations

Stakeholder management

Change management

Data analytics

Union relations

Job description

We are looking for an experienced People Partnerto join our People Services team and work closely with leaders across the college to shape how we support, develop and manage our people.

This is a broad and influential role for an HR professional who enjoys combining strong employee relations expertise with strategic workforce thinking. You will partner with managers in allocated areas, helping them navigate complex people issues while also contributing to longer-term organisational development and the delivery of our People Strategy.

What you’ll be doing

• Acting as a trusted People partner to leaders and managers, offering pragmatic, balanced advice
• Leading one mployee relations casework including performance, attendance, disciplinary and grievance matters
• Supporting managers through change, including restructuring, workforce planning and organisational design
• Coaching and developing leaders to build confidence and capability in people management
• Using data and insight to inform decisions and improve outcomes
• Working constructively with Trade Unions to maintain positive employee relations
• Engaging with external HR networks, benchmarking best practice and bringing new ideas back into the organisation
• Taking an active role in shaping and delivering elements of the People Strategy

What we’re looking for

This role will suit someone who:

• Is CIPD Level 5 qualified(or above) with solid, hands-on HR experience
• Has strong experience of employee relations in a complex or unionised environment
• Enjoys building relationships and influencing at all levels
• Can balance empathy with sound judgement and organisational priorities
• Is curious, commercially aware and committed to continuous improvement
• Wants a role where they can have real impact, not just provide advice from the side lines

Why join us?

You’ll be part of a collaborative People Services team that values professionalism, fairness and curiosity. You’ll have the space to think, the backing to challenge constructively, and the opportunity to influence how the college supports its people now and in the future.

If you’re looking for a People Partner role where relationships, judgement and values genuinely matter, we’d love to hear from you.