Founded in 1975, with its head office in Blackburn, England, PPE operates manufacturing facilities in the UK and the US, plus sales offices and Channel Partner networks across the US, Europe and Asia.
PPE manufactures high-performance O-rings and sealing components using advanced elastomer materials and precision designs that extend equipment life.
Seals are critical to the function of industrial systems, and PPE’s solutions are trusted in the most demanding environments.
Today, PPE offers over 200 elastomer grades used globally across industries such as oil & gas, chemical processing, food and pharma manufacturing, marine and power generation, aerospace, and semiconductors.
The company’s success is built on the continual development of new elastomer materials combined with exceptional levels of customer service and technical support.
Job Title: Senior HR Advisor
Salary: £45,000-50,000
Bonus: up to 15% annual salary
Annual leave: 25 days plus bank holidays
Hours of work: Monday to Friday, 37.5 hours, some flexibility required to support night shift as and when required.
Flexi time: core hours 09:30 to 14:30, with the ability to accrue an additional day leave per quarter
Location: Blackburn, North West England
Reporting to: HR Business Partner
Role Purpose
The Senior HR Advisor (SHRA) will play a pivotal role in delivering high-quality, pragmatic HR support within a fast-paced manufacturing environment. With strong expertise in employee relations and a growing capability in HR data analytics, this role supports leaders to make informed, fair, and commercially sound people decisions. By strategically leveraging core corporate HR resources talent, capability, culture, and data the SHRA will directly impact growth, and operational scalability.
This position is ideal for an experienced HR professional who thrives in operational HR while actively developing the skills and exposure required to progress into an HR Business Partner role in the future.
Key Responsibilities
Employee Relations
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Lead and manage a wide range of employee relations cases, including disciplinary, grievance, absence management, performance management and complex investigations
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Provide confident, balanced and legally compliant advice to line managers on UK employment law and internal policies
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Coach and upskill managers to build capability and confidence in managing people issues effectively
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Support change initiatives such as restructures, organisational change and consultations within a manufacturing setting
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Build trusted relationships with employees, managers and union or employee representatives (where applicable)
HR Data & Analytics
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Analyse HR data (e.g. absence, turnover, ER trends, engagement metrics) to identify risks, trends and improvement opportunities
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Produce insightful reports and dashboards to inform leadership decision-making
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Use data to support workforce planning, improve ER outcomes and enhance employee engagement
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Ensure data accuracy and compliance with GDPR and internal data governance standards
Operational HR & Advisory Support
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Act as a senior point of contact for HR queries across the site(s)
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Support the delivery of HR cycles such as performance reviews, engagement surveys and policy updates
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Contribute to the continuous improvement of HR processes, policies and ways of working
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Collaborate closely with HR Business Partners, Payroll, Learning & Development and Recruitment teams
Values & Culture
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Act as a role model for the company’s core values of Trust, Team and Excellence
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Build credibility through integrity, consistency and professionalism
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Foster inclusive, collaborative working relationships across the business
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Support initiatives that promote a strong, positive and high-performing culture
Skills, Knowledge & Experience
Essential:
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Proven experience in a Senior HR Advisor or equivalent role, ideally within manufacturing or a similar operational environment
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Strong, hands-on experience managing complex employee relations cases independently
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Sound knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice
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Experience using HR data and metrics to provide insight and influence outcomes
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Confident communicator with the ability to challenge constructively and build trust
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CIPD Level 5 qualified (or equivalent experience)
Desirable:
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CIPD Level 7 (or working towards)
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Experience supporting organisational change or transformation
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Experience of working within a US Corporation
Personal Attributes
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Pragmatic, resilient and calm under pressure
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Commercially minded with a problem-solving approach
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Curious and eager to develop business partnering capability
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Values-driven with a genuine passion for people and performance
