HR Business Partner

Location: Bordering Mid and West Kent (Hybrid working)

Employment type: Permanent, Full-time

Salary: £45,000 - £50,000 DOE + Benefits

Are you an experienced HR professional who thrives in a fast-paced, operational environment? Do you know how to balance doing the right thing for people with the commercial needs of the business? Are you confident leading on employee relations while continuously improving how HR is delivered?

We are very excited to be partnering with a well-established, manufacturing business with a deep heritage and a forward-thinking approach to people. The UK operation forms part of a wider global group. It is a collaborative, friendly team environment. The culture is one of professionalism, accountability and mutual respect. It’s a busy, hands-on role, working with an interesting, diverse workforce, across multi-sites, where relationships matter and HR plays a visible, valued role in supporting the business.

The role is a broad, operational HR Business Partner role with a strong focus on Employee Relations, HR Operations and Talent. You will act as a trusted partner to managers and employees, providing clear, pragmatic advice while ensuring HR processes are efficient, compliant and aligned to business needs. Alongside this, there is a growing emphasis on improving service delivery through better use of systems, data and emerging technologies, including AI.

Key areas of responsibility:

• Lead on a full range of ER matters including disciplinary, grievance, performance and absence management
• Provide commercially sound, practical advice aligned to UK employment law
• Support and lead investigations, ensuring consistency and fairness
• Coach managers to build capability and confidence in handling people matters
• Deliver a high-quality, consistent HR service across the employee lifecycle
• Own and continuously improve HR processes, policies and documentation
• Manage occupational health relationships and absence processes
• Use HR data and metrics to support decision-making
• Manage end-to-end recruitment processes from role scoping through to onboarding
• Partner with hiring managers to deliver efficient, high-quality hiring outcomes
• Manage agency relationships and support workforce planning activity
• Explore and implement digital and AI-enabled solutions to enhance HR delivery
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes and improve user experience
• Use data to spot trends, risks and opportunities across HR and recruitment

About you:

You will be an experienced HR professional (Senior HR Advisor, hands-on HR Manager or current HRBP) with a strong operational foundation and a confident, calm approach. You’ll bring:

• Proven experience managing employee relations in a UK environment
• Strong HR operations and recruitment experience
• A sound understanding of UK employment law
• The ability to build credible relationships with stakeholders at all levels
• A calm, pragmatic approach, particularly in sensitive situations
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to operate at pace
• An interest in how technology and AI can enhance HR
• CIPD Level 5 (or equivalent) is desirable.
• Experience within a manufacturing or operational environment would be advantageous, but not essential.

Why join?

This is a role where you can make a tangible impact, you will shape how HR supports the business day-to-day, while contributing to longer-term improvements in systems, processes and capability. You’ll be part of a business that combines international reach with a genuine team ethos, a place where people know each other, support each other, and take pride in what they do. If you’re looking for a role where you can add value, build trusted relationships and operate at the centre of a busy, people-focused business, we’d be pleased to hear from you.

To apply:

Please send your CV to Cressida Courtney or follow the link to apply online.