Junior HR Business Partner

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

Role Purpose

We are seeking a Junior HR Business Partner to support the delivery of a high-quality, commercially focused HR service across Central Functions, Private Clients, and Tech Companies. Working in close partnership with the HR Business Partner, this role will contribute to the delivery of people strategies, provide pragmatic day-to-day HR support, and help drive key initiatives that enable business performance and growth.

This is a hands-on role that requires a capable and proactive individual who can quickly build strong, credible relationships with stakeholders. While supporting the HR Business Partner, the role holder will take ownership of defined areas, ensuring consistent, commercially sound HR advice and the effective application of people practices.

The Junior HR Business Partner will embed themselves within the business, developing a deep understanding of stakeholder priorities and challenges, and supporting the delivery of practical HR solutions that align with business needs. They will work closely with Centres of Expertise, including Recruitment, Reward, Talent & Development and HR Operations, to ensure a joined-up and high-impact approach to people initiatives.

The successful candidate will bring experience of operating in a fast-paced, commercial environment, with the confidence and judgement to deliver outcomes, apply consistent HR practices, and support senior stakeholders effectively. This role offers the opportunity to further develop HR partnering capability while contributing to a high-performing, growth-focused business.

Key Accountabilities

• Support the HR Business Partner in implementing people initiatives that align with the business strategy and objectives for Howden UK&I Retail.
• Assist in gathering and understanding information about the pillar’s people, their aspirations, challenges, and talent requirements, helping to inform future planning.
• Contribute to recruitment, onboarding, performance, and talent management activities, ensuring key HR processes are efficiently delivered.
• Facilitate the coordination of people-related elements of organisational change, such as mergers and acquisitions, following established frameworks and supporting team engagement.
• Collaborate closely with team members across HR and the business, helping to deliver a consistent and positive employee experience.
• Collaborate with Centres of Expertise (COEs) to support the development and delivery of solutions tailored to business needs, as guided by the HR Business Partner.
• Assist in administering the annual compensation and rewards process, ensuring accuracy and transparency under the guidance of the HR Business Partner.
• Build professional working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders throughout the organisation.
• Assist in collecting and analysing HR data to inform recommendations and support business decision-making.
• Maintain awareness of external market trends and developments, sharing insights with the HR Business Partner to support team learning and adaptation.
• Act as a point of contact for the HR Advisory team on employee relations and employment life cycle matters.

Skills & Experience

• Experience in a regulated Corporate environment.
• Experience supporting a HR Business Partner with a proven understanding of HR subject areas.
• Experience of supporting leaders and partnering in a complex business, working across cultures and building and managing relationships virtually.
• Translating strategic people requirements and or regional/global context into language with which the wider business can engage and operate.
• A hands-on HR practitioner. In this role, you will work on both strategic and operational HR matters, developing effective relationships with collaborators, customers, partners, and team members.
• Approachable and innovative, able to proactively streamline and simplify processes and problem-solve using technology-based solutions to drive automation and scalability.
• Comfortable working with ambiguity and able to navigate solutions in a fast-paced, unpredictable environment with a varied workload.
• Able to challenge confidently whilst maintaining credible relationships as well as handling a range of difficult conversations and situations.

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new

• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges

• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs.  Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.