HR Generalist (12 month Contract)

At Azenta, new ideas, new technologies and new ways of thinking are driving our future. Our customer focused culture encourages employees to embrace innovation and challenge the status quo with novel thinking and collaborative work relationships. All we accomplish is grounded in our core values of Customer Focus, Achievement, Accountability, Teamwork, Employee Value and Integrity.

Purpose of the Role

The HR Generalist is responsible for delivering proactive and efficient HR support across the Consumables & Instruments (C&I) business. Acting as the first point of contact for employees and managers, the role provides operational HR support throughout the employee lifecycle while partnering closely with the HR Business Partner on strategic people initiatives.

The HR Generalist will manage day-to-day HR activities including employee relations, recruitment, onboarding, absence management, payroll coordination, HR data management, policy guidance, and employee engagement activities. The role will also drive consistency of HR processes, improve employee experience, and support compliance with UK employment legislation and company policies.

Key Responsibilities

• Employee Lifecycle Management
  • Manage onboarding and offboarding activities from offer acceptance through to induction and termination.
  • Coordinate probation reviews and ensure completion within required timescales.
  • Support managers with employee lifecycle processes and HR administration.
  • Maintain accurate employee records within Workday and associated HR systems and completing HR audits and reporting activities.
• Employee Relations
  • Provide first-line advice and guidance to managers and employees on HR policies and procedures.
  • Support absence management, return-to-work processes, flexible working requests, disciplinary matters, grievances, capability reviews, and performance management.
  • Support workplace investigations and ensure fair and consistent application of policies.
  • Promote employee engagement and wellbeing initiatives.
  • Prepare documentation and support HR case management activities.
  • Escalate complex employee relations matters to the HR Business Partner where appropriate.
  • Support organisational change activities and consultation processes.
• Recruitment and Onboarding
  • Support recruitment activities across the C&I business, including sourcing talent using direct sourcing methods.
  • Ownership of assigned job postings and special projects within the team, strategic planning and implementation of improvement activities in line with our employer branding.
  • Coordinate requisition approvals, interview scheduling, candidate communications, and onboarding processes.
  • Monitor open positions and recruitment activity.
  • Work with our candidate management tool in Workday.
  • Deliver effective onboarding and induction program.
  • Partner with external recruitment on temporary workers.
• Payroll
  • Act as the liaison between HR, Payroll, and managers to ensure employee changes are processed accurately.
  • Submit payroll-related changes including starters, leavers, salary changes, overtime adjustments, and absence-related updates.
• HR Systems, Reporting and Compliance
  • Maintain data accuracy within Workday and related systems.
  • Produce regular HR reports and analysis relating to headcount, vacancies, turnover, absence, overtime, and workforce metrics.
  • Support internal and external audit requirements.
  • Ensure compliance with GDPR, UK employment law, and company policies.
  • Monitor completion of mandatory HR activities and compliance training.
• Performance and Talent Management
  • Monitor completion of appraisal and development activities.
  • Coordinate learning and development activities.
• Compliance and Policy
  • Ensure compliance with UK employment legislation and internal policies.
  • Support implementation of HR policies and procedures.
  • Monitor legislative developments and recommend policy updates where appropriate.
  • Maintain appropriate documentation and records for compliance purposes.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Essential
  • CIPD Level 3 qualified (or working towards).
  • Previous experience in HR role.
  • Working knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
  • Experience supporting employee relations cases.
  • Strong organisational and administrative skills.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office applications.
• Desirable
  • Experience using Workday or a similar HRIS.
  • Experience supporting manufacturing, operations, or multi-site environments.
  • Experience of HR reporting.

Key Competencies

• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Problem solving and conflict resolution
• Confidentiality and integrity
• Attention to detail
• Customer focus
• Time management and organisation
• Relationship building and influencing
• Continuous improvement mindset

If any applicant is unable to complete an application or respond to a job opening because of a disability, please email at Recruiting@azenta.com for assistance. Azenta is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This company considers candidates regardless of race, color, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.