Role Purpose
The HR & People Lead will take ownership of the company’s people framework, policies, and practices, ensuring that robust, compliant, and effective HR foundations are in place to support the business both now and as it continues to develop.
This is a senior, hands-on role with responsibility for shaping how people are recruited, managed, developed, supported, and engaged, while acting as a trusted advisor to the Operations Director and Managing Director on all HR and employment matters.
Key Responsibilities & Duties
1. Policies, Handbook & Employee Contracts
- Develop, review, and maintain the company’s HR policies, procedures, and employee handbook.
- Ensure all contracts of employment, terms and conditions, and variations are legally compliant and fit for purpose.
- Keep policies aligned with current NI employment legislation and best practice.
- Ensure consistent application and understanding of policies across the business.
- Provide guidance to leadership and employees on interpretation and application of terms and policies.
2. Recruitment
- Lead the end-to-end recruitment process for all roles.
- Work with hiring managers to define role requirements, draft job descriptions, and agree selection criteria.
- Manage advertising, agency relationships, shortlisting, interviewing, and offers.
- Oversee right-to-work checks, references, and onboarding processes.
- Continuously improve candidate experience and time-to-hire.
3. Performance Management, Appraisal, Review & KPI
- Design, implement, and maintain performance management and appraisal frameworks.
- Support the development and rollout of clear KPI and objective-setting processes.
- Coordinate probation reviews, annual reviews, and ongoing performance discussions.
- Support leadership in linking performance outcomes to development, reward, and progression.
- Contribute to the design and administration of KPI-linked incentive schemes.
4. Disciplinary & Employee Relations
- Lead and manage all employee relations activity, including disciplinaries, grievances, capability, absence management, and investigations.
- Provide legally sound, pragmatic advice to Directors and line managers.
- Ensure all cases are handled fairly, consistently, and in line with company policy and employment law.
- Maintain accurate case records and documentation.
5. Training & Development & Workplace Culture
- Support the identification of training and development needs across the business.
- Coordinate induction, mandatory training, and role-specific development activity.
- Work with leadership to support capability building and succession planning.
- Act as a custodian of company values and workplace culture.
- Support employee engagement, wellbeing, and communication initiatives.
6. Payroll
- Act as the HR interface with payroll, ensuring accurate and timely submission of starters, leavers, contractual changes, absence, overtime, and other data.
- Complete weekly payroll processing through Sage.
- Support monthly payroll processes and resolve employee queries.
- Ensure statutory payments and record-keeping obligations are met.
7. Benefits (Perks, Health, Wellbeing, etc.)
- Administer employee benefits including pension, health and wellbeing initiatives, and any company perks.
- Support the review and development of benefits and wellbeing offerings.
- Act as a point of contact for employee queries relating to benefits and entitlements.
Person Specification
Essential
- Proven experience in an HR Advisor, Senior HR Officer, or similar generalist role.
- Strong practical knowledge of NI employment law, particularly in relation to contracts, policies, and employee relations.
- Experience supporting or leading recruitment processes.
- Experience supporting performance management, appraisal, and KPI frameworks.
- Experience handling disciplinary, grievance, and absence management cases.
- Ability to operate independently and take ownership of the HR function.
- Confidence working directly with senior leadership.
- High levels of discretion, integrity, and professionalism.
- Excellent written, verbal, and organisational skills.
Desirable
- Experience in an engineering, manufacturing, construction, or operational environment.
- Experience supporting payroll and benefits administration.
- Experience working in a growing or evolving organisation.
- Evidence of commitment to continuous professional development.
Professional Development
The company is committed to supporting the ongoing professional development of the successful candidate. This role offers the opportunity to broaden experience across the full HR lifecycle and to deepen technical capability over time.
Where appropriate, the business is open to considering formal HR qualifications and continuous professional development, including CIPD study, aligned with business needs.
Key Attributes
- Ownership mindset and comfort setting standards.
- Pragmatic, commercially aware approach.
- Strong judgement in sensitive situations.
- Forward-looking, with an interest in building and improving people processes.
- Approachable, credible, and trusted at all levels of the organisation.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £35,000.00-£40,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Canteen
- Company pension
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
