HR Business Partner

HR Business Partner (Fixed Term Contract) Location: Northampton Salary: £40,000 - £45,000 (Negotiable DOE) Contract: Fixed-Term (14 Months) Hours: Full-Time, Monday to Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm Start Date: November 2026 An established and respected manufacturing business is seeking an experienced HR Business Partner to join their HR team on a fixed-term contract to provide maternity cover. This is an excellent opportunity for an HR professional who enjoys building strong stakeholder relationships, providing expert guidance, and working closely with operational leaders to drive positive people outcomes. The role offers a mix of both strategic business partnering and operational HR responsibilities, with approximately 60% partnering and 40% operational/administrative duties. Key Responsibilities Partner with managers and senior leaders to support business objectives through effective people strategies. Provide expert advice on employee relations matters, including disciplinary, grievance, capability and absence management cases. Support workforce planning, talent management and succession planning initiatives. Coach and guide managers on performance management, employee engagement and people development. Analyse HR data and trends to provide meaningful recommendations and insights. Lead and support organisational change projects where required. Ensure HR policies, procedures and processes remain compliant and up to date. Support the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, probation reviews and employee records management. About You CIPD Level 5 qualified as a minimum (Level 7 advantageous). Previous experience as an HR Business Partner, ideally 3-5 years. Strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice. Proven experience managing complex employee relations cases. Excellent communication, influencing and relationship-building skills. Confident working in both strategic and hands-on operational HR environments. Experience within manufacturing, industrial or unionised environments would be beneficial. We would also welcome applications from experienced HR Advisors ready to take the next step into a Business Partner position, provided they have a strong HR foundation, CIPD Level 5 qualification and a proactive, positive approach to learning and development. Additional Information This is a predominantly site-based role in Northampton. Hybrid flexibility is available on Friday afternoons. Interviews will be taking place ahead of the November start date. If you are looking for an opportunity to make a genuine impact within a well-established organisation and enjoy partnering with leaders to drive business performance through people, we'd love to hear from you