HR Lead - Business Partnering

Saputo, Inc.; Hawes; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Employer pension contribution

Private Medical Insurance

Thrive 24/7 wellbeing app

Life assurance

Subsidised staff restaurant

Discounted branded products

My Staff Shop benefits platform

Free onsite parking

Autonomous and inclusive working env.

Opportunities for progression within/̄

Job summary

Saputo Dairy UK is recruiting an HR Lead - Business Partnering to join the Hawes site, a combined dairy manufacturing operation and Visitor Centre. You will act as a trusted adviser to the Hawes leadership team, shaping people plans, driving engagement, and partnering with central HR to ensure consistent people practices aligned with business priorities.

You will coach managers, manage employee relations, and lead succession and talent planning while balancing labour costs and site performance.

Qualifications

• Broad HR generalist experience covering employee relations, performance management, engagement, talent and organisational change.
• Experience working closely with leadership teams and influencing business decisions.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrable experience delivering business outcomes through people initiatives.
• The ability to manage competing priorities and work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong business acumen and understanding of operational business drivers.
• Experience developing talent pipelines and succession plans.
• Experience operating within a matrix organisation, building effective partnerships with central support functions.

Responsibilities

• Acting as a trusted member of the Hawes leadership team, providing people insight and constructive challenge.
• Partnering with leaders to deliver people plans aligned with site and business priorities.
• Building trusted relationships with managers, colleagues and the wider HR team.
• Developing high-performing teams and a culture of accountability, engagement and continuous improvement.
• Coaching managers to build their people-management capability and confidence.
• Collaborating with central HR specialists to deliver consistent, locally relevant people initiatives.
• Managing employee relations matters fairly, consistently and in line with policy and legislation.
• Guiding managers through attendance, performance, conduct, capability, grievance and disciplinary cases.
• Strengthening employee engagement, retention, attendance and constructive employee relations.
• Partnering with Talent Acquisition and hiring managers to attract, recruit and retain site talent.
• Leading succession planning and development for key roles and high-potential colleagues.
• Supporting workforce planning, organisational design and resource decisions with local insight.
• Applying reward frameworks, salary structures and job architecture consistently.
• Using people data to identify trends, challenge performance and prioritise action.
• Driving measurable improvements in absence, turnover, retention, engagement and organisational effectiveness.
• Managing labour costs, overtime and resource utilisation against agreed plans.
• Ensuring people practices support a safe, compliant workplace and maintaining SMETA audit readiness.
• Improving productivity, capability and workforce effectiveness across the manufacturing operation and Visitor Centre.

Skills

Broad HR generalist

Leadership collaboration

Stakeholder management

Business acumen

Matrix organization experience

Job description

At Saputo, we bring good to the table by making high-quality products, investing in our people, and supporting communities around the world . As a top 10 global dairy processor, we value contributions that matter and strive to foster an inclusive, growth-driven work environment. Ready to bring your best?

HR LEAD - BUSINESS PARTNERING

Location: Hawes, Yorkshire Dales, UK – Full Time | Permanent

ABOUT SAPUTO

Saputo Dairy UK are the company behind Wensleydale cheese, and other iconic British dairy brands including Cathedral City, Clover, Country Life, Frylight and Davidstow — household names loved by millions. Saputo Dairy UK is part of Saputo Inc., a top ten global dairy company, offering the best of both worlds: the agility and warmth of a dedicated UK business with the support and resources of a global group. We pride ourselves on our inclusive, collaborative culture, where people are valued, supported, and empowered to make a difference. Our commitment to sustainability, innovation, and quality makes us a leader in the UK food industry.

ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY

We have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced HR professional to join our team at Saputo’s Wensleydale Creamery site in Hawes, Yorkshire Dales. The site is comprised of both our dairy manufacturing operation and award-winning Visitor Experience Centre, with around 140 employees. This role forms part of the Plant Leadership Team to deliver the people agenda and support the achievement of operational objectives aligned to business strategy. As a trusted adviser and coach, you’ll partner with leaders to improve engagement, retention, attendance, succession, capability and labour costs while supporting a positive employee experience. Working within our central HR model, you’ll collaborate with specialist teams to deliver consistent people practices and balance strategic partnering with operational HR priorities. You’ll be commercially minded, resilient and confident, able to make sound decisions, influence stakeholders and take ownership of measurable people outcomes.

YOU’LL MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT MATTER BY…

• Acting as a trusted member of the Hawes leadership team, providing people insight and constructive challenge
• Partnering with leaders to deliver people plans aligned with site and business priorities
• Building trusted relationships with managers, colleagues and the wider HR team
• Developing high-performing teams and a culture of accountability, engagement and continuous improvement
• Coaching managers to build their people-management capability and confidence
• Collaborating with central HR specialists to deliver consistent, locally relevant people initiatives
• Managing employee relations matters fairly, consistently and in line with policy and legislation
• Guiding managers through attendance, performance, conduct, capability, grievance and disciplinary cases
• Strengthening employee engagement, retention, attendance and constructive employee relations
• Partnering with Talent Acquisition and hiring managers to attract, recruit and retain site talent
• Leading succession planning and development for key roles and high-potential colleagues
• Supporting workforce planning, organisational design and resource decisions with local insight
• Applying reward frameworks, salary structures and job architecture consistently
• Using people data to identify trends, challenge performance and prioritise action
• Driving measurable improvements in absence, turnover, retention, engagement and organisational effectiveness
• Managing labour costs, overtime and resource utilisation against agreed plans
• Ensuring people practices support a safe, compliant workplace and maintaining SMETA audit readiness
• Improving productivity, capability and workforce effectiveness across the manufacturing operation and Visitor Centre

YOU’RE BEST SUITED FOR THE ROLE IF YOU HAVE…

• Broad HR generalist experience covering employee relations, performance management, engagement, talent and organisational change
• Experience working closely with leadership teams and influencing business decisions
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills
• Demonstrable experience delivering business outcomes through people initiatives
• The ability to manage competing priorities and work effectively in a fast-paced environment
• Strong business acumen and understanding of operational business drivers
• Experience developing talent pipelines and succession plans
• A proven ability to operate successfully within a matrix organization, building effective partnerships with central support functions
• Strong personal credibility, integrity, resilience and accountability

WE SUPPORT AND CARE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES BY PROVIDING YOU WITH…

• Annual bonus
• Employer pension contribution
• Private Medical Insurance
• Access to Thrive 24-hours a day - a leading and NHS clinically approved app which focuses on general wellbeing
• Life assurance
• Subsidised staff restaurant
• Discounted branded products
• My Staff Shop - access to exclusive benefits, free advice and savings - providing great discounts from thousands of the UKs largest retailers & service providers
• Free, onsite parking
• Autonomous and inclusive working environment.
• Opportunities for progression within the UK and overseas

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION AT SAPUTO

We support employment equity. Saputo strives to embed diversity and inclusion in its operations and invites candidates from all horizons to join our team. To enable you to bring your best we will ensure you are provided with any physical or non-physical adjustments to support your participation in the job application and interview process.

Staying in touch! Follow the hashtag #OurBestIsMadeOfYours on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.