HR Partner (12 Month Fixed Term Contract)

Job Title: HR Partner – 12 month Fixed term contract

Jisc grade: PRS3

Salary: £40,000 to £44,000 per annum (negotiable based on experience) + comprehensive benefits package

(please see salary guide below for more information)

Job Type: 12 month fixed term contract

Hours: 35 hours per week

Reports into: Head of HR Partnerships

Working style: Hybrid - A blend of working from home and your nominated hub office. We have hubs located in London, Bristol, Manchester and Oxford.

About Jisc:

For 30 years Jisc has pioneered digital solutions for UK education and research, transforming how knowledge is created, shared and used.

We are uniquely positioned to protect, promote and lead the sector in digital and data transformation, making a difference to students, communities and society. Together, we are

working to build a better digital future for education and research.

Raise your potential through our culture of lifelong learning. At Jisc, we're all about growth, so embrace new challenges, sharpen your skills and shape a career that excites you.

The team:

At Jisc, our HR team is driven by a simple belief: our people deserve the same exceptional experience we deliver to our members and customers.

We empower our colleagues to be their best every day—unlocking potential, nurturing diverse talent, and embracing education and technology to shape a workplace where everyone can thrive.

If you’re passionate about creating meaningful impact and want to be part of a collaborative team with a shared mission, this could be your next move.

The role:

As an HR Partner, you’ll be part of our HR Partnerships team, reporting to the Head of HR Partnerships. In this influential role, you’ll act as a trusted advisor, coach and problem-solver for leaders and teams across the organisation.

What you’ll be doing:

• Partner proactively with managers at all levels across the business, providing expert guidance on employee relations and wellbeing matters, taking a solutions‑focused approach.
• Manage an employee relations caseload, ensuring that cases are managed in a timely manner, using a risk based approach.
• Act as an escalation point for more complex HR cases.
• Lead people-focused projects and change programmes, ensuring they land smoothly, on time, and in alignment with our culture and processes.
• Work collaboratively across all HR specialisms to deliver organisation-wide initiatives that support our people strategy.
• Help us drive high‑quality, efficient HR services by improving systems, processes and ways of working.

What we are looking for:

You’ll thrive in this role if you’re someone who brings drive, resilience, commercial awareness and a passion for brilliant customer service.

Must‑haves

Skills

• Quickly builds credibility and trust at all levels
• Excellent relationship-building, influencing and collaboration skills
• Confident navigating challenging conversations with ease
• Strong judgement with a people-first mindset
• Outstanding written and verbal communication, including clear, concise reporting and high-quality presentations
• Proficiency with SharePoint and Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Project management capability
• Data driven decision making

Experience

• Broad HR generalist experience in a fast-paced, high‑volume, customer-focused environment
• Expertise supporting managers with ER matters—including complex cases
• A track record of contributing to successful change programmes
• Strong, up-to-date knowledge of UK employment law

Behaviours

• Commercial awareness
• Customer focus
• Initiative
• Drive
• Resilience

Qualifications

• CIPD membership

Nice-to-haves

• Knowledge of process improvement
• Mental Health First Aid training
• Experience in a multisite or unionised environment
• HR-related degree, vocational qualification or CIPD Level 5

Don’t meet every single requirement?

We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they think they can’t tick every box, so we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet 100% of the requirements, but if you feel this role is perfect for you. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles!

Hybrid working:

Specific patterns for working in the office are not mandated, and the frequency of time worked in the office is agreed with your manager. Meeting in person is something we value, so you may need to travel on occasion to any of our hub offices.

Why work for us?

At Jisc, every role is meaningful, and every individual is valued. We foster a culture of continuous learning and personal growth, offering opportunities to develop new skills and make a real impact in education and research. With a strong focus on work-life balance, we embrace flexible working that prioritises outcomes over hours, empowering you to create a rhythm that energises both your professional and personal life.

Our Guiding Principles:

Jisc’s culture is powered by our four guiding principles: putting customers first, driving innovation, creating impact, and championing inclusive collaboration to deliver sustainable outcomes and shape a better future.

Discover the amazing benefits we provide! Here’s what you can look forward to:

• Flexible work pattern, which can adapt to suit your schedules and personal commitments
• 31 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) that includes three closure days over Christmas
• Buy up to an additional 5 days leave during the flexible benefits window
• Generous flexible pension schemes
• A range of wellbeing lifestyle benefits including company paid health care cash plan, mental health first aiders and support
• A company culture of continuous learning with access to thousands of LinkedIn Learning courses, and lots of resources and opportunities to support your development
• Allocated allowance of up to £250 to equip your home office
• Financial well-being support including access to preferential loan and savings plans, mortgage advice, will writing tools and support and resources to help you make the most of your money
• A wide range of discounts and cashback from retailers and big-name high-street stores
• Family friendly policies including enhanced parental, maternity and paternity and co-parental leave as well as opportunity for career breaks
• Support your volunteering with up to 3 days volunteer leave

Equity, diversity and inclusion:

Jisc believe our people make all the difference in cultivating an inclusive culture that welcomes ideas, encourages innovation, and values belonging.

We work hard to create an equitable experience for our candidates and workforce which embraces all aspects of their identity including race and ethnicity, religion and belief, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, trans identities, age, class, disability, neurodivergence, or veteran status.

Application process:

Please let us know how we can best accommodate you throughout the recruitment process. We’re committed to making our process accessible and comfortable for everyone - just tell us what works best for you.

Just so you know, we review CVs as soon as we can and aim to provide an update on your application within 4 weeks of receiving it. However, you may hear from us a lot sooner, so please keep an eye out for our emails or calls!

We’re really looking forward to getting to know the real you. While we encourage the use of AI tools to help you get started on your CV or cover letter, we encourage you to review your application before submitting. Make sure it truly reflects your own voice, experiences, and personality.

If you are currently a Jisc employee, please apply through your Dayforce Employee profile.

We have a thorough background screening process that verifies the details you share with us in your CV and your application. Any inaccurate information supplied during the application stages can lead to a job offer being withdrawn.

Sponsorship:

Jisc has an active sponsor licence to recruit on a Skilled worker visa basis. Candidates wishing to apply who require sponsorship should determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the role by assessing their circumstances against the relevant Home Office criteria. Jisc does not offer any financial re-imbursement towards the applicant costs, such as re-location, skilled worker visa and dependant costs or the immigration health charge.

No agencies please