People Partner

Location: Hemel Hempstead, Hybrid

Type: Full-time

Eligibility: You must be eligible to work in the UK

Salary: Circa £45,000 per annum

About the role:

The People Partner will play a critical role in delivering the people strategy across the organisation, providing HR support and partnering closely with key stakeholders across the Group. This role will support multiple sites and business areas, including our Technical Services office in Greece, ensuring consistent, commercially focused, and high-quality people support across all locations.

The People Partner is a newly created and exciting opportunity born out of our rapid and continued growth, with ambitious expansion plans already firmly in motion. As our organisation scales, we are strengthening our People team to ensure we continue to deliver exceptional support across all areas of the business and all locations.

We are proud to be a business that truly invests in its people. Internal progression are at the heart of our culture, and we have a strong track record of developing and promoting home-grown talent into senior roles across the organisation. This role offers significant opportunity for growth, development, and the chance to make a real impact as part of a fast-moving and evolving business.

Amongst other tasks, you will be responsible for:

Strategic Business Partnering

• Act as a trusted People Partner to senior leaders and key stakeholders across the Group in multiple locations including London, Hemel Hempstead, Reading and Greece.
• Build strong relationships with business leaders to understand operational needs and deliver aligned people solutions
• Support the delivery of the people strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives
• Provide expert-level (Tier 3) HR advice and guidance on complex employee relations cases
• Manage sensitive and high-risk cases including disciplinary, grievance, performance management, absence management, and restructuring
• Ensure all casework is managed in line with employment law, internal policies, and best practice
• Coach and support on complex case escalation and development
• Ensure alignment of people practices across different regions while considering local requirements where applicable
• Use people data and analytics to identify trends, risks, and opportunities across the workforce

Organisational Change & Transformation

• Support and lead on change management initiatives including restructures, TUPE, and organisational design projects
• Partner with leaders to embed change effectively and support employee engagement throughout transitions
• Drive initiatives that improve performance, engagement, and retention

Key Skills:

• Proven experience in a People Partner / HR Business Partner role
• Strong background in complex employee relations case management
• Strong understanding of UK employment law; international exposure desirable
• Experience supporting organisational change and transformation
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills at senior level
• CIPD qualification (Level 5 or above desirable)
• Commercially aware with strong business acumen
• Collaborative, inclusive, and relationship-focused
• Proactive and solutions-oriented mindset

The successful candidate will have a willingness to undertake the responsibilities outlined in this job specification, while also being flexible and open to carrying out additional duties outside of this scope from time to time, in line with the evolving needs and priorities of the business.

Why Academia?

At Academia, we are redefining the landscape of IT services across education, business, public sector and nonprofit sectors. As an innovative and rapidly expanding technology company, we’re not just a supplier—we’re a trusted partner to thousands of clients nationwide.

With over 20 years of expertise, double-digit growth, a team of 300+ professionals and revenues exceeding £150 million in FY26, we’ve earned a reputation as a top-tier IT solutions provider. Our dedication has been recognised with prestigious industry accolades, including the coveted CRN Reseller of the Year award.

Our ethos is simple: by delivering outstanding technology and ensuring it works seamlessly, we empower our clients to maximise their tech investments. Their IT success is our business.

We foster a culture rooted in our people, teamwork, innovation, integrity, ambition and a commitment to exceptional customer service. Backed by Strive Capital since 2020, we’re continuously expanding, exploring new frontiers with a strong financial and strategic foundation.

Our dedicated Lifecycle Services division exemplifies our promise to sustainability, offering comprehensive IT lifecycle solutions that reduce environmental impact.

At Academia, you’ll find more than just a job—you’ll find an opportunity to be part of one of the UK’s most exciting tech success stories. If you’re passionate about technology, eager to make an impact and ready to grow with a dynamic, supportive team, we’d love to hear from you.

For more information on opportunities with Academia, visit our website.

Benefits

• Gym membership contribution
• Health Cash Plan
• Increased annual leave with length of service
• Free annual leave on your birthday
• Length of service bonus
• Hybrid working
• Free Will Writing service
• And more!