About the Role
The HR Advisor plays a key role in delivering proactive, practical, and commercially focused HR support within a fast-paced food manufacturing environment. Working closely with line managers and operational teams, the HR Advisor will provide expert guidance on employee relations, recruitment, performance management, and organisational policies to ensure a consistent and fair approach across the site. The role is responsible for supporting the effective management of people by ensuring compliance with UK employment legislation, internal policies, and relevant food industry standards. The HR Advisor will also contribute to the development of a positive workplace culture by supporting initiatives that promote employee engagement, wellbeing, training, and continuous improvement. Operating as a trusted partner to managers, the HR Advisor will help drive operational efficiency by ensuring HR practices support business objectives, maintain workforce capability, and foster a safe and compliant working environment.
Responsibilities
Employee Relations
- Advise managers on all employee relations matters including attendance, disciplinary, grievance, performance management, and capability issues.
- Support or lead workplace investigations, ensuring they are conducted in a fair, consistent, and timely manner.
- Prepare investigation documentation, outcome reports, and supporting evidence for formal hearings.
- Attend disciplinary, grievance, and capability meetings to provide HR guidance and ensure procedural compliance.
- Promote the fair and consistent application of company policies and procedures across all departments and shifts.
Recruitment and Workforce Planning
- Coordinate end-to-end recruitment for factory and operational roles, ensuring timely fulfilment of vacancies.
- Work closely with recruitment agencies to manage temporary labour requirements during peak production periods.
- Support workforce planning to ensure staffing levels align with operational needs.
- Oversee onboarding processes, ensuring all documentation and compliance checks are completed.
HR Administration and Compliance
- Maintain accurate HR records, contracts, and personnel files in line with company procedures and GDPR requirements.
- Ensure compliance with UK employment law and company HR policies.
- Ensure HR processes support compliance with food manufacturing standards such as BRCGS and SMETA customer requirements.
- Oversee right-to-work checks and ensure documentation meets audit and legal requirements.
HR Reporting and Data Management
- Produce and analyse HR reports relating to absence, employee turnover, labour planning, and HR KPIs.
- Provide HR data to support management decision-making and workforce planning.
- Maintain accurate HR systems and ensure data integrity across HR records
Learning and Development
- Support the delivery of training programmes including employee inductions, mandatory refresher training, and supervisory development.
- Coach and support managers on performance management processes.
- Contribute to the development of a culture focused on continuous improvement and employee development.
Employee Engagement and Culture
- Support engagement initiatives designed to promote a positive workplace culture.
- Assist with employee recognition programmes and internal communications.
- Participate in employee forums, engagement surveys, and site improvement initiatives.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing
- Work collaboratively with the Health and Safety team to promote a safe working environment.
- Support occupational health referrals and return-to-work processes.
- Promote wellbeing initiatives appropriate for a manufacturing shift-based workforce.
- Promote employee wellbeing and occupational health initiatives across the site.
Food Safety and Audit Compliance
- Contribute to GMP, BRCGS, SMETA customer audits as required.
- Support the site’s food safety culture by encouraging behaviours that protect product safety, quality, and legality.
- Help prevent deviations in processes that could impact the safety or compliance of products.
General Responsibilities
- Understand and adhere to all company policies and procedures relevant to the site and working environment.
- Work collaboratively with operational teams and management to support business objectives.
- Undertake any other duties as deemed reasonable by your line manager or senior management to support the operation of the business.
Qualifications
- Experience in food manufacturing or another highly regulated industry.
- CIPD Level 3 or Level 5 (or working towards).
- Knowledge of BRCGS, retailer audits, or SMETA is an advantage.
Required Skills
- Experience in a fast-paced HR environment (manufacturing/logistics/food preferred).
- Strong understanding of UK employment law and HR best practice.
- Confident handling disciplinary, grievance, and absence management cases.
- Excellent communication skills and ability to influence line managers.
- Comfortable working with shift-based hourly-paid workforces.
- Strong administration and attention to detail.