Junior People Partner - London, Permanent
The Junior People Partner role is designed for an experienced People professional who wants broader scope while staying close to day to day practice. You will support a defined client group and, at the same time, take responsibility for Employee Relations case oversight and people policy activity across Pay.UK. This combination means you can deepen your ER knowledge, develop confidence in policy governance, and see how organisation wide people decisions are shaped in practice.
You will work within a small People team, with clear access to guidance from an established People Partner and structured development from the Head of People Partnering. The role offers visible work, practical learning, and exposure to how people decisions operate in a regulated environment that supports essential UK payment systems.
Accountabilities
- Provide oversight of Employee Relations casework across Pay.UK, acting as an escalation point and supporting triage of cases across directorates.
- Advise managers on complex people matters, including preparing documentation and supporting formal hearings where required.
- Guide and coach People Advisors on ER case management, policy application, and consistent people advice.
- Review, draft, and update people policies and procedures, ensuring they are clear, compliant, and practical across the employee lifecycle.
- Manage policy consultation processes with internal stakeholders, including the Colleague Voice Forum, and support communication and training activities.
- We advise managers on day to day people matters, answering queries on policies, employee relations, absence, performance, and flexible working, and helping them make fair, consistent, and well evidenced decisions.
- We contribute to organisation wide people projects by preparing data, coordinating stakeholders, and supporting delivery of activities such as talent reviews, succession planning, performance cycles, and HR system implementation.
- Develop and deliver workshops, guidance, and tools that build manager and People Advisor capability.
- Analyse people data and trends to identify risks and themes, and prepare clear insights that inform improvements to policy and process.
- Oversee Employee Relations cases across Pay.UK by reviewing case details, advising on next steps, and acting as an escalation point to ensure cases are handled fairly, consistently, and in line with UK employment law.
- Advise managers on complex people matters by explaining policy options, drafting letters and outcome documents, and supporting preparation for formal meetings and hearings.
- Coach and support People Advisors on ER case management by reviewing their approach, giving practical feedback, and helping them apply policies consistently across different situations.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience
- CIPD qualification or equivalent practical experience applied within a People or HR function.
- Demonstrated experience managing complex Employee Relations cases in a regulated or complex UK environment, with working knowledge of UK employment law.
- Practical experience drafting, reviewing, and implementing people policies and procedures.
- Experience delivering training, coaching, or capability building for managers or HR colleagues.
- Experience using people data or MI to identify trends and inform decisions or improvements.
Pay.UK Behaviours
At Pay.UK, our behaviours are central to who we are and how we operate. They bring our values to life, shape our culture, and guide how we make decisions, collaborate, and respond to challenges across the payments ecosystem. All interview processes will assess the following behaviours:
- Listen to Find Win-Wins - Empathy, Listening and Understanding
- Influence with boldness - Influence, boldness
- Go Horizontal First - Cross Boundary Collaboration
- Take Ownership - Self Development
- Opportunity Mindset - Initiative
- Simplify - Achievement Orientation
Inclusivity
At Pay.UK, we value diversity and inclusivity. Research has shown that candidates from underrepresented groups may hesitate to apply unless they meet all the requirements listed. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of how closely their skills and experience match the requirements. We are committed to supporting accessibility needs and creating a welcoming environment for all employees. Become part of our team and contribute to the creation of an inclusive work environment that values everyone's unique input.
Who we are
Pay.UK maintains and develops the UK retail payment systems and standards that are core to the economy being able to function on a day-to-day basis.
From Bacs to Faster Payments and cheques – we act as the single operator for all UK retail payments. We put the needs of consumers and businesses at the heart of everything we do, working in the public interest to ensure that the systems the country relies on for its banking transactions are safe, open, innovative and resilient.
Our payment systems underpin the services that enable funds to be transferred between people and institutions. In 2024, the UK's retail payment systems processed 11 billion transactions worth over £10 trillion through Bacs Direct Credit, Direct Debit, Faster Payments, and cheques, and our Current Account Switch Service has facilitated over 9 million switches since it’s launch in 2013.
Every day, individuals and businesses use the services we provide to get their salaries, pay their bills and make online and mobile banking payments. Our vision for the future is to enable a vibrant economy, with Pay.UK delivering robust payment infrastructure and standards for the benefit of consumers and businesses nationwide.
Benefits & additional information
- 12% Non-contributory pension
- Discretionary annual bonus
- 30 days annual leave (excluding bank holidays)
- Private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, health cash plan, dental insurance, Bupa medicals etc
- Employee assistance programme
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Season ticket loan
- Annual fitness subsidy of up to £500 per annum
- Working from home policy - minimum 40% in the office (eg. 2 days in the office over a 5 day working week)
Please note:
- Some of our benefits are only available to colleagues after meeting the requirements of the probationary period.
