People Services Placement Student

University of the West of England; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 18,000 - 21,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Progressive pay rates

Generous annual leave

Career average pension schemes

Retail savings

Onsite nursery

Training and personal development

Job summary

University of the West of England Bristol is offering a salaried placement for current undergraduates returning in 2027. You will join the People Services team, supporting customer-focused services and contributing to projects across Culture, Talent and Staff Journey strands.

The role develops practical HR support experience, with training and mentoring provided, and a commitment to equality, diversity and a positive working environment on campus.

Qualifications

• Current UWE Bristol undergraduate student returning in Sept 2027.
• Strong IT skills including MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and database systems.
• Commitment to excellent customer service.
• Disciplined work ethic.
• Experience working in a team and being an effective team player.
• Excellent attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Support People Services in daily operations and project work.
• Contribute to activities across Culture, Talent and Staff Journey strands.
• Assist with data handling and reporting tasks.
• Participate in training and professional development opportunities.

Skills

MS Office

Customer service

Data manipulation

Team player

Attention to detail

Data handling (Database systems)

Tools

Database systems

Job description

This vacancy is available only to current students at the University of the West of England who are embarking on a placement year October 2026 - August 2027.

UWE Bristol's People Services (formerly HR) team works to promote a positive working environment where individual contributions are valued, diversity is welcomed, and people are treated with respect. We provide a professional service on all aspects of employment, and we support staff in achieving the University goal of excellence in education, research and development.

With an expansive remit, our team is structured to deliver a wide range of essential core services as well as leading on strategic initiatives that are continually shaping the way we all work together, within the University and beyond.

Strategically we have a central role in helping to drive the University’s ambitious 2030 vision and are committed to fostering partnership working between staff, students and external organisations in order to achieve our strategic goals and improve the overall employee experience.

Operationally, we provide comprehensive expertise across the entire People Services spectrum - including recruitment, policies and procedures, HR advisory, payroll and pensions, and reward. Backed by a dedicated Data and Systems Team, we seamlessly manage complex processes and record-keeping to offer expert guidance on every people-related challenge.

In all our work, we're driven by a culture of continuous improvement, always looking to enhance our approach to provide better services and accelerate our progress towards strategic goals. This includes the design and management of major change projects such as the introduction of e-recruitment and the development of Employee Self Service applications. We're also continually evolving and strengthening the University’s dedication to equality and diversity, which has led to its inclusion as a Stonewall 100 employer and winner of the Athena Bronze Award.

We're motivated by progress, positive change and the impact much of our work has on the people around us. By improving employee engagement, nurturing talent and continually reviewing our policies and processes, we help staff to fulfil their potential – and the University to thrive. Our team supports individual career paths with coaching, mentoring professional development and innovative programmes introducing new ways of teaching and learning, and we deliver over 3,000 training places every year from our own learning and development centre.

We are offering a salaried work placement opportunity to work as a People Services Placement Student, commencing in October 2026, ending in August 2027.

You will work alongside a team of committed colleagues focused on meeting customer needs and providing excellent service. This opportunity will provide valuable experience and insight across our three strands which are aligned to the People Strategy - Culture, Talent and Staff Journey and you'll get to spend time in each area getting involved in the day-to-day activities. There should also be opportunity to participate in valuable project work.

You must be a current UWE undergraduate student who will be returning to complete your final year in September 2027.

You have:

• A strong desire for a career in the People Profession or a similar field.
• Good IT skills to include experience of email, MS Office, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, database systems and manipulating data.
• An understanding of/commitment to excellent customer service.
• A disciplined work ethic.
• Experience of working in a team environment and be an effective team player.
• Excellent attention to detail.

Where is this role based?

This post is based at our lively Frenchay campus where we have invested in the latest facilities and resources to give both our staff and students access to everything they need to succeed.

Why UWE Bristol?

We are one of the largest providers of Higher Education in the South West with 38,000 students and 4,000 staff from right across the globe. Based in Bristol , one of the UK’s most exciting and forward-thinking cities, we are regionally embedded and globally connected, with an established network of employer and academic partners.

Employee benefits

• progressive pay rates
• generous annual leave
• career average pension schemes
• retail savings
• onsite nursery
• opportunities for training and personal development

Add your individuality to ours

UWE Bristol recognises the power of a truly diverse university community.

We are proud to be part of a vibrant, multicultural city that celebrates diversity, we're always looking for talented people from all backgrounds to join us. Our people are our strength, and diversity enhances our creativity and leads to better decision-making and problem-solving. Bring your talent and ambition to our growing community and find yourself in a stimulating and supportive environment where you'll thrive.

We particularly encourage applications from global majority candidates as we are currently under-represented in this area of the organisation, however all appointments are made strictly on individual merit.

This is a full time, fixed-term post for one year, working 37 hours per week. This post is not available on a part time or job share basis.

We are hoping to hold interviews week commencing 5 th of October 2026, at our Frenchay campus.

As a Disability Confident employer, we welcome applications from those who identify as having a disability.

UWE Bristol is a campus-based University, and it is important for our success and the delivery of an outstanding experience for our students that our campuses are dynamic and vibrant places to learn and spend time. This role is therefore campus based with the potential opportunity for some remote/home working depending on the team in which you're currently working as part of your rotation.

If successful, you will be required to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK, please refer to the Home Office Right to Work Checklist for information on which documents are acceptable.

We are unable to provide sponsorship under the Home Office Skilled Worker visa route for this role.