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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Drive people strategy and support leaders in a dynamic manufacturing environment.
- Company: Join Surface Transforms, a leader in carbon-ceramic brake innovation.
- Benefits: Attractive salary, 25 days leave, birthday off, and employee support.
- Other info: Opportunities for internal promotions and career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on workplace culture and employee engagement.
- Qualifications: Experience in HR or People Partner roles, ideally in manufacturing.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 45000 £ per year.
Who are we
Surface Transforms are world leading in the design, development and manufacture of carbon-ceramic brakes for high performance and luxury automotive sector. Here at Surface Transforms, our vision is mobility through braking innovation and our mission is to 'Innovate and develop a sustainable, world leading, high performance braking system that redefine the limits of mobility. Investing in our people to drive excellence & create lasting value.
Our Values:
- Leadership – United, decisive and recognising success
- Collaboration – Support others, listen with intent and challenge each other
- Communication – Ask why, be inclusive and adapt your methods
- Ambition – Be bold, believe and be irrepressible
- Excellence – Strive for brilliant, achieve high standards and continually improve
- Trust – Be real, trust yourself and support others
We are looking for a proactive and commercially minded People Partner to join our People team. Acting as a trusted advisor to operational and functional leaders, you'll drive a people strategy that supports productivity, capability, and culture across our manufacturing environment. This role blends strategic partnership with hands-on delivery, ensuring we have the talent, engagement, and organisational effectiveness needed to achieve our commercial goals.
What you'll be doing as our People Partner:
- Partner with leaders to shape and deliver people plans aligned to business priorities such as productivity, quality, safety, and growth.
- Use workforce data and insights to identify trends, risks, and opportunities that inform decision-making.
- Support organisational design, workforce planning, and succession planning.
- Provide expert guidance on employee relations matters, ensuring fair, consistent, and compliant outcomes.
- Coach managers to confidently handle day-to-day people issues.
- Champion a positive, inclusive, high-performance culture across shop floor and office environments.
- Support initiatives that strengthen employee engagement and retention.
- Drive effective performance management through clear expectations, feedback, and development conversations.
- Advise on reward, benefits, and recognition approaches suited to an SME environment.
- Promote wellbeing initiatives tailored to manufacturing shift patterns and physical work demands.
- Support change initiatives including restructures, process improvements, and technology implementation.
- Contribute to continuous improvement of People processes, systems, and ways of working.
The Skills, Knowledge and Experience you will need as our People Partner:
- Proven experience in a generalist HR Advisory or People Partner role, ideally within manufacturing, engineering, or similar operational environments.
- Strong understanding of UK employment law and HR best practice.
- Confidence working with shop floor teams, supervisors, and senior leaders.
- Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on delivery.
- Skilled in coaching, influencing, and building trusted relationships.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced SME environment with evolving processes.
- Data literate with the ability to interpret metrics and present insights.
Need to have:
- CIPD Level 5 (or above) qualification or equivalent experience.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
- Demonstrated ability to support organisational change and improvement initiatives.
- Experience in manufacturing or engineering sectors.
- Experience supporting organisational design or workforce planning projects.
You'll have these personal attributes:
- Pragmatic, solutions-focused, and commercially aware.
- Approachable and credible with employees at all levels.
- Resilient, adaptable, and comfortable with ambiguity.
- Passionate about people development and organisational culture.
- Proactive, self-starting, and able to work independently.
What we'll give you in return:
- Attractive salary
- 25 Days Annual Leave + Bank holidays
- Extra day Annual Leave for your birthday
- A confidential employee assistance helpline covering physical and emotional support
- Jobs are promoted internally providing job transfer opportunities
- Death in service scheme
Hours: Monday – Thursday 8am – 5pm, Friday 8am – 2.30pm
Salary: £40,000 - £45,000
People Partner in Kirkby employer: Surface Transforms
Contact Detail:
Surface Transforms Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land People Partner in Kirkby
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, or even reach out to current employees at Surface Transforms on LinkedIn. Building relationships can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews by researching the company culture and values. Understand what makes Surface Transforms tick and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their mission of innovation and excellence. Show them you’re not just another candidate!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! You want to be able to confidently explain how your skills and experiences make you the perfect fit for the People Partner role. Keep it concise, engaging, and relevant to what they’re looking for.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining the Surface Transforms team.
We think you need these skills to ace People Partner in Kirkby
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to reflect the specific skills and experiences that align with the People Partner role. Highlight your understanding of HR practices in manufacturing and how you can contribute to our mission at Surface Transforms.
Showcase Your People Skills: We want to see your ability to build relationships and influence others. Use examples from your past experiences where you've successfully coached managers or supported teams, as this is key for the People Partner position.
Be Data Savvy: Since the role involves using workforce data to inform decisions, mention any experience you have with interpreting metrics and presenting insights. This will show us that you're not just a people person but also someone who can drive results through data.
Apply Through Our Website: Don't forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. We can’t wait to see what you bring to the table!
How to prepare for a job interview at Surface Transforms
✨Know the Company Inside Out
Before your interview, dive deep into Surface Transforms' mission and values. Understand their focus on innovation in braking systems and how they invest in their people. This knowledge will help you align your answers with their goals and demonstrate your genuine interest.
✨Showcase Your People Skills
As a People Partner, your ability to build relationships is key. Prepare examples of how you've successfully coached managers or handled employee relations. Highlight your experience in fostering a positive culture and how you can bring that to their team.
✨Be Data Savvy
Since the role involves using workforce data to inform decisions, brush up on your data interpretation skills. Be ready to discuss how you've used metrics in past roles to identify trends or improve processes. This will show you're not just strategic but also hands-on.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving abilities in real-world situations. Think about challenges you've faced in HR or people management, and prepare structured responses that showcase your pragmatic and solutions-focused approach.