Lead HR Business Partner - Operations in Leeds

At Valeo Foods UK we bring together a family of much-loved UK food brands supported by the scale and ambition of a global investment partner. From Kettle’s bold crunch to Rowse’s natural sweetness, through to Matthew Walker and Barratt Sweets, our portfolio blends heritage, craft and category-leading innovation. Alongside our branded portfolio, we are also one of the UK’s largest suppliers of private label products, partnering with major retailers to deliver quality and category expertise that meets the needs of millions of households every week. As a business, we’re on a journey of transformation. We’re strengthening our operations, driving quality and investing in our people. It’s an exciting, fast-moving environment where heritage meets new thinking, and where every colleague contributes to shaping the future of food across the UK. Join us and play your part in building the next chapter of some of Britain’s most loved brands.

Are you ready to make a significant impact at Valeo Foods UK? We’re on the lookout for a dynamic Lead HR Business Partner to join our team, supporting our confectionery production sites in York, Cleckheaton, Blackpool and Blackburn. As the Lead HR Business Partner, you will be a critical part of our Operations HR team, working closely with the Head of Operations for Confectionery and supporting Factory General Managers. Your mission is to provide pragmatic, operationally and employee-focused advice and support, driving employee engagement and managing change to ensure our teams deliver excellence. This is a hybrid role and you would be required to spend 3 days a week at site inc, York, Cleckheaton, Blackburn and Blackpool.

Responsibilities

• Operational HR Leadership: Provide specialist guidance and support to site management teams, adopting an influencing style to encourage and coach business leaders in making effective people management decisions.
• Business Partnership: Work closely with senior management to deliver business-focused HR solutions that support high-quality, productive, and innovative services across your sites.
• Change Management: Lead the cultural development and change management initiatives across your sites, driving continuous improvement and efficiency.
• Project Leadership: Participate in and lead projects aimed at improving ways of working and implementing business changes.
• Relationship Building: Develop and maintain effective relationships with operational customers to understand their needs and provide effective HR responses.
• Mentorship: Coach and mentor managers on HR policies, procedures, and practices, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to perform effectively.
• Strategic HR Development: Contribute to the development of the HR strategy and the ongoing improvement of HR systems and processes.

Qualifications

• Proven HR experience in challenging environments.
• Operationally minded with strong analytical skills.
• Excellent communicator with strong influence and facilitation skills.
• Ability to build relationships based on openness, honesty, and respect.
• Disciplined in thinking, decision-making, and follow-through.
• Ideally degree-educated or evidence of strong academics, CIPD Level 5.
• Experience within an FMCG environment or similar.
• Previous senior HR operating experience.
• Experience working with unions is advantageous.

What we offer you in return

• 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays
• Matched pension scheme
• Death in service
• Cycle to work scheme
• Retailer discount platform
• Staff discount
• And plenty more!