People Partner - UK&I Support Centre

Costa; St Albans; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Share Investment Plan (SIP)

Annual discretionary bonus

Pension matched up to 10%

Costa Financial Support Fund

50% discount in Costa stores

Private medical cover

Job summary

Costa Coffee is seeking a People Partner for the UK&I Support Centre in St Albans. You will partner with senior leaders to build engagement, capability and performance, aligning people plans with Costa's long-term ambitions.

You’ll drive core people cycles, coach leaders, and support high-impact change initiatives, working flexibly with hybrid home and on-site collaboration.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as People Partner or HR generalist in large, matrixed organisations.
• Strong partnering with senior leaders, using insight and judgement to influence decisions.
• Data-driven and commercially aware, balancing value and capability.

Responsibilities

• Advise senior leaders with trusted people solutions to enable high performance.
• Lead core people cycles for Support Centre including engagement surveys and talent reviews.
• Translate business needs into priorities across engagement, capability and succession.
• Coach leaders and manage complex employee relations in partnership with Shared Services.
• Contribute to org design and change programmes to future-proof structures.

Skills

People Partner

HR generalist

Senior stakeholder

Coaching

Change management

Education

CIPD or equivalent qualification

Job description

At Costa Coffee, we are what we craft. We're re-imagining coffee experiences in over 50 countries and counting, as a key part of the Coca-Cola System. Whether you enjoy your coffee in-store, at home, on the go, or from a machine - we've got you covered.

As a People Partner - UK&I Support Centre, you'll play a critical role in supporting our Support Centre by partnering with senior leaders to build engagement, capability, and performance that enables Costa's long term ambitions.

Our teams make a difference - from shaping strategy and developing talent, to driving change and creating inclusive, high-performing cultures. Together, we stir up success.

We may be a global brand, but we've never forgotten our roots. Through the Costa Foundation and our community agenda, whatever your role, you can help change lives in coffee-growing communities and closer to home.

We're equally passionate about helping you grow. Through development programmes, new experiences, and meaningful work, Costa gives you the opportunity to go beyond the day-to-day.

And as a People Partner - UK&I Support Centre, there's never been a better time to join.

So, why Costa?

We didn't become a global coffee brand by standing still. When you join Costa, you become part of a community that values passion, progression, and integrity - with some brilliant perks to match:

• Become a share owner in Coca-Cola through our Share Investment Plan (SIP)
• Annual discretionary bonus, based on business results and individual contribution
• A smart pension with contributions matched up to 10%
• Access to the Costa Financial Support Fund
• 50% discount in all Costa-owned stores and 25% off participating stores
• Private medical cover through our Private Healthcare scheme

And that's not all - explore more of our perks here: https://bit.ly/costaperks

We're committed to being a great place to work, where everyone can bring their unique self to the mix. We champion diversity, equity and inclusion and live our values every day: Disciplined to Deliver, Passion for Progress, Win with Warmth, Courage to Challenge, and Trusted Team Players.

What you’ll do:

Being a People Partner - UK&I Support Centre is about much more than delivering people processes. It's your opportunity to drive real impact across our Support Centre, meaning you'll:

• Report to the Senior People Partner, you'll lean in to support senior leaders to provide trusted, proactive people advice, offering thoughtful challenge and practical solutions that enable high performance, engagement, and delivery against business priorities.
• Own and drive high quality delivery of core people cycles for Support Centre teams, including engagement surveys, pay and reward processes and talent reviews. Working end to end with People centres of excellence and Shared Services to ensure consistency, insight, and continuous improvement.
• Support the Senior People Partner to align functional strategies and Costa's long term ambitions with our People Plan. You'll act as the conduit translating business needs and insights into clear, actionable priorities across engagement, capability, succession, and talent planning.
• Coach and develop senior leaders, strengthening leadership capability and confidence, and providing guidance on complex or high risk people matters, including overseeing and supporting higher level employee relations in partnership with Shared Services and centres of excellences.
• Support people centric change activities including org design, working closely with leaders and OD specialists to shape effective operating models, underpin business change programmes, and ensure structures and ways of working remain fit for the future.

Who you are:

It's your unique blend of skills and experience we're interested in. You'll be:

• An experienced People Partner or HR generalist with a track record of operating in large, complex, matrixed organisations
• Confident partnering with senior leaders, building trust and influencing decisions through insight, judgement, and appropriate challenge
• Commercially minded and pragmatic, using data and business context to guide people decisions and balance value, cost, and capability
• A coach and delivery focused change catalyst, comfortable working through ambiguity and translating people strategy into practical, effective outcomes
• Passionate about continuous improvement, with the confidence to offer constructive challenge and make suggestions where you see opportunities

Nice to have (but not essential)

• CIPD or equivalent professional qualification, or demonstrable experience gained through relevant people partnering roles
• Prior exposure to organisation design and people centric change initiatives

Where you'll work

Right now, our Support Centre teams work flexibly - blending home working with in-person time whenever it matters most, whether that's for collaboration, creativity, or connection.

From January 2027, we'll be moving into an exciting new Support Centre in St Albans, where teams will work three days a week on site, coming together in a vibrant space designed to bring our bold ambition to life.

Reimagining coffee experiences to make a difference

We've been changing the coffee game since day one. Founded by two pioneering brothers back in 1971, that innovative spirit (and love for great coffee) lives on in our cups, communities and Costaristas all over the world. And there's never been a better time to join us.

Together, we shape what's next for Costa, from exploring new flavours and equipment to introducing exciting new products.

Emma and NishantTalk childhood dreams and unexpected paths