HR Advisor
£35,000-£40,000
Permanent
Newcastle-under-Lyme – 4 days onsite 1 day from home
We are supporting a growing, international supply chain and engineering-focused business to recruit a HR Advisor to join their expanding European HR team.
With a strong growth trajectory and ongoing investment in people and processes, this is an excellent opportunity to join a fast-paced environment where HR is evolving and adding real value to the business.
JOB SUMMARY
To provide a comprehensive HR advisory and operational service to the UK teams and wider European sites across all aspects of HR, including advice and guidance, employee relations, recruitment and onboarding, payroll liaison, HR records management, and training and development.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
By providing essential HR advisory and administrative support aligned with the People Strategy, the HR Advisor plays a crucial role in enabling the organisation to achieve its strategic goals and objectives effectively across the UK and Europe.
Dimensions
First Line advice
• Act as the first point of contact for incoming calls, mailbox and in person queries in relation to employee relations issues, policies, procedures and general enquiries.
Advice and Guidance
• Assist in interpreting and implementing HR policies and practices, ensuring consistency across Europe while meeting local legal requirements.
• Contribute to the review, development, and continuous improvement of HR policies, processes, and templates.
• Coach and support line managers to build confidence and capability in people management and policy application.
• Ensure all HR processes are completed accurately, not limited to; contract changes, maternity, paternity, flexible working applications, mentor program management, appraisals and probations.
• Manage the HR inbox, responding to UK and European queries, providing advice where appropriate, and flagging/escalating specific matters to members of the HR team as required.
• To produce data analysis and reports as required.
Employee relations
• Arranging and assisting with investigations and hearings for disciplinary, capability, and grievance casesensuring best practice and legal compliance.
• Manage the ER casework for our UK and Europeans sites, referring less straightforward matters to the Business Partner.
• Participate in mediation sessions when required
• Support managers and employees through organisational change initiatives.
Recruitment
• Assist in the recruitment process by posting job advertisements, scheduling interviews, creating interview packs and liaising with candidates. Coordinate with hiring managers and the HR team members to ensure a smooth recruitment experience.
• Facilitate the onboarding process for new hires, including preparing paperwork, arranging inductions, and coordinating training sessions. Ensure compliance with legal requirements and company policies.
• End to end recruitment support, ensuring the attraction, retention, and development of top talent in a fast-paced and dynamic global environment, including coordination for UK and European vacancies where required.
• Work closely with the Finance department to ensure changes to payroll for all European sites are communicated on an ongoing basis.
• Produce letters for employment changes such as contractual changes, probationary confirmation, leavers and salary reviews as well as new hire paperwork.
HR Records Management
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date employee records, including personal information.
• Ensure confidentiality and compliance with data protection regulations.
Payroll Administration
• Collaborate with payroll department to ensure timely and accurate payroll processing of any HR changes.
Role of dept
The HR department plays a vital role in managing the company's workforce by overseeing talent management through recruitment, training, and development, while also fostering positive employee relations and communication. HR manages compensation and benefits, ensuring competitive salaries and compliance with legal requirements. Additionally, the HR department develops policies, conducts performance evaluations, and implements recognition programs to enhance employee engagement. By shaping company culture and supporting change management initiatives, HR contributes to creating a productive and compliant workforce that aligns with company's overall objectives.
Equipment / Tools / Systems used
• HCM
• ATS
• Microsoft Suite
Key working relationships / supervisory responsibilities
• Senior Leadership Team
• Department Heads
• Line Managers
• HR Colleagues
• Employees
• Project Teams
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Qualifications
• Education to A Level standard (or equivalent)
• CIPD Level 3
• Degree in Human Resources (or similar) and/or CIPD Level 5 (or working towards) (desirable)
Knowledge, skills and experience
• Demonstrable experience in an HR Advisory/Generalist role
• Ability to manage and prioritise a varied HR caseload with appropriate escalation
• Knowledge of UK employment law and an understanding of how local European requirements may impact HR practice
• Experience providing clear, pragmatic HR advice to managers and employees, including remote support to multi-site teams (UK & Europe)
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion, in line with GDPR and data protection requirements.
• Practical experience supporting employee relations processes (disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence management) in line with policy
• Ability to interpret and apply HR policies, balancing consistency across Europe with local compliance requirements
• Competent user of Microsoft Office applications
• Ability to collect, collate and analyse information to enable informed decisions to be made
• Working to a high level of accuracy and with a strong attention to detail
• Effective communication skills (written and verbal) and the ability to develop strong positive working relationships
• Knowledge of current best practice concepts and practices
• Ability to deal with difficult situations with tact and diplomacy
• Confident, well-motivated, enthusiastic, proactive with a‘can-do’ attitude
• Team player
• Flexible and adaptable in approach
• Excellent time management
and organisational skills
Desirable:
• Working knowledge of an HRIS/HCM and ATS (e.g., ADP or similar electronic records systems)
• Exposure to HR activity across multiple European countries / jurisdictions
• Job evaluation, role benchmarking, or grading structure experience
• Advanced understanding of UK employment law and confidence navigating differing European practices with support
• Experience advising senior stakeholders and influencing decision-making
PHYSICAL DEMANDS / WORK ENVIRONMENT
Required security checks:
• A satisfactory basic Disclosure and Barring Service check is done for all new employees.
• A financial check will be carried out for some finance job positions.
Travel:
• It is a condition of employment that you are willing, from time to time to travel within the UK and abroad