HR Business Partner

DS Smith; Ely; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic packaging company is seeking an experienced HR Business Partner to support Kettering, Blunham, and Ely sites. The role involves driving cultural transformation and performance improvement through expert HR guidance. Candidates should have proven HR Business Partner experience in fast-paced sectors and a strong understanding of UK employment law. This position offers competitive salary and benefits including a company car and bonus.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Company car

Company bonus

25 days holiday plus bank holiday

Pension scheme and life assurance

Salary sacrifice electric car scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a HR Business Partner in a fast-moving sector.
• Multi-site HR experience required.
• Strong working knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practices.

Responsibilities

• Act as a change agent for the Corporate HR Plan.
• Deliver key HR priorities in collaboration with site leaders.
• Provide compliance insight and manage HRIS.

Skills

HR Business Partner experience

Coaching managers

UK employment law knowledge

Analytical skills

Microsoft Office proficiency

Education

CIPD Level 5 or equivalent

Tools

Workday HRIS

Job description

HR Business Partner – Multi-Site (Kettering, Blunham & Ely)

About the Role

Are you a dynamic and driven HR professional ready to make a real impact? Join our Packaging division as a HR Business Partner, supporting our Kettering, Blunham and Ely sites. In this role, you’ll be a strategic partner to site leadership, driving cultural transformation and performance improvement through expert HR guidance.

What You’ll Do

• Act as a change agent, translating our Corporate HR Plan into actionable, site‑specific people strategies.
• Partner with site leaders to deliver on key HR priorities: Change Management, Employee Engagement, Talent Development, Employee Relations, and Recruitment & Selection.
• Provide hands‑on support and strategic insight, ensuring compliance with employment legislation and company policies.
• Collaborate with HR Centres of Excellence (Reward, Talent & Development, Talent Acquisition) to deliver a cohesive people plan.
• Work closely with our Employee Relations team and trade union partners to foster a progressive and collaborative working environment.
• Support performance and absence management, disciplinary and grievance processes.
• Use data and analytics to inform decisions, manage HRIS, and produce monthly reports.

About You

We’re looking for a confident HR professional who thrives in a fast‑paced, multi‑site environment. An individual with a proactive mindset, strong influencing skills, and a passion for driving positive change.

Essential Experience & Skills:

• Proven experience as a HR Business Partner in a fast‑moving sector (Manufacturing, FMCG, Logistics preferred).
• Multi‑site HR experience.
• Skilled in coaching managers and navigating complex employee relations.
• Strong working knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practices.
• Resilient, organised, and analytical with a hands‑on approach.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel & Word).
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel.

Desirable:

• CIPD Level 5 or above (or working towards/equivalent experience).
• Experience working with trade unions.
• Familiarity with Workday HRIS.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Company car
• Company bonus
• 25 days holiday plus bank holiday
• Pension scheme, life assurance and income protection
• Salary sacrifice electric car scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Corporate discounts, free eye test and flu jab
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Virtual GP, Mental Health first aiders and Occupational Health
• Recognition programmes
• Learning and development opportunities

Location: Onsite, Monday to Friday (with occasional remote working)
Division: Packaging
Reports to: Senior HR Business Partner

About us

We’re DS Smith, the company who are redefining packaging for a changing world. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. Today, we operate in more than 30 different countries, supporting customers across sectors like FMCG, industrial, and e‑commerce. We deliver on quality, service, innovation, and added value to deliver market‑leading sustainable packaging solutions our customers need. Our industry needs to transform, and we’re building the team to drive change across Europe and North America.

To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.

Our Values

• Be Caring – We take pride in what we do, and we care about our customers, our people, and the world around us.
• Be Challenging – We are not afraid to constructively challenge each other and ourselves to find a better way forward.
• Be Trusted – We can always be trusted to deliver on our promises.
• Be Responsive – We seek new ideas and understanding and are quick to react to opportunities.
• Be Tenacious – We get things done.