Human Resources Business Partner in Newcastle upon Tyne

SoPost is a pioneering digital sampling company that connects brands with consumers in innovative and meaningful ways. Our mission is to make it easier for brands to engage with their audience through personalised and data-driven sampling solutions. We work with more than 200 different brands, including the largest beauty and FMCG groups. In 2020, we ranked in the top 50 of the Sunday Times Tech Track 100, and since then, our growth trajectory has been significant. 2022 brought great pride when we were awarded the 'Advanced Good Work Pledge', and in 2023, we were presented with the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade. In 2024, we were also thrilled to have been named in the Sunday Times Top 100 Places to Work.

We believe that it is not just our technology which sets us apart but also our people and we have an ambition to build a team of the most talented individuals in our industry.

The Role

We are looking for a superstar HR Business Partner who has experience across a broad range of HR activities, ideally from within an SME organisation and is now looking for the next step to grow their career. If you are a self-starter who can bring great ideas and creativity and enable us to enhance our employer brand, maximise our talent, level up performance and execute plans quickly and effectively, this role could be for you...

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all recruitment activities within the Group, including liaising with hiring managers to set role briefs, hiring timelines and identify key stakeholders, as well as managing candidate pipeline and interview scheduling.
• Manage the onboarding process for new hires, ensuring they enjoy the best possible experience of joining SoPost.
• Co-ordinate our employee engagement survey (twice yearly) programme, administering the survey, collating responses and disseminating to the leadership team, along with all company follow up on key actions arising.
• Lead continuous improvement and formalisation of our HR policies, including the staff handbook, and communicate key updates to the wider team.
• Business Partnering to individuals with people management responsibilities.
• Lead performance management process, ensuring 100% compliance and early intervention for any non-performing individuals. Provide advice and guidance to managers around managing performance and any grievance related issues.
• Act as a conduit to our employment law advisers (external) as required.
• Manage monthly payroll process, identifying payroll changes and reviewing final output pre-commitment.
• Oversee the salary review process, collaborating with the Finance Team, including creation of salary schedules and collation of raise proposals from people managers to present to SLT.
• Act as a representative of the HR function and collaborate closely with other functional leads within the organisation.
• Manage the learning and development initiatives and budget, allocating funds appropriately and administer the ongoing training programmes in place.
• Regularly report to the senior leadership team on KPI metrics which demonstrate impact of HR-related activity.
• Report on people metrics as part of our ongoing CSR reporting requirements.

Requirements

• At least 2 years of generalist experience in an HR business partnering role within an SME.
• Up to date knowledge of current employment legislation, trends and HR approaches.
• Exemplary communication skills and the ability to present information in a compelling and effective manner to all levels of employee.
• Creative and innovative thinker with the ability to bring fresh ideas and insight.
• Proactive and self-starting with the enthusiasm and drive to work autonomously while also knowing when to collaborate with other stakeholders/teams.
• Adaptable and capable of dealing with multiple priorities.
• Driven and ambitious, with the desire to work and succeed in a fast growth environment.

Desired Skills

• Experience of working within a technology-led organisation.
• Experience of working within a company with a multi-site, international representation. US and France / Germany preferred.
• Experience of successfully leading strategic projects within an HR function.

Benefits

• 28 days of Annual Leave, which includes the period between Christmas and New Year when all SoPost offices are closed.
• One "Life Moment" day per year of additional leave, which you can define. It could be your child's first day at school, a house move or your birthday.
• Quarterly Wellness Allowance.
• After 5 & 10 years, (in your 6th and 11th years) you have the opportunity to take a four week, fully paid sabbatical, with a generous contribution from SoPost towards whatever you have planned.
• Commitment to growing your professional development and a training budget to support that commitment.
• Eligibility for our flexible working arrangement, giving you the power to manage your time and place of work.
• SoPost Me Anywhere - work anywhere in the world for two weeks each year.
• Medical cash plan — a health benefit that helps cover the cost of routine healthcare by reimbursing you for everyday essentials like dental care, optical appointments, and physiotherapy.
• Employee Assistance Programme — 24/7 access to confidential support, counselling services, and expert guidance on wellbeing, finances, and mental health.

Hiring Process

The hiring process may change slightly depending on a number of factors. It is generally a multi-step process as indicated. If you pass one stage, you will proceed to the next. We believe that the successful recruitment for any role at SoPost is as much about giving you the opportunity to find out about us and our company as it is about us finding out about you and your capabilities. We want you to be as excited about joining SoPost as we are about being here.

With that philosophy in mind, we will be running the following selection process to ensure that each candidate is given a comprehensive view of what we are all about. Please note that applications are reviewed and interviews are conducted on a rolling basis, so don’t wait to apply! Please let a member of the team know if you require any adjustments to the process, or include this in your application form.

Stage 1: A video call with the CFO to review your CV and find out about your motivations for applying.

Stage 2: A Panel Interview with the Senior Leadership Team which will include a brief assessment task to present.

References & Offer: We will make a formal offer, subject to references. This role is UK-based and starting employment will be conditional on the candidate's right to work in the UK. Visa sponsorship by SoPost is not available. We are committed to the fair treatment of its employees, potential employees and users of our services, regardless of offending background. We are required to carry out a basic criminal check as part of our pre-employment checks. A written policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders is available on request. We reserve the right to close this vacancy when we receive a sufficient amount of applications.