Grow Your HR Career at UCB – Where Patients Inspire, and People Matter

This is your chance to dive into the world of HR, work with an amazing team, and earn your Level 5 CIPD qualification along the way. If you’ve got at least 6 months of HR experience and a passion for people, this 24-month paid apprenticeship will give you the skills, support, and real-world experience to launch your career – all while helping to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases.

Qualification Requirements
5 GCSE’s with grades 9 – 4 (A* -C), AND a Minimum 6 months HR related work experience.

Salary – £23,810 per annum
Annual salary review with set salary increments based on performance

Benefits

• Holiday Allowance – 28 Days Holiday Allowance, plus Bank Holidays
• Pension – Employee 5%, Employer 3%
• Work from Home- UCB offer hybrid working
• Casual Dress
• Employee assistance programme
• Onsite parking
• Onsite Canteen
• Paid sick leave on successful completion of the probationary period
• Days off for volunteering 
• Employee recognition awards

Location – 208 Bath Rd, Slough SL1 3WE until approximately August 2026 where UCB will move to new site Sunninghill Road, Windlesham, Surrey, GU20 6PP

Working Hours
Monday to Friday, 09:00am – 17:00pm with one hour unpaid lunch break.

Flexible hours / working- UCB offer core hours 10 – 4 with the remainder of the working day made up to suit the individual

Duration – 24 months

Start Date – August/September 2025

Interview Date – July 2025

Closing Date for Applications – 14^th July 2025

To Apply

To apply, please click the Apply Now button and complete the form. If you are having difficulty in completing this, please contact recruitment on recruitment@cogentskills.com for assistance

Next Steps

Successful candidates will be progressed to a one-way video interview, invites will be sent via email.

The video interview will be reviewed by the Hiring Manager along with your application form to decide who is brought through to the final interview.

Job Description

Are you passionate about people and ready to take the next big step in a career in HR? If you’ve already gained at least six months of HR experience and are looking for a role that combines real-world impact with continuous learning, this could be the perfect opportunity for you.

At UCB, a global biopharmaceutical leader in neurology and immunology, we’re driven by a bold ambition: to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases. With over 9,000 colleagues across the globe, we put patients at the heart of everything we do – and we know that our people are essential to making that happen.

We’re looking for a motivated and curious HR Apprentice to join our vibrant UK HR team on a 24-month apprenticeship programme. While working alongside experienced HR professionals, you’ll provide day-to-day support for our 700 UK-based colleagues, gaining hands-on experience across the full HR lifecycle. From supporting recruitment and onboarding to helping with HR projects and employee engagement, you’ll develop your skills in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. You will support and learn from a busy HR department, which consists of

• A Team of 4 Generalist Business Partners
• An Operational team of 5 responsible for the employee life cycle, pay and benefits
• A Recruitment team of 5

You’ll also study towards your Level 5 CIPD qualification, building the knowledge and capability to grow into a future HR leader – all while contributing to a company that’s changing lives with science and innovation.

If you’re inspired by purpose, excited to learn, and ready to play a key role in shaping the employee experience at a company that truly values people, we’d love to hear from you.

MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Monitoring and responding to first level employee queries though the on-line portal ‘HR Answers’
• Coordination of the starters and leavers process, including reference checking, reporting and communicating with other relevant departments.
• Setting up and manage arrangements for all new hire inductions including slide preparations, collating induction packs, arranging catering
• Managing all aspects of training: including booking trainers, candidate registration, meeting invitations, distribution of pre-work, booking rooms and catering.
• Support the relocation process for internal transfers and new recruits, through arranging temporary accommodation, and tracking financial spend and reporting to Finance for tax purposes.
• Arranging and collating exit interviews and reporting on trends/ analysis.
• Maintaining complete and accurate employee files – electronic and hard copy.
• Processing all Purchase Orders and invoice processing in SAP to ensure department spend is managed effectively

Personal Qualities

• Good written and oral communication skills
• Good ability to multitask
• Problem solving skills
• Good numerical and IT skills Attention to detail
• Team worker and considerate to members of team and wider organisation
• Highly motivated and drive to develop oneself
• Demonstrates reliability and integrity
• Enthusiasm

Training To Be Delivered

Qualification to be delivered:

People professional L5 incl. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development for Associate Member

Apprenticeship Standard: People Professional

Training Provider: BPP

Delivery model: A blend of online learning and day release 

Future Prospects

Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship you will be eligible to apply for other positions within the business. The training will expose the apprentice to a wide range of skills and competencies which would make them well placed for further study or suitable for many job opportunities in the life sciences sector.

Things To Be Considered

Please ensure that you currently live within or can relocate to a commutable distance of the site.

About UCB

UCB is a global biopharmaceutical company, with a focus on neurology and immunology.

UCB’s ambition is to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases. We focus on neurology and immunology disorders – putting patients at the centre of our world. We are Inspired by Patients. Driven by Science and are now more than 9000 people in all four corners of the globe.

Our medicines treat millions of people around the world, and we are engaging with patients, their families and healthcare professionals to address their unmet needs. We want to enhance our understanding of disease and the real-life experiences of patients so that our teams can deliver the right drug and the right care to the right patient.

UCB is continuously working to advance science and embrace new knowledge. We are leveraging scientific advances and skills in areas such as genetics, biomarkers and human biology. Patients inspire us to bring them value through cutting-edge science, innovative treatments, and practical solutions – so that they and their carers can get on with their lives.