HR Business Partner
Location: Castle Donington (on-site, 5 days per week – non-negotiable)
Salary: £47,500
Interim : 12-18month FTC
We are seeking a highly effective Operational HR Business Partner to join our aviation client’s high-performance People Team, supporting a large, multi-shift workforce across a safety-critical, 24/7 operation. This is a key role partnering with senior operational leaders and managers to deliver high-impact HR support on the ground, ensuring a consistent, proactive, and solutions-led approach to people management.
Working on-site at their Castle Donington operation, you will be the visible HR lead for a diverse client group of c. 500+ colleagues across engineering, logistics, operations, and frontline support teams.
This is an exciting opportunity for an HR professional who thrives in fast-paced, high-volume environments where the ability to anticipate issues, influence managers, and maintain operational continuity is essential.
Key Responsibilities
As the on-site HRBP, you will take the lead on all core HR activity across the operation, including:
* Managing employee relations cases end-to-end, including disciplinary, grievance, performance, and attendance
* Supporting and advising on shift patterns, rosters, and resource planning in a regulated, time-critical environment
* Leading HR involvement in operational change initiatives, restructures, and continuous improvement programmes
* Conducting and sometimes leading robust investigations
* Coaching managers to build people management capability and ensure consistent use of policy
* Supporting recruitment, onboarding, vetting, and compliance for operational and safety-sensitive roles
* Driving engagement, wellbeing, and retention initiatives across a multi-shift workforce
* Providing proactive HR insight to operational leaders, identifying emerging risks and opportunities
* Acting as a trusted on-site partner, visible across the hangars, warehouse, and operational floor
Operational HR Business Partner – About You
* CIPD Level 5 or Level 7 (or equivalent) strongly preferred
* Strong experience in a fast-paced operational HR role (aviation, logistics, manufacturing, or engineering highly advantageous)
* Proven track record managing complex and high-volume ER cases
* Confident working on-site with frontline colleagues and senior operational leaders
* Experience with rostering, shift-based environments, or regulated operations beneficial
* Strong analytical, organisational, and communication skills
* A practical, problem-solving mindset: proactive rather than reactive
* Fully committed to on-site presence 5 days per week – essential for operational delivery