HR Manager in Bristol

Are you a HR Manager looking for a role where you can partner closely with leaders? Do you give commercially focused, pragmatic HR guidance that drives accountability, business performance and people outcomes? As a key member of the HR Management Team, the HR Manager for CS&D will support organisational effectiveness, employee relations, workforce planning, change management, leadership capability and employee engagement across the Customer Services and Distribution workforce.

A central part of your role is to ensure that people management responsibilities are owned by line managers, with HR providing professional advice, coaching, guidance and challenge. You'll need to be confident coaching and challenging managers to build leadership capability, manage employee relations, support organisational change, and deliver effective workforce planning and engagement initiatives. A significant focus will be on the people agenda for the CS&D Investment Project, supporting the development of the new Avonmouth distribution centre and the transition of the workforce into the new facility. This includes workforce planning, organisational design, communications, consultation, change management and employee engagement. You'll also oversee employee representative and Trade Union relationships within the Warehouse and Transport functions, ensuring matters are handled constructively and consistently. Regular travel between Trowbridge, Portbury and Avonmouth offers the opportunity to build strong relationships across the business.

Responsibilities

• Be the dedicated HR Manager for Customer Services & Distribution. Maintain a visible presence and build strong relationships with CS&D leaders to identify workforce challenges and opportunities, including workforce planning, organisational design, succession planning, retention and talent development.
• Collaborate with the Director of HR and wider HR team to deliver a consistent people agenda, ensuring all activity aligns with company policies, values, governance standards and employment legislation.
• Provide balanced, commercial and pragmatic HR advice and challenge that supports operational objectives while maintaining compliance, organisational standards and best practice.
• Escalate and manage significant people risks, complex employee relations matters and strategic workforce issues in line with agreed HR direction.
• Coach and support managers to confidently lead their teams, strengthening capability across performance, engagement, conduct, absence and employee development.
• Provide expert advice and support on employee relations (including disciplinary, grievance, capability, performance, absence, flexible working and appeals) to enable managers to resolve people issues promptly, fairly and in line with company policy and employment law, with minimal risk to the business.
• Work with managers to identify and manage people related risks. Develop and implement people plans that support business change.
• Act as the lead HR representative for the CS&D Investment Project to ensure people implications are considered and planned for throughout the project lifecycle.
• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching and development support to the Portbury-based HR Advisor.
• Ensure HR activity is delivered in line with company policies, procedures, values and governance requirements.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, succession planning and retention activities across CS&D in partnership with Recruitment and Learning & Development teams.

About you

• Proven experience as an HR Manager, HR Business Partner or Senior HR Generalist within a complex, multi-site operational environment.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law, HR best practice, governance and people-related risk management.
• Significant experience managing complex employee relations cases and supporting consultation, organisational change and business transformation.
• Excellent coaching and influencing skills, with the confidence to build manager capability, encourage accountability and challenge appropriately.
• Commercial awareness and the ability to build credibility with senior stakeholders while maintaining professional objectivity.
• Strong communication and organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities, work independently and occasionally support out-of-hours requirements.

Company Benefits

• Competitive salary – accredited Living Wage employer
• 25 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays
• Option to purchase up to 5 additional days holiday per year
• Discretionary annual bonus scheme
• Pension scheme - employer matched contributions up to 4%
• Life assurance scheme worth at least 1x annual salary
• Subsidised canteen
• Free parking
• Free turkey or voucher at Christmas
• apetito perks scheme including salary sacrifice options and retail discounts

As a family-owned business, we take great pride in being a company that makes a real difference and is dedicated to creating outstanding meals to be proud of. We develop a range of products designed to enhance health and well-being for all our customers. We are driven by a passion for service and dedicated to feeding some of the UK’s most vulnerable people.