People Partner

Job summary

We are seeking a solutions-focused, high-calibre People Partner to join the Athena People Team. You will be instrumental in ensuring operational excellence across our homes, providing the expert guidance our Home Managers need to confidently lead their teams, manage risk, and deliver the Exceptional Care & Experience that Athena is known for.

About Athena Care Homes:
Athena Care Homes is an award winning, family-owned business operating seven residential nursing homes in East Anglia where care and compassion runs through to our very core. 

At Athena we celebrate everyone as an individual. Whether that’s delivering authentic care, supporting our team to make moments for our residents and their loved ones, or whether that’s learning and growing together.

About the Role:
As a People Specialist, your role is fundamentally operational, coaching, and risk-focused. You will be the trusted, expert resource for Home Managers across multiple sites, offering the practical, hands-on support required across the full employee lifecycle.

This regional role offers the autonomy to:

• Ensure Compliance & Mitigate Risk: Act as the first line of expert defence, guaranteeing that all people decisions and processes are legally compliant, fair, and consistent across the group, safeguarding Athena from legal challenge.
• Coach for Confidence: Provide high-stakes, practical coaching to Home Managers, empowering them to manage complex people issues, from performance and attendance to disciplinary matters with clarity and confidence.
• Drive Consistency: Ensure the consistent, high-quality application of our People policies, directly supporting the Quality Assurance and Regulatory standards vital for a leading care provider.

Hours:
37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday - 9am to 5pm. 

Salary:
Circa £50,000 per annum plus a £3000 car allowance.

Location:
This will be a regional position, based from the care home closest to your home address. You will be expected to travel to all sites in the group.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

• Complex Employee Relations (ER) Management: Provide expert, hands-on case management and counsel on complex ER matters, including high-risk disciplinary, grievance, and long-term absence cases.
• Elevating People Management Essentials: Design and deliver focused, practical training and coaching for Home Managers on core people management processes, ensuring they can confidently and consistently manage performance, conduct, and absence in line with legal requirements and Athena's values.
• Policy Implementation & Auditing: Drive the effective and consistent application of People policies and procedures across all homes.
• Performance & Capability: Support managers in establishing robust performance improvement plans and providing structured feedback, ensuring team members meet role requirements and integrate successfully.
• Operational Reporting & Documentation: Ensure that critical people data, documentation, and due process records are meticulously maintained to protect the business and support regulatory compliance.

Training, Skills & Experience Required:
To succeed in this challenging and rewarding operational role, you must bring a highly developed skillset:

• Essential Experience: You must hold CIPD Level 7 (or be actively working towards it) and have a proven track record as a high-level HR generalist or specialist, confidently managing complex ER end-to-end. In-depth, current knowledge of UK employment law is non-negotiable. Experience in the Care Sector or a multi-site operational environment is a significant advantage.
• The Right Mindset: You are intensely pragmatic and solutions-focused, able to balance immediate operational needs with necessary risk mitigation. You must be an effective coach and communicator, able to build immediate credibility with operational leaders. You are resilient and maintain a calm, professional approach during sensitive, high-pressure situations.
• A Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle are essential, as this is a regional role requiring regular travel to all sites across East Anglia.

What we can offer:

• A warm and thorough induction to help you feel confident, connected, and supported from day one.
• A competitive salary, reflecting the value and expertise you bring to our team.
• 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, giving you time to rest, recharge, and enjoy what matters most.
• Free Blue Light Card membership with access to a wide range of discounts and savings.
• A generous Refer-a-Friend scheme, because great people know great people and we love welcoming them to Athena.