HR Business Partner

TYNE & WEAR (Ref 798 ) Permanent £49k + good pension (4 office days) half day Friday or 9 day fortnight! We are looking for an experienced and pragmatic HR Business Partner / Senior HR Advisor to join a small team to deliver the full employee lifecycle across a complex, operationally focused manufacturing business. The role reports to the UK HR Manager. You will act as the trusted advisor to managers and employees across the organisation. You will play a critical role in supporting organisational change, strengthening leadership capability, ensuring employment law compliance, and embedding practical people solutions that drive business performance, engagement, and operational efficiency. The successful candidate will bring a strong employee relations background, commercial awareness, and the credibility to influence employees at all levels. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Employee Relations & Business Partnering • Act as the primary HR contact for managers and employees across all business areas. • Provide practical, commercially focused advice on employee relations matters including disciplinary, grievance, absence, performance management, and capability issues. • Support managers in improving leadership capability, accountability, engagement, productivity, and workforce performance. • Maintain a regular and visible presence across the sites. • Manage complex employee relations cases. • Ensure consistent application of policies, procedures, and employment legislation. • Minimise organisational risk through effective case management and sound employment law guidance. Organisational Change & Workforce Development • Support the business through periods of operational, structural, and cultural change. • Lead and support consultation processes relating to restructures, workforce planning, and organisational change initiatives. • Drive improvements in people processes, management capability, and employee engagement. • Support initiatives aimed at improving retention, attendance, succession planning, and workforce capability. Recruitment & Employee Lifecycle • Manage recruitment activity across salaried and hourly paid positions, including skilled trades, technical specialists, and professional roles. • Support managers with workforce planning and succession requirements. • Lead onboarding activities to ensure effective integration of new employees. • Support the employee lifecycle from recruitment through to exit, ensuring a positive employee experience. Compliance, Reporting & Continuous Improvement • Ensure all HR policies, procedures, and documentation remain legally compliant and operationally effective. • Maintain accurate employee records, HR reporting, and people metrics. • Support audits, compliance requirements, and industry standards as required. • Monitor trends relating to absence, turnover, disciplinary activity, and workforce performance, providing actionable insights to leadership teams. ABOUT YOU To succeed in this role, you will be an experienced HR generalist who thrives in a fast-paced operational environment and enjoys working closely with managers to deliver practical, business-focused HR solutions. Essential Experience & Skills • Proven generalist HR experience within heavy engineering, manufacturing, industrial or other operationally focused environments. • Experience supporting both blue-collar and white-collar workforces. • Strong employee relations experience, including the management of complex cases. • Demonstrated experience supporting organisational change and transformation. • Strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice. • Experience influencing and advising managers at all levels. • Commercially minded with a pragmatic, hands-on approach. • Resilient and confident operating in demanding operational environments. • Excellent interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills. • Strong problem-solving, organisational, and decision-making capabilities. • Ability to manage sensitive issues with professionalism, discretion, and integrity. • CIPD Level 5 qualification (or equivalent experience). WHY JOIN THIS BUSINESS? This is an opportunity to make a genuine impact within a business where people, performance, and operational excellence are critical to success. If you are a hands-on HR professional who enjoys working at the heart of a manufacturing operation and has the confidence to challenge, influence, and deliver results, we would love to hear from you.