Junior HR Business Partner 12 Month FTC

Debenhams Group
Central London – Onsite 5 days
12‑month Fixed Term Contract

About the Role

At Debenhams Group, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As a Junior HR Business Partner , you’ll play a vital role in supporting our teams through every stage of the employee journey. This is a varied, fast‑paced role where no two days look the same, perfect for someone who thrives on getting stuck in, building relationships, and making a real impact.

This is a standalone HR role based in London, sitting within our centralised HR team in Manchester and reporting directly to the Head of HR. You’ll support colleagues across both Debenhams and Karen Millen, with teams split between London and Manchester.

In London, we operate across two offices located within a 10‑minute walk of each other, one home to Karen Millen, and the other to Debenhams and our wider Group functions. You’ll work across both locations, providing consistent, visible HR support and partnering closely with leaders and employees.

What You’ll Be Doing

As a true generalist, your responsibilities will be broad and hands‑on, including:

• Acting as the first point of contact for managers and employees across the London office, building trusted relationships and establishing yourself as a credible Junior HR Business Partner.
• Providing clear, confident advice on a wide range of employee relations matters, including:
• Maternity and paternity
• Wellbeing, welfare and absence management
• Probation reviews
• Investigations, disciplinary and grievance processes
• Flexible working requests
• Performance management and general people queries
• Supporting the end‑to‑end employee lifecycle, from onboarding through to offboarding, including inductions, probation management and contractual changes.
• Owning and delivering the London new starter induction programme, ensuring an engaging and seamless onboarding experience.
• Managing and maintaining accurate employee data within CORE HR, including new starters, pay and promotion changes, and leaver records.
• Supporting monthly payroll processes, preparing payroll data and working closely with Payroll to ensure accuracy.
• Managing the HR inbox, responding promptly and professionally to queries relating to holidays, pay, benefits and contracts.
• Supporting HR Business Partners with manager coaching and training, including coordinating workshops, maintaining attendance records and partnering with L&D where required.
• Contributing to business change initiatives, including restructures, redundancies and TUPE transfers.
• Leading or supporting HR projects that drive operational efficiency and align with business priorities.
• Maintaining organisational charts and team trackers to ensure up‑to‑date and accurate people data.
• Leading London‑based employee engagement initiatives, helping to enhance culture, connection and employee experience.

What We Look For

We’re looking for a proactive, people‑focused HR professional who enjoys operating in a collaborative, commercial environment. You’ll be comfortable working autonomously while building strong partnerships across the business.

You’ll bring:

• A strong generalist HR background, ideally within a fast‑paced or multi‑site environment.
• Good working knowledge of UK employment legislation and best practice.
• Confidence in preparing, interpreting and using people data and HR analytics to support insight‑led decisions.
• The ability to handle sensitive issues with professionalism, empathy and discretion.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively.
• A positive, solutions‑focused mindset and a willingness to roll up your sleeves.

Key Skills & Experience

• Proven experience supporting employee relations cases end to end
• Stakeholder management and relationship‑building
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Confidence working independently in a standalone HR role
• Comfortable managing HR systems and data (CORE HR desirable)
• Payroll support experience (desirable but not essential)
• CIPD Level 3 or working towards Level 5 (desirable)

Why Join Debenhams Group?

You’ll be joining a passionate, ambitious business where collaboration, pace and creativity are part of everyday life. This role offers excellent exposure across two iconic brands, the opportunity to broaden your HR experience, and the chance to make a real difference to how we support and engage our people.

If you’re looking for a role where you can grow, build credibility and be part of a supportive HR team, we’d love to hear from you.

Our benefits include (subject to level and eligibility):

• Competitive bonus, pension, share schemes, private medical and life assurance
• 20% discount across all brands
• Comprehensive wellbeing support
• Strong learning and development opportunities
• Season ticket loan

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