Human Resources Partner in Newport

Our client is looking for an experienced HR Officer / HR Business Partner to join an established and highly supportive HR team, providing hands-on HR support across a multi-site operation throughout the West Midlands and surrounding areas. This is a permanent, full-time position offering up to £50,000 depending on experience, along with a company car and fuel card or car allowance and a clear progression and succession pathway.

This is very much a practical, operational HR role. We are looking for someone who is comfortable being visible on site, working directly with managers, supervisors and employees and handling real employee relations issues within a busy industrial and engineering environment.

You will provide HR support to a workforce of approximately 300 employees across multiple operational sites. Your responsibilities will include:

• Acting as a trusted HR adviser to managers, supervisors and employees
• Taking ownership of employee relations cases including disciplinary, grievance, absence, conduct, capability, performance and wellbeing
• Handling sensitive and sometimes challenging face-to-face conversations confidently and professionally
• Coaching operational managers and supervisors through HR issues and helping them manage situations effectively
• Providing practical advice based on employment law, company policy and the realities of a busy operational environment
• Supporting the full employee lifecycle from recruitment and onboarding through to development, retention and offboarding
• Working closely with the Internal Recruitment Coordinator to ensure recruitment and onboarding processes run smoothly
• Monitoring absence and employee trends and identifying opportunities to improve attendance, engagement and retention
• Maintaining accurate HR records and ensuring GDPR compliance
• Producing HR reports and people metrics to support management decisions
• Supporting employee engagement, reward, recognition and wellbeing initiatives
• Contributing to wider HR projects and the company's People Strategy

It is important that applicants understand that this isn't a purely office-based or policy-focused HR position. You'll be supporting an industrial and engineering workforce where HR needs to be practical, visible and approachable. You'll regularly be on site dealing directly with employees, supervisors and managers, resolving issues and providing commercially sensible HR advice.

The successful person will therefore be someone who enjoys hands-on employee relations, is confident having difficult conversations and can build credibility with operational teams. Previous experience within engineering, manufacturing, construction, logistics, industrial recruitment or another operational environment would be particularly valuable.

Candidates whose experience has been predominantly within a corporate head-office environment will need to demonstrate strong exposure to operational and face-to-face employee relations.

This is a genuinely multi-site position, so applicants must be comfortable travelling regularly as part of their working week. The role will be based from either Solihull or Smethwick, with responsibility for sites across:

• Solihull
• Smethwick
• Wolverhampton
• Walsall
• Nuneaton
• Telford – typically one day per week
• Stockport
• Mansfield

Travel is recognised as part of the working day, and the business takes a flexible and sensible approach to working hours. Standard hours are approximately 9:00am–5:30pm, although individual sites operate slightly differently. Meetings are generally arranged from around 10:00am onwards where travel is required, with flexibility around finishing times. HR is naturally responsive, so there may occasionally be situations requiring support outside of typical hours; flexibility works both ways and this is recognised by the business.

We are looking for someone operating at HR Officer, HR Adviser, HR Business Partner or HR Manager level who has strong practical employee relations experience. Ideally, you'll have:

• CIPD Level 3 as a minimum
• Strong hands-on HR experience within an industrial, engineering, manufacturing, construction, logistics or similarly operational environment
• Excellent employee relations experience
• Confidence managing disciplinary, grievance, absence, conduct and performance cases
• Strong knowledge of UK employment legislation and HR best practice
• The ability to communicate confidently with employees, supervisors, managers and senior leadership
• A pragmatic and commercially aware approach to HR
• The confidence to challenge managers constructively when required
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple sites and priorities
• Full UK Driving Licence
• Right to work in the UK

While CIPD Level 3 is the minimum requirement, strong practical industrial HR experience is particularly important. The business is also happy to support the successful candidate in progressing through CIPD Level 5 and potentially Level 7 as part of their ongoing development.

Salary & Benefits:

• Up to £50,000 per annum, depending on experience
• Company car and fuel card or car allowance
• Access to the company's salary sacrifice scheme after six months
• 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays
• 5% employer pension contribution
• Private medical insurance
• Electric vehicle scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Ongoing professional development and CIPD support
• Clear progression and succession opportunities
• Supportive and established HR team

This is an excellent opportunity for an HR professional who enjoys being out in the business rather than sitting behind a desk. If you have strong employee relations experience, understand the realities of supporting an operational workforce and enjoy building relationships with people at every level, we'd like to hear from you. Apply today with your CV and salary expectations.