HR Pathway Programme

Overview

HR Pathway Programme – Permanent (including approx. 36-month Apprenticeship Scheme) Salary: Up to £29k + Pension + PMI + ShareSave Scheme + 6.6 weeks holiday + Hybrid Working Location: Eastleigh, Southampton, Head Office

We believe anyone can improve their home to make life better. From our Southampton Store Support Office (SSO), we equip our stores, our people, and our business with everything it takes to help millions of customers create a home they’ll love. Join us in HR and you’ll play a big part in this.

At B&Q, we have a hybrid approach to working to increase flexibility in when and where we work. This is a full-time opportunity, Monday to Friday, based from our Southampton Store Support Office. Working patterns may vary depending on the rotation and business area you are supporting.

Before you apply, you must complete a role discovery on our pre-apply platform. The role will be broken down in detail and you can hear from real colleagues, get an honest look and find out if it's right for you. Finish this journey to get your Application Code. You'll need this code to make your application.

What's the job?

Our HR Pathway Programme is designed to bring diverse talent into the HR function and support them to build broad experience, professional capability and future leadership potential. You’ll benefit from structured on-the-job apprenticeship experience, comprehensive training and support, and will work towards industry-recognised HR qualifications, including CIPD Level 3 and Level 5.

The programme spans approximately 36 months and is structured across three phases, during which you will complete a minimum of three rotational roles across different areas of the HR function. This will give you broad, hands-on experience and exposure to a variety of specialisms.

In year one, you’ll get settled in, learn about the business and build self-awareness. In year two, you’ll deepen your HR and business understanding while developing your impact and influence. In year three, you’ll prepare for your next career step and continue building the skills and behaviours needed for future progression.

Rotational roles may include

• Talent Acquisition
• People Operations
• People Partnering
• Employment Relations
• Talent, Leadership and Learning
• A rotation to another company within the Kingfisher Group

During this time, you’ll build strong communication, prioritisation, presentation, stakeholder management and partnering skills, while gaining a deeper understanding of B&Q’s business and the breadth of our HR function.

After completing the programme, you’ll remain in an HR role and be supported to progress towards grade and beyond. The long-term ambition of the programme is to strengthen our future HR leadership succession pipeline, so we’re looking for people who can demonstrate strong judgement, drive and influence.

You’ll be supported throughout by your line manager, buddy, HR mentor, apprenticeship coach and Pathway cohort. You’ll also need to commit time each week to your apprenticeship learning, including regular coaching sessions and progress reviews with your coach and line manager.

We’d love you to help us improve the way we work, simplify processes, and contribute to building an environment where everyone feels they belong.

Who is this for?

This programme is for anyone who

• Is ambitious about building a long-term career in HR
• Shows early evidence of potential to grow into a broader leadership role
• Is excited by the opportunity to experience different areas of HR
• Has a growth mindset and is willing to take ownership of their development
• Is curious, confident and motivated to make a positive difference

Please note: Our assessment day will be on Friday 31st July 2026. Please only apply if you can attend in person on this day.

What we need

• Commitment to professional study alongside the role, including managing apprenticeship learning time effectively
• The ability to role model B&Q Behaviours and Judgement, Drive and Influence in day-to-day work
• Strong organisation and prioritisation skills, with the ability to balance role, study and rotation commitments
• Clear communication and presentation skills, with confidence to share learning and ideas
• A collaborative approach, with the ability to build effective relationships across HR and the wider business
• A proactive approach to seeking feedback, bringing fresh ideas and identifying improvement opportunities

What's in it for me?

As well as a competitive salary, our benefits package includes:

• Award-winning pension scheme
• ShareSave options
• 6.6 weeks holiday
• Buying and selling holiday scheme
• Payroll giving
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Shopping discounts
• Colleague wellbeing benefits …and much more.

By the end of your development, you’ll have gained professional HR qualifications, a breadth of experience across the HR function, and the business and behavioural skills needed to support your future success.

We want to ensure that all employees, future employees, and applicants to all Kingfisher companies are treated equally regardless of age, gender, marital or civil partnership status, colour, ethnic or national origin, culture, religious belief, philosophical belief, political opinion, disability, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.

Find out more about us, including the benefits we offer and our community, sustainability, and inclusion projects at bandqcareers.com.

If you require any additional support or adjustments to help you make an application, please contact us at:

ssorecruitment@b-and-q.co.uk