HR Business Partner

HR Business Partner, Darlington

Salary: Negotiable depending on experience

My client is a dynamic, process engineering company who have an immediate requirement for an experienced HR Business Partner to join as they embark on a huge period of growth. This is a brand new role and a real chance for the successful candidate to make their mark.

You will act as a trusted advisor to leaders within the engineering, project delivery, and operations teams. You will drive and support strategic HR initiatives aligned with business goals, champion best practices, and ensure compliance with UK employment law and internal policies.

Key Duties:

• Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with leadership teams to deeply understand the business and deliver impactful people strategies and practices. Partner with functional leaders and line managers to align people strategies with business objectives.
• Provide strategic HR support across the employee lifecycle: workforce planning, talent acquisition, onboarding, performance management, L&D, succession planning, and retention.
• Deliver proactive employee relations advice, managing complex ER cases and ensuring compliance with UK employment law.
• Analyse HR metrics and KPIs (e.g., turnover, absence, engagement) to inform people-related decisions.
• Support change management initiatives including restructuring, TUPE transfers, or acquisitions.
• Work closely with recruitment to ensure the timely hiring of high-quality staff.
• Lead and support HR projects (e.g., DE&I, policy reviews, wellbeing, EVP).
• Coach managers on leadership, development, and employee engagement practices.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of HR policies, ensuring they are legally compliant and reflect business needs.

Key Accountabilities:

• Strategic Partnering – Act as a trusted advisor to leaders and managers, aligning HR initiatives with business objectives to drive organisational performance.
• Workforce Planning & Talent Management – Support workforce planning, succession planning, and talent reviews to ensure the business has the right skills and capability for current and future needs.
• Employee Relations & Engagement – Provide guidance on employee relations issues, ensuring fair and consistent application of policies while fostering a positive and inclusive workplace culture.
• Performance & Development – Partner with managers to drive the performance management cycle, identifying opportunities for employee growth, learning, and development.
• Change Management – Support and lead change initiatives by coaching leaders and employees through organisational change, ensuring effective communication and adoption.
• Data-Driven Insights – Use HR metrics and analytics to provide insights and recommendations that inform decision-making and improve business outcomes.
• Policy & Compliance – Ensure compliance with employment legislation, internal policies, and best practice standards, mitigating risks to the business.

Qualifications and Experience:

• CIPD Level 5 (minimum) or equivalent experience preferred.
• Proven HRBP or senior HR generalist experience within a technical, manufacturing, or engineering environment.
• In-depth understanding of UK employment law and HR best practices.
• Strong experience in employee relations, performance management, and organisational development.

Key Competencies: (included but not limited to)

• Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills, able to build relationships at all levels.
• Commercially aware with strong business acumen.
• Proactive, solution-focused, and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• High level of integrity and confidentiality.
• Proficient in HR systems and Microsoft Office Suite.