HR Business Partner

NCC – Innovating for Industry; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 54,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research and development center in the UK is seeking an experienced HR Business Partner. This role involves addressing employee relations and supporting UK manufacturing by leading organisational changes. Candidates should have significant HR experience and a CIPD qualification. This full-time position offers a hybrid working model and a compelling benefits package including private medical cover and a generous pension contribution.

Benefits

12.5% employer pension contribution

Private medical cover

Flexible and hybrid working

Clear routes to grow skills and influence

Qualifications

• Strong experience as a generalist HR practitioner.
• Solid background in employee relations, change, reward and performance.
• CIPD Level 5 minimum (Level 7 welcomed).

Responsibilities

• Partnering with managers on employee relations, performance and resourcing.
• Leading HR input into complex change projects.
• Supporting EDI and wellbeing programmes that are actually used.
• Handling casework, pay cycles and policy reviews.
• Using data and judgement to guide decision-making.

Skills

Generalist HR experience

Employee relations background

Comfortable advising senior levels

Practical judgement

Education

CIPD Level 5

CIPD Level 7

Job description

Location

Bristol (hybrid – typically 2 days on site)

Salary

£54,102 – £63,035 depending on experience

Security Clearance

You will be required to undertake government security clearance if successful securing this role.

Closing Date

27th November 2025 - We reserve the right to close our advertising early if required.

We’re looking for an experienced HR Business Partner to help shape how we support our people - and how they support UK manufacturing. This isn’t just a policy role. You’ll work with engineers, delivery leads and execs to solve real issues, lead organisational change, and help make NCC a place where good work gets done.

We’re a national R&D centre - government-backed, not-for-profit, and mission-driven. We work across 16 sectors and over 100 partners a year. Our people are here to deliver outcomes that matter, and you’ll be central to how we support, retain and grow them.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Partnering with managers on employee relations, performance and resourcing
• Leading HR input into complex change projects
• Supporting EDI and wellbeing programmes that are actually used
• Handling casework, pay cycles and policy reviews
• Using data and judgement to guide decision-making

What We’re Looking For

• Strong experience as a generalist HR practitioner
• Solid background in employee relations, change, reward and performance
• CIPD Level 5 minimum (Level 7 welcomed)
• Comfortable advising at senior levels and working across fast-changing teams
• Practical, independent, good judgement

What We Offer

• 12.5% employer pension contribution
• Private medical cover
• Flexible and hybrid working as standard
• Clear routes to grow your skills and influence
• A team that gets things done without the drama

Not sure if it’s a fit? Happy to have a quick chat first, please reach out to [email protected]. Know someone who might be right? Please get in touch and we'll reach out to them about the role.

Notes/Brief For Recruitment Team

About The Company

Why NCC?

We help manufacturers take on bigger challenges - whether that’s building cleaner aircraft, scaling up offshore wind, or strengthening the UK’s supply chains. We’re here to deliver practical outcomes, not prototypes that sit on shelves.

Who We Work With

We work across 16 sectors, from defence and energy to infrastructure and space. Some projects are with global tier 1s, others with small UK firms solving one specific problem - the works always varied, and always real.

What It’s Like Here

We’re not a startup. We’re not a corporate. We’re a national centre with the kit, time and people to do the job properly. The teams are focused, the thinking is sharp, and you’ll be trusted to get on with it.

Why this job matters

This role isn’t just internal support - it’s part of how we deliver nationally important work. If we do our job right, the UK’s manufacturers can do theirs better.

Seniority level

• Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

• Full‑time

Job function

• Human Resources

Industries

• Research Services