Assistant HR Business Partner in Chorley

Assistant HR Business Partner

Location: Chorley
Travel: Travel across the North, Scotland and Wales.
Employment Type: Full‑Time, Permanent
Working Hours: Monday - Friday

What's in it for you...

We believe in looking after our people, and it shows. When you join Ipsum, you're not just taking a job - you're starting a career with real support behind it.

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays with the option to buy more
• Hybrid working
• Group Personal Pension Plan
• Car allowance
• Career development & progression with the opportunity to earn professional qualifications
• 24/7 access to a virtual GP and Mental health support & counselling services
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Discount club - supermarkets, phone bills, gyms & more!
• Life assurance cover
• Long service recognition
• Active local social committees
• Regular social events

About the role...

Working closely with the Senior HR Business Partner (Water & Infrastructure) and in partnership with operational managers and leaders across Water & Infrastructure Functions, owning the full HR lifecycle for their business areas. The HR Assistant Business Partner supports the delivery of the Ipsum HR strategy, ensuring alignment with business goals. This role provides support in delivering HR initiatives, driving employee engagement, talent development, performance, and organisational effectiveness.

The HR Assistant Business Partner also contributes to Water & Infrastructure HR priorities and initiatives, strengthening Ipsum's employee value proposition and supporting our journey to be an employer of choice.

As an Assistant HR Business Partner you will...

• Deliver targeted workshops to enhance line manager capability across key areas including leadership, employee relations, and absence management.
• Support and enable managers to take ownership of day-to-day people matters, building confidence in managing their teams effectively.
• Champion employee engagement and positive relations through proactive collaboration with managers
• Partner with Head of HR (Operations) to implement engagement action plans that drive performance
• Embed PeopleHR across divisions to strengthen accountability and enable cultural change
• Maintain real-time accuracy of operational data within PeopleHR
• Coordinate with Head of HR (Operations) on TUPE, acquisitions, integration, restructuring, and redundancy
• Coach managers on handling difficult conversations and resolving issues informally
• Provide pragmatic, risk-aware HR advice to managers, escalating to Head of HR (Operations) when needed
• Prepare monthly HR reports for senior leadership and board-level business reviews
• Use HR metrics to generate insights and drive performance improvements across operational teams

About you...

We're looking for someone with previous experience supporting HR business partnering activities, ideally within a fast-paced or multi-site environment. You'll have a good understanding of employee relations, HR policies and employment law, along with exposure to areas such as employee engagement, talent management, succession planning and learning and development. You'll be comfortable using HR systems, maintaining accurate records and producing basic HR reporting.

Strong communication and organisational skills are essential, as is the ability to build effective relationships with managers and colleagues at all levels. You'll be someone who handles sensitive information with discretion, takes a proactive and collaborative approach, and is keen to continue developing your HR knowledge and experience. CIPD qualification or membership would be preferred.

Our commitment to Equal Opportunities...

We're proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and experiences, and we're committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. Before applying, please review our Privacy Policy to understand how we process your data in line with GDPR.