HR Generalist

WH Scott; Erith; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave and bank holidays

Pension scheme

Subsidised gym membership

EAP and wellbeing programme

Cycle to Work scheme

Travel expenses for site visits

CIPD study support

UK wide growth opportunities

Job summary

WH Scott Group is seeking an HR Generalist to join on-site at Erith (London) or Wickwar (Bristol) with regular travel to other UK sites. You will manage the full employee lifecycle from onboarding to offboarding and drive HR projects in a fast-paced, safety-critical engineering environment.

You will be the first point of contact for policy and benefits queries, support line managers with employee relations, maintain GDPR-compliant records and assist with recruitment alongside the Talent

Qualifications

• CIPD Level 5 (or working towards).
• 2-5 years' experience in a generalist HR role in the UK.
• Willingness to work on-site 5 days a week, with monthly travel to other UK sites (travel and expenses covered).
• Must have own transport and a full UK driving licence, due to travel between sites.
• Must have the right to work in the UK.

Responsibilities

• Act as the first point of contact for employee queries relating to policies, benefits, and general HR matters.
• Partner with the Talent Acquisition Specialist on the recruitment function, supporting job description sign-off, hiring manager briefings, interview coordination, and candidate experience.
• Lead new starter onboarding and induction processes to ensure a smooth first-90-days experience.
• Provide on-site HR support and visible presence across your base location and, on a monthly rotation, other UK sites.
• Support line managers with employee relations casework, including disciplinaries, grievances, absence management, and performance improvement, ensuring compliance with UK employment law and ACAS guidance.
• Maintain accurate HR records and data on the HRIS, ensuring GDPR compliance.
• Support the annual cycles for performance reviews, salary benchmarking, and pay reviews.
• Draft and update HR policies and employee handbooks in line with current legislation.
• Coordinate learning and development activity, including training bookings and tracking completion.
• Prepare HR metrics and reports for senior leadership (e.g., turnover, absence, headcount).
• Support wellbeing, diversity & inclusion, and employee engagement initiatives.
• Ensure right-to-work checks, contracts, and statutory documentation are completed accurately and on time.

Skills

Strong communication

UK employment law knowledge

On-site collaboration

Education

CIPD Level 5 (or working towards)

Job description

Qualifications & Experience

Essential:

About WH Scott Group

WH Scott Group is a group of safety-critical engineering businesses operating under the strapline "Safety Critical Solutions." Through WH Scott, the group delivers asset management, service inspection, and maintenance and repairs, alongside the design, manufacture, installation, and testing of lifting solutions and equipment. Its endorsed business units - Re-Ropes (Lift Industry Specialists) and Metlab (Materials Inspection, Testing & Assurance) - provide re-roping and lift/rope supplies, and materials testing, NDT, statutory pressure inspection, and accredited certification, respectively.

Purpose of the Role

We're looking for a proactive and personable HR Generalist to join WH Scott Group on-site and support the full employee lifecycle. Based at either our Erith (London) or Wickwar (Bristol) site, with regular travel to our other UK locations, this is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys variety - from day-to-day employee relations and policy work to onboarding and HR project delivery - within a fast-paced, people-focused environment. You'll work closely with a dedicated Talent Acquisition Specialist to support the recruitment function.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the first point of contact for employee queries relating to policies, benefits, and general HR matters
• Partner with the Talent Acquisition Specialist on the recruitment function - supporting job description sign-off, hiring manager briefings, interview coordination, and candidate experience, while TA leads on sourcing, advertising, and screening
• Lead new starter onboarding and induction processes to ensure a smooth first-90-days experience
• Provide on-site HR support and visible presence across your base location and, on a monthly rotation, other UK sites
• Support line managers with employee relations casework, including disciplinaries, grievances, absence management, and performance improvement, ensuring compliance with UK employment law and ACAS guidance
• Maintain accurate HR records and data on the HRIS, ensuring GDPR compliance
• Support the annual cycles for performance reviews, salary benchmarking, and pay reviews
• Draft and update HR policies and employee handbooks in line with current legislation
• Coordinate learning and development activity, including training bookings and tracking completion
• Prepare HR metrics and reports (e.g. turnover, absence, headcount) for senior leadership
• Support wellbeing, diversity & inclusion, and employee engagement initiatives
• Ensure right-to-work checks, contracts, and statutory documentation are completed accurately and on time

Qualifications & Experience

• CIPD Level 5 (or working towards)
• 2-5 years' experience in a generalist HR role in the UK
• Willingness to work on-site 5 days a week, with monthly travel to other UK sites (travel and expenses covered)
• Must have own transport and a full UK driving licence, due to travel between sites
• Must have the right to work in the UK

Desirable:

• Experience supporting TUPE processes or organisational change/restructuring
• Experience in an engineering, industrial, or asset management/inspection environment
• Exposure to payroll processes

Key Competencies

• Solid working knowledge of UK employment law and best practice
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust across all levels of the business
• Excellent organisational skills and high attention to detail
• Confident using HRIS systems and Microsoft Office (Excel in particular)
• Discretion when handling confidential and sensitive information
• Comfortable partnering with a Talent Acquisition specialist rather than owning full-cycle recruitment

What We Offer

• 20 days annual leave + bank holidays
• Pension scheme
• Subsidised gym membership
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and wellbeing programme
• Cycle to Work scheme and other tax-saver incentives
• Travel expenses covered for site visits
• Ongoing professional development, including CIPD study support
• The opportunity to be part of a growing team across the UK and ROI

WH Scott Group is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.