People Partner

HRUC is one of the largest further education colleges in England and one of London’s best-performing college groups. Across five campuses, we support more than 16,000 learners through high-quality courses, apprenticeships and programmes that enable them to achieve their ambitions and build successful futures.

This is an opportunity to join HRUC at an important stage in our development and make a visible difference across a large, ambitious and diverse college group. We are seeking an experienced People Partner who can combine sound professional judgement with a practical, solutions-focused approach, helping leaders turn people priorities into positive outcomes for staff and learners.

Working with senior and operational leaders across an allocated portfolio, you will act as a trusted partner on workforce planning, organisational change, people performance and complex employee relations. This is broader than a case-management role: you will use insight, influence and constructive challenge to strengthen management capability, anticipate workforce needs and support a high-performance, inclusive culture. You will also lead and develop People Advisors, ensuring managers receive consistent, responsive and high-quality support.

Key responsibilities include:

• Building credible relationships with Principals, Heads of School and other leaders, understanding their priorities and translating them into practical people plans
• Providing expert advice and constructive challenge on complex employee relations matters, organisational change and the application of employment law and HRUC policy
• Using workforce data and trends to identify risks, skills gaps and future staffing requirements, and developing evidence-based plans in response
• Working with Talent Acquisition colleagues to anticipate recruitment needs and develop proactive campaigns for critical and hard-to-fill roles
• Supporting succession planning, talent management, staff engagement, equality and diversity, and other cross-college People & OD priorities
• Leading and developing People Advisors and helping managers build the confidence and capability to manage people matters effectively

We are looking for a credible, confident and delivery-focused People professional who can demonstrate:

• A CIPD Level 5 qualification, or equivalent relevant experience, together with substantial and current HR generalist experience
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and a successful track record of handling complex employee relations matters with sound judgement and appropriate pace
• Experience of partnering with and influencing senior and operational leaders in a complex organisation, balancing professional challenge with pragmatic solutions
• The ability to work both strategically and operationally, using workforce data and organisational insight to shape priorities and deliver measurable improvements
• Strong leadership, communication and organisational skills, with experience of developing colleagues and managing competing priorities under pressure

Experience in education or a similarly complex, unionised or regulated environment would be an advantage, but it is not essential. More important is your ability to build trust quickly, navigate complexity and deliver a high-quality service while keeping the organisation’s wider purpose in view.

You will be joining a supportive and inclusive organisation, with opportunities for professional development and growth. We offer a generous annual leave allowance, additional college closure days, the Local Government Pension Scheme, a wellness platform, staff discounts, an employee assistance programme and free car parking on all sites.

HRUC operates across campuses in Harrow, Richmond and Uxbridge. The postholder will be required to work across all College campuses and to travel to partner organisations and external stakeholders as required (base as per contract of offer). Hybrid working can be considered by agreement; however, the majority of working time is expected to be on College sites.

HRUC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults, and we expect all staff to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and other necessary pre-employment checks.

We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

The closing date may be brought forward if we receive a sufficient field of applications. We therefore encourage early applications.

Interviews:  Wednesday 30 September and Thursday 1 October 2026

Notice for Recruitment Agencies:

HRUC operates with a managed service provider (MSP) for recruitment services. We do not accept unsolicited emails, CVs or contact from recruitment agencies. Any CVs or information sent to HRUC outside this process will not be considered or acted upon, regardless of the terms and conditions stated by the agency.

Further details:   Job Description