UK & EU HR Business Partner in Milton Keynes

At Routeco, our vision is to be Europe’s leading industrial automation and controls specialist. We combine seamless customer experience with unmatched technical expertise to create lasting partnerships that make a real difference to businesses and people. This is Routeco Know-How.

As part of the Sonepar Group—the largest B2B electrical distributor globally—we offer the stability and scale of a global organisation, while staying firmly rooted in the UK market. We’re committed to shaping a forward-thinking future, valuing professionalism, agility and teamwork every step of the way, with customers at the centre of every decision.

This role forms part of the Sonepar UK people team, specifically focussed on Routeco’s UK and European entities in the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, and Switzerland. As a champion of Routeco Group and Sonepar’s wider people strategy, you will play a key role in delivering consistent, high-quality HR practices across Europe.

You will support both the associate experience and business growth by ensuring effective HR systems, processes, and initiatives are embedded across all locations. Working closely with the UK People Team and European Leadership, you’ll provide expert HR guidance across the full employee lifecycle — from recruitment and development to reward and day-to-day people matters — ensuring a cohesive and commercially aligned HR service.

Success in this role will depend on your ability to build strong, value-adding relationships with regional leaders and local HR teams, operating as a true Business Partner who aligns people strategy with business outcomes. You will also collaborate across Sonepar’s European HR network, sharing best practice, strengthening capability, and driving continuous improvement.

What you’ll be doing

• Ensure full compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements across Routeco’s European entities, maintaining up-to-date knowledge of employment law and reducing legal risk.
• Partner with local legal advisers where required to support complex employee relations matters and ensure best practice.
• Act as a trusted advisor to managers, providing guidance on performance management and supporting the rollout of global performance frameworks, policies and tools.
• Use people data and insights to contribute to quarterly and annual reporting, including trends, metrics and KPIs to inform business decisions.
• Support talent acquisition, development and succession planning to build future capability across the region.
• Drive associate engagement initiatives, including supporting ‘stay’ interviews and analysing exit trends, sharing insights with European leadership.
• Coordinate the delivery of a compliant and competitive European benefits offering, aligned to both local requirements and group standards.
• Promote associate wellbeing, Diversity & Inclusion and Purpose initiatives, ensuring alignment with Routeco Group while respecting local cultural needs.
• Work closely with Finance to ensure accurate and timely payroll delivery across all European entities.
• Contribute to pay benchmarking and reward reviews, helping ensure competitive and innovative salary and benefits packages across Europe.

What do you need to bring to Routeco?

• Minimum 5 years’ HR experience across Talent Acquisition, Benefits and Compensation, overseeing high level disciplinary, grievance, performance management, and appeal procedures.
• Strong knowledge of UK and wider European HR practices, with multi-country experience preferred.
• Degree in HR/Business (or related) and CIPD qualified (Graduate level).
• Fluent English; additional European languages (French, German, Dutch) advantageous.
• Proven customer focus with high attention to detail and ability to handle confidential information.
• Strong analytical, organisational, problem-solving and communication skills.
• Ability to use data to inform evidence-based people decisions.
• Experience managing workload independently in a hybrid environment, maintaining team alignment and stakeholder communication.
• Comfortable managing crisis/emergency HR situations.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Copilot) and digital tools.
• Willingness to travel.

What can we offer you

• Base salary: A competitive basic salary + bonus.
• Generous Time Off: Start with 25 days of annual leave, increasing with length of service up to 30 days with the option to flex up/down 5 days.
• Long Service Rewards: Celebrate your milestones with special gifts and up to 5 extra holiday days in your anniversary year.
• Wellness Benefits: Access a health and wellbeing cashback scheme.
• BUPA Cover: Medical disregard for our associates.
• Financial Security: life assurance coverage at 2x your salary.
• Free Shares: you will be eligible to receive free shares after completing 3 years of service.
• Pension Plan: Join our Group personal pension plan with a 5% employer contribution.
• Continuous Learning: 1 hour of protected development every week to enhance your skills.
• Family-Friendly Leave: Enhanced maternity and paternity leave.
• Recognition: Discretionary ‘on the spot’ and value-based awards for outstanding performance.
• Volunteer Time Off & Workplace giving: Get paid time off for participating in our volunteering programs and contribute to meaningful causes.
• Exclusive Discounts: Access the Associate Discounts Portal for savings.
• Referral Bonuses: Earn financial reward for referring talented individuals.
• Cycle Scheme: Access to salary sacrifice Cycle Scheme.
• Wellbeing Support and Employee Assistance: Access a 24/7 support program through Unum, and Mental Health First Aiders.
• Fitness Benefits: Enjoy gym membership discounts.

At Routeco, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. If you're interested but don't meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply—you might still be a great match. Please inform us of any needed adjustments to the recruitment process when applying.

We use blind CVs. We're GEISS accredited. We're a registered Member of Inclusive Employers. We have internal focus groups on Mental Health, Menopause, D&I and more. We're proud to publish our diversity aims and figures so everyone can see our great work!

Are you ready to make a difference? Apply now.