At OakNorth, we're on a mission to empower ambitious businesses and the communities they serve. Since 2015, we've lent over $21 billion across the UK and US, helped create more than 58,000 new homes and 36,000 new jobs, and supported hundreds of thousands of personal savers — all while driving economic growth in the markets we serve.
We are looking for a Junior People Partner to join our People Team at OakNorth. This role provides hands-on support to our Senior People Partners across UK and US employee populations across all business lines. The role is well-suited to someone who is early in their HR career, keen to develop across a broad generalist remit, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. You will get exposure to real partnering work, employee relations, performance processes, people projects, from day one.
### Key Responsibilities
UK People Support
Support Senior People Partners in delivering day-to-day employee advice across business areas.
Help build and maintain strong relationships with managers and employees as a reliable first point of contact.
Assist with the preparation of materials for management meetings, organisational design and workforce planning activities.
Employee Relations
Lead on employee relations matters with sound judgement and discretion, navigating sensitive situations with confidence and care.
Demonstrate sound judgement in recognising when cases require senior involvement, escalating appropriately and supporting Senior People Partners on more complex or high-stakes matters.
Ensure cases are managed in line with OakNorth policies and relevant employment law, taking accountability for compliant case management.
Manage end-to-end case administration including note-taking, preparing documentation and tracking case progress to resolution.
Maintain accurate and up-to-date records across all ER activity, ensuring full case visibility and audit readiness.
U.S. People Support
Act as People Partner support for managers and employees across the US employee population.
Support leaders on employee relations matters, including performance management, investigations, disciplinary processes, terminations and organisational change.
Provide administrative and coordination support for people processes affecting the US employee population.
Help track and document US-specific people activity, including ER cases, onboarding and offboarding.
Partner with external legal counsel and employment advisors to ensure compliance with US employment legislation and market practice
Develop awareness of US employment practices and regional differences under the guidance of the team and provide guidance to managers on U.S.-specific people considerations, risk and best practice.
Collaborate with the People Operations team to support people processes impacting US employees.
Support the development and implementation of globally aligned people practices whilst recognising regional requirements and cultural differences.
People Projects & Change
Contribute to People Team projects and change initiatives, providing research, coordination, documentation and delivery support leveraging AI tools to enhance efficiency and output quality.
Support performance and talent processes across the employee lifecycle, including performance reviews, calibration prep, probation tracking and development planning, applying an AI-first mindset to streamline and improve these processes
Assist with employee engagement initiatives, maintaining action plans to support follow-through utilising AI tools to surface insights and drive more effective outcomes..
Help drive consistency across people processes championing the use of AI and emerging tools to improve scalability, speed and the overall employee experience.
Data, Reporting & Operations
Support people data reporting across headcount, attrition, , ER engagement and performance, preparing summaries to support People Partner decision-making.
Ensure people processes are completed accurately and on time, working closely with People Operations and Talent Acquisition.
Handle general people queries, escalating to Senior People Partners where appropriate, and maintain confidentiality across all matters.
### About You
Experience in a HR role within a fast-paced, scaling or high-growth environment.
Employee relations experience confidently managing complex and sensitive matters independently.
Strong understanding of UK employment law and practical exposure to US employment practices and employee relations considerations.
Experience supporting employee populations across multiple jurisdictions, ideally including both the UK and US.
Comfortable partnering with external legal counsel and advisors where appropriate to manage risk and ensure compliance.
Commercially minded with the ability to balance business priorities with employee experience.
Bring a forward-thinking, AI-first mindset to all people work, actively seeking out opportunities to adopt and embed AI tools that improve how the team operates.
Comfortable working with data and HR systems; picks up new tools quickly.
Organised and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple tasks at once.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
A proactive, can-do approach - someone who is happy to roll up sleeves and get things done.
Collaborative team player who builds good relationships across all levels.
Curious and eager to learn, with a genuine interest in developing a career in People.
Desirable Experience
Experience using HRIS platforms (HiBob experience a bonus).
Interest or exposure to financial services, fintech or a regulated environment.
CIPD qualified or working towards qualification (or equivalent experience) preferred.
Proven experience redesigning HR processes and ways of working using AI tools, translating traditional people workflows into smarter, more scalable solutions.
We are looking for a minimum of 3 days in office
### Benefits and Perks
- 25 days holiday
- Personalized benefits – opt-in to what matters to you
- Subsidised Private Medical Insurance with Bupa
- Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
- Wellbeing and social events
- In-house Barista Bar in London office
- Support causes that matter to you – Volunteering time off
