Job Description:

HR Business Partner

Warrington (Hybrid) | £52,000 – £65,000 DOE + £5,940 car allowance

I am supporting a family-owned construction and engineering business that has worked across the UK and Ireland for more than 160 years. They employs around 2,500 people, plus contractors, and delivers complex projects across a range of sectors. Its Infrastructure business unit delivers major civil engineering and infrastructure schemes across the North of England and Northern Ireland. The HR Team

The UK and Ireland HR function has around 40 people. It covers HR Business Partnering, Recruitment, Reward, HR Operations, Learning & Development and Early Careers. You’ll join an established, collaborative team and work closely with each of these specialist areas to deliver joined-up people solutions to the business.

The Role

As HR Business Partner, you’ll report to the Senior HRBP and be the dedicated HR partner to the Infrastructure business unit of around 300 employees. You’ll act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, project directors and site management teams. You’ll give pragmatic, commercially minded HR guidance that supports project delivery, while making sure the organisation stays fair, consistent and compliant.

The role is based in Warrington. It involves regular travel to project sites across the North of England and Northern Ireland, plus occasional visits to other offices, including Dublin and London.

Key Responsibilities

Business Partnering & Stakeholder Management

• Build strong, credible relationships with Infrastructure leadership, project directors and line managers at office and site level
• Act as a sounding board and coach to managers, building their confidence and capability in people management
• Give robust, objective advice and constructively challenge stakeholders, including saying no when a request isn’t in the best interests of the business or its people
• Understand the business unit’s commercial priorities, project pipeline and resourcing challenges, and line up HR support behind them

Employee Relations

• Manage a varied ER caseload, including disciplinaries, grievances, capability, absence management and appeals
• Coach managers through ER processes so they’re handled fairly, consistently and in line with policy and UK employment law
• Spot ER trends across the business unit and take proactive steps to reduce risk
• Work with legal advisors on complex cases where needed

Organisational Change & Workforce Planning

• Support organisational design, restructures and change programmes, including consultation processes and TUPE where relevant
• Work with leaders on workforce planning as projects mobilise, ramp up and demobilise
• Work with the Recruitment team to make sure the business unit can attract and keep the right talent

Talent, Performance & Development

• Support the performance management cycle and help managers have effective performance conversations
• Work with L&D and Early Careers on development needs, succession planning and talent pipelines
• Support engagement initiatives and turn survey findings into practical action plans

Reward & HR Operations

• Work with Reward on pay reviews, benchmarking, job evaluation and bonus processes for the business unit
• Work with HR Operations so that people processes, data and contractual changes are handled accurately and on time
• Use HR data and metrics, such as turnover, absence and ER trends, to inform decisions and shape priorities

Policy, Compliance & Culture

• Apply HR policies and practices consistently, and help develop and roll out new policies
• Keep up to date with employment legislation and best practice, including differences between GB and Northern Ireland employment law
• Help build an inclusive, safe and positive working culture across office and site teams

About You

Essential

• Proven experience as an HR Business Partner or senior HR Advisor in a generalist, business-facing role
• Strong track record of building and keeping effective relationships with senior business stakeholders
• Confidence dealing with challenging stakeholders, and the credibility to influence, push back and hold firm when needed
• Solid ER experience and sound working knowledge of UK employment law
• Experience in an organisation of similar size and complexity with a significant employee base
• Pragmatic, commercially aware approach that balances business needs with fairness and compliance
• Comfortable working across several locations, including site environments
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel regularly

Desirable

• Experience in construction, infrastructure, engineering or a similar project-based industry
• Experience supporting a dispersed or site-based workforce
• Knowledge of Northern Ireland employment law
• CIPD Level 5 or 7 qualification, or equivalent experience
• Experience supporting organisational change and TUPE

Working Pattern

• Hybrid: 3 days a week in the office or on site, 2 days remote, with flexibility to meet business needs
• Travel: regular site visits across the North of England and Northern Ireland, plus occasional travel to Dublin and London

Package & Benefits

• Salary of £52,000 to around £65,000, depending on experience
• £5,940 car allowance
• Pension: 3% employee / 5% employer by default, or 4% employee / 6% employer if you choose
• 26 days’ annual leave, plus the option to buy up to 5 more days
• Early Finish Fridays (3:30pm)

Please contact Imogen Parr for more information.