HR Assistant

Salary: £29,500 – £35,000 annually pro rata, dependent on experience

Working hours: Full-time/Part time – 35 hours per week

Contract: Permanent contract

Location: Ratho, Edinburgh / Hybrid-working

Closing Date for Applications: Thursday, 13 August 2026 at 12 noon.

In person interviews for this role will take place w/c Monday, 17 August 2026.

Prior to any employment commencing with Scotland Food & Drink you will be asked to provide documents to demonstrate your right to work in the UK.

Help Shape Scotland’s Food and Drink Future

At Scotland Food & Drink, we lead and support the growth of the food and drink sector, working with partners and policymakers to drive responsible, sustainable growth. We are also a membership organisation, representing more than 420+ companies at the heart of one of Scotland’s most exciting and innovative industries. At Scotland Food & Drink, we are ambitious about making a difference and believe the best results come from collaboration. We champion innovation and continuous improvement, celebrate success, and stay authentic to our values through honesty and integrity. Just as importantly, we value balance, supporting our people to thrive at work and beyond. If you’re passionate about making a difference and want to help shape the future of Scotland’s food and drink industry, we would love to hear from you.

Job Summary

As our HR Assistant, you will play a vital role in the day-to-day running of our HR function, supporting employees at Scotland Food & Drink with a wide range of HR processes and tasks. From maintaining accurate employee records to handling sensitive and confidential information with the utmost professionalism, you will be someone who understands that getting the detail right matters. You will act as a key point of contact for HR queries, helping to create a collaborative, inclusive and supportive working environment that reflects our People Strategy and wider organisational goals. You will work closely with the HR Business Partner and the wider team, bringing your own initiative, warmth and expertise to everything you do. We are looking for an experienced HR Assistant who brings a solid grounding in HR practice, a proactive approach and the confidence to manage their workload, takes ownership of their work and is ready to make a meaningful contribution to an organisation that is passionate about Scotland's food and drink industry and the people within it.

About the Role

Your day-to-day responsibilities may include but are not limited to:

• HR Data Management and Administrative support: Maintain and take ownership of HR systems, including holiday and absence records, employee files, induction documents and company documents, ensuring accuracy and compliance at all times. Independently produce HR data analysis, reporting, and employee communications such as letters, promotions, leavers, and organisational charts using established templates and good judgement, without requiring step by step supervision. Monitor and create purchase orders as required. Maintain accurate employee records and ensure compliance with data protection and safeguarding requirements.
• Recruitment: Take ownership of the recruitment process including advertising vacancies, collating applications, arranging interviews and managing offers, contracts and references from start to finish.
• Employee Onboarding & Offboarding: Independently carry out a range of onboarding and offboarding procedures to ensure accurate, efficient and timely completion. Organise induction programmes and liaise with IT department for new starter equipment. Oversee the full leaver process, including exit interviews, property returns, system access termination, and issuing termination paperwork.
• Employee Relations & Support: Act as the first point of contact for day-to-day HR queries from employees and managers, providing accurate, confident and timely responses and knowing when to elevate more complex matters to the HR Business Partner. Manage straightforward investigations, disciplinary matters, grievances, and long-term absence cases, independently and confidently, escalating to the HR Business Partner where appropriate, ensuring fair and consistent processes throughout. Provide clear and consistent guidance to managers on HR policies, processes and procedures. Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion across the organisation. Support wellbeing initiatives, including creating newsletters and informative materials on mental health to engage and educate employees.
• HR Systems & Compliance: Take ownership of the organisation's policies and procedures and codes of conduct relevant to own work, ensuring all activity is undertaken to the required standards without the need for constant supervision. Track renewals for compliance documents and mandatory training. Lead on internal auditing in accordance with company policies and procedures.

About You

You are able to work independently and use sound judgement to manage competing priorities and resolve routine HR queries, whilst knowing when to seek guidance from the HR Business Partner. You are able to build positive working relationships with employees at all levels. You confidently analyse data from multiple sources to draw appropriate conclusions and make well‑informed recommendations with minimal guidance. You take ownership of acquiring, organising, protecting and processing data to fulfil business objectives, whilst operating within agreed frameworks and processes. You communicate confidently and professionally with employees at all levels, both verbally and in writing, explaining processes clearly and seeking support from the HR Business Partner on more complex matters. You proactively plan, organise, prioritise and oversee activities to efficiently meet business objectives, demonstrating strong time management and the ability to manage a varied workload with a good degree of autonomy. You are proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint) and are able to learn and use HR systems quickly and confidently. You confidently analyse data trends for use in reports to help guide decision making, presenting findings clearly to the HR Business Partner. You have a good working knowledge of UK employment law and data protection principles (GDPR). You ensure accuracy in all administrative tasks, data handling and reporting, and take full ownership of producing and issuing HR documentation including contracts of employment, contract extensions, variation letters, probation letters and leaver correspondence, working within established templates and processes. You are proactive and experienced enough to manage your workload confidently and professionally, whilst working collaboratively within the wider business services function and escalating appropriately. CIPD Level 3 Certificate in People Practice or equivalent HR qualification is required. Candidates who are currently working towards their CIPD Level 3 qualification will also be considered.

About Scotland Food & Drink

Scotland Food & Drink is the industry leadership organisation tasked with delivering the industry strategy and driving responsible growth for the sector. We are also a membership organisation with over 420+ companies at our heart. Working with us gives you an opportunity to be part of one of the most exciting and innovative industries in Scotland. Our culture and our people are core to delivering our diverse and collaborative work. We have work/life balance as one of our core values and a comprehensive benefits package including, a group pension plan, 35 days annual leave (in addition to your birthday off), enhanced maternity & paternity benefits, a health care cash plan, a flexible working policy, an electric vehicle scheme, a cycle to work scheme, a life assurance scheme, professional study & training assistance, an employee assistance programme and wellness events. There is also opportunities to socialise and attend industry events and dinner. We believe working with us should be a hugely positive experience, our core values are: Ambition– We pursue excellence with unwavering ambition. Collaboration – We believe in the power of working together. Innovation – We embrace a culture of continuous improvement and creativity. Celebration – We believe in recognising and celebrating achievements. Authenticity – We are committed to honesty, transparency, and integrity. Balance – We believe in finding balance between work and the rest of our lives. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we recognise that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive. We support candidates with reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please let us know when applying if you will require any additional support.

Apply Now

Please send your CV and covering letter, or any questions you have regarding the role to: careers@foodanddrink.scot with the title of the job you are applying for in the subject line.