HR Business Partner in Hitchin

Primary Location: BIGGLESWADE, United Kingdom. At Solina, our community of close to 5,000 people share a passion for food and live our entrepreneurial culture. We design customised savoury solutions for our clients operating in the food industry, food service, butchery and nutrition markets. With sustainability at the heart of our business model, we aim to produce food that is good in every sense of the word: delicious, nourishing, affordable, sustainable and convenient. Solina is a fast‐growing business, with around 50 production sites and R&D laboratories present in more than 19 countries mainly in Europe and North America. By constantly rethinking culinary solutions, we make food matter for people and the planet.

If you’re ready for a new adventure in a dynamic, expanding, passionate, international company, join us!

Who are we looking for?

The HR Business Partner serves as a strategic link between the HR function and site leadership, ensuring that HR strategies and operations are aligned with the overall business objectives and goals. This role focuses on fostering a high‐performing and engaged workforce by providing operational HR support and guidance to site leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic and operational HR partnering: collaborating with business leaders to create and implement HR strategies that align with organisational goals and drive business performance. This includes aligning people strategies with commercial objectives to enhance engagement and overall business success.
• Maintaining positive employee relations: ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations, specifically within the context of the UK and the food industry. Providing expert advice on issues such as performance management, grievances, disciplinary actions, and sickness absence, while also ensuring the organisation adheres to employment law, internal policies, and food safety regulations. Supporting audits by maintaining proper documentation and processes.
• Leading talent and performance management activities: managing succession planning and talent reviews to ensure a strong leadership pipeline and workforce stability; driving the performance management cycle, providing support to managers, and facilitating employee capability development.
• Recruitment & Retention: attracting and securing top talent at all levels while working to reduce employee turnover and improve retention rates, especially within operational teams.
• Learning, Development & Culture: identifying training needs and implementing learning pathways. Championing DE&I and wellbeing to build an inclusive, safe, supportive and resilient culture.
• Change Management: providing HR leadership in organisational change initiatives, restructures, and continuous improvement projects. Coaching managers through change processes with a focus on communication and employee engagement.
• HR Data & Analytics: analysing HR metrics to identify trends, risks, and opportunities. Presenting data‐driven insights to influence workforce planning and decision‐making.

Candidate Profile

• CIPD Level 5 in HR or related field.
• Proven experience as an HR Business Partner, ideally within the food manufacturing or FMCG sector.
• Experience working with a high degree of confidentiality.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practices.
• Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work in a fast‐paced dynamic environment.
• Strong problem‐solving and decision‐making skills.
• Proficient in HR systems (e.g. Workday, Cascade, Power BI) and Microsoft Office.
• Experience of HR projects and change management.
• Coaching or mentoring experience.
• Willingness to suggest and explore ways of improving existing processes and systems.

Benefits

Competitive benefit package.

EEO Statement

We are open to talents of all backgrounds. Our recruitment process is based on competences, and we openly welcome all candidates of all types according to our DEI Commitment.