HR Business Partner

HR Business Partner – Food Manufacturing

Sunderland | £40,000 – £45,000 | Site-Based

There are HR Business Partner roles that are all policy policing and box-ticking.

Then there are ones where you actually get to make things better. This is the second kind.

You’ll be partnering with managers across a busy food manufacturing site — a place where things move fast, people are hands-on, and HR needs to be, too.

You’ll have a proper seat at the table (and probably a hi-vis on it), working closely with operations to support, challenge, and coach.

The job in a nutshell:

You’ll be the go-to for all things people. That means…

• Managing ER cases from start to finish – coaching managers, keeping things fair, and staying legally watertight.
• Keeping policies, procedures, and training up to scratch (and actually relevant).
• Supporting payroll and benefits accuracy — because no one thanks you when it’s wrong.
• Managing recruitment and onboarding for your area, helping new starters actually want to stay.
• Partnering on projects around engagement, workforce planning, and change.
• Spotting where processes could be slicker — and having the initiative to make it happen.

What you’ll need:

• A solid HR background — around 3–5 years as a generalist.
• Confident handling complex ER cases in line with UK employment law.
• CIPD Level 5 (or well on your way there).
• Experience with HR systems like SuccessFactors or Kronos would be handy.
• Someone who likes being out on the shop floor, not just stuck behind a spreadsheet.

What you’ll get:

• £40,000–£45,000 salary (depending on experience)
• A genuinely varied role with influence and visibility
• The chance to shape how HR works in a growing, people-focused manufacturing business
• Supportive leadership that actually values HR as more than just admin