Are you an experienced HR professional who thrives in a dynamic, people-focused environment? At Nottingham Trent University (NTU), we’re seeking an Associate HR Business Partner to play a pivotal role in supporting our academic and professional services teams. This is your chance to make a real impact—helping to shape organisational culture, drive change, and enable colleagues to achieve their full potential.

The Role

As part of our HR Business Partnering team, you’ll provide proactive, customer-focused HR support across a diverse portfolio of departments. You’ll work closely with leaders, managers, and staff to deliver effective HR solutions that align with NTU’s strategic objectives. From employee relations to organisational development, you’ll be involved in the full range of HR activities, including:

• Supporting managers with resourcing, reward, and performance management.
• Building strong, influential relationships as a trusted partner on people and business issues.
• Championing and facilitating change management to support NTU’s long-term goals.
• Partnering with specialist HR colleagues in policy, reward, health & safety, EDI, and organisational development.
• Leading on projects and initiatives that enhance employee engagement and organisational effectiveness.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Acting as a mentor and coach to managers, supporting them with job design, recruitment, performance, and complex employee relations matters.
• Guiding and advising on formal processes, including discipline, grievance, redundancy, and settlement agreements.
• Providing workforce insights and analysis to inform strategic planning.
• Managing and motivating colleagues to ensure high-quality service delivery across the HR Business Partnering team.
• Keeping up-to-date with HR best practice, sector trends, and legislative changes.
• Deputising for the HR Business Partner when required.

About You

• Strong experience across the full HR lifecycle, ideally within a large or complex organisation.
• Excellent relationship-building and influencing skills.
• A proactive and solutions-focused approach, with the ability to balance competing priorities.
• Up-to-date knowledge of employment law and HR best practice.
• Experience of handling complex employee relations cases.

CIPD qualification (or working towards it) is highly desirable.

About Us

Nottingham Trent University is a successful and ambitious university that is recognised for its innovation and inclusivity and being bold enough to do things differently. This is an exciting time to join the HR team focused on ‘Empowering People’ a key theme in delivering the strategic plan ‘University, reimagined’.

Our HR team is responsible for our NTU colleagues employment needs. We cover a wide range of HR and Organisational Development services, including Health, Safety and Wellbeing, Resourcing and Reward and Recognition. We are bold in exploring unfamiliar paths and pursuing novel solutions. If you have a passion for making a real difference, joining us in HR at NTU could be the perfect role for you.

Benefits

• Hybrid working – we encourage and offer a mixture of office working and working from home. You’re empowered to define how you work best for the benefits of your stakeholders.
• Flexibility – take ownership over how you get your work done. We’re open to different working patterns and approaches.
• 25 - 30 days annual leave, plus statutory bank holidays and 5 university closure days pro rata.
• Salary Sacrifice Retirement Savings Plan with life assurance and income protection.
• Range of health and wellbeing services, including a Health Cash Plan, voluntary benefits, discounts, and savings for all colleagues.
• Access to professional development opportunities to develop your skills and advance your career.
• And a whole lot more… Find out more about the range of benefits we offer.

How to Apply

Ready to join us? Apply today and help shape the future of NTU.

Other Information

Safe and Inclusive: At NTU, we continue to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices and experiences of our students and colleagues. We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring and we encourage people from underrepresented communities and backgrounds to apply to join our team.

Please note that this role has been assessed as ineligible for sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration points-based immigration system; however, applications are welcome from candidates who do not currently have the right to work in the UK, but who would be eligible to obtain a valid visa via another route. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974) applies; successful applicants will be asked to declare any unspent convictions.

Take a look around the company: https://www.ntu.ac.uk/