People Advisor

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company; Ipswich; Hybrid; GBP 29,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Private healthcare

Generous pension

Life assurance 4x salary

22 days holiday

Free parking

On-site restaurant

Cycle to work

Eye care vouchers

Holiday buy/sell

Christmas club

Training and development

Job summary

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company is seeking an experienced HR People Advisor to join the UK HR team. You will support commercial areas with transactional work, projects, and employee relations casework, reporting to a People Partner.

The role requires CIPD Level 5, strong HR/ER experience, and knowledge of UK Employment Law, with a collaborative, confidential approach and the ability to work both independently and with the team.

Qualifications

• Level 5 CIPD qualification or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience in HR employee relations handling your own case load.
• Strong knowledge of UK Employment Law and related legislation.
• Excellent organisational, multitasking, and communication skills.
• Experience liaising with Occupational Health and Solicitors.
• Confidential, professional, and discreet in all dealings.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality, practical HR advice for supervisors and managers.
• Handle HR queries or signpost to team members as needed.
• Translate employment law into practical people solutions aligned with values.
• Deliver employee relations, absence, performance management, and admin tasks.
• Maintain and update people policies in line with legislation.
• Collaborate with external stakeholders including Occupational Health.
• Initiate improvements to support employee relations and HR strategy.
• Ensure confidentiality at all times.
• Support toolbox talks and training to employees.

Skills

CIPD Level 5

Employee relations

UK Employment Law

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Confidentiality

Education

CIPD Level 5 or equivalent

Job description

We are looking for an experienced HR People Advisor to join MSC UK, a fast-paced and growing business with over 800 employees nationwide. As the UK agency of the world’s largest independent shipping company, our HR team supports a diverse office-based workforce and a small number of remote teams.

Working within a collaborative People Relations team, reporting to a People Partner, you will support commercial areas of the business with a mix of transactional work, projects, and employee relations casework. This varied role suits someone organised, proactive, and able to hit the ground running, providing practical advice that enhances the overall People Experience.

This opportunity is ideal for someone who enjoys working in a busy, close-knit team, with strong employee relations experience, up-to-date knowledge of employment law, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively while continuing to develop their HR expertise.

How you will help us and what you can expect

• Providing high-quality and practical HR advice to enable our supervisors and managers to proactively apply our policies.
• Ensuring HR related queries are either handled directly or signposted to relevant members of the team and escalated where necessary.
• Translating employment law and HR best practice into meaningful people solutions which work best for our fast-paced, and dynamic business, whilst always ensuring alignment to our group values.
• Delivering first-class employee relations requirements to include absence and performance management and the associated administration requirements, escalating more complex cases as necessary.
• Maintaining and updating our people policies and procedures, ensuring consistency and compliance with current legislation.
• Working in conjunction with external stakeholders to support our service delivery including Occupational Health.
• Initiating and developing improvements to support employee relations, the wider HR team and our overall people strategy.
• Ensuring a high level of confidentiality and discretion is applied at all times.
• Supporting with the delivery of toolbox talks and training to our employees.

Skills and experience you'll bring to us

• Level 5 CIPD qualified, or equivalent professional experience is essential.
• Previous experience in an HR employee relations role is essential, managing your own case load with support from your manager.
• Good working knowledge and understanding of UK Employment Law and associated legislation, with a want to develop this.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to effectively multitask in a reactive environment.
• Previous experience of liaising with external stakeholders, such as Occupational Health and Solicitors.
• A high level of professionalism and confidentiality.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and influencing skills.
• Excellent numeracy, literacy, and IT skills with the ability to produce reports and effectively written communication.
• Personal and professional resilience and tenacity.
• A down-to-earth style, ability to show high empathy and represent our MSC group values.
• A high level of emotional and intellectual intelligence.

What we offer

• Competitive salary
• Private Health Care for everyone from day 1 (non contractual)
• Generous pension scheme
• Life Assurance - 4x salary
• 22 days + a day to take on Christmas Eve or New Years Eve
• Free parking (within walking distance from the office)
• On-site artisan restaurant
• Discounted gym membership
• Cycle to work scheme
• Flu vaccines and eye care vouchers
• Buy or sell holiday scheme
• Christmas club saving
• MSC Cruises friends and family discount
• Full induction day and training provided
• Learning and development opportunities
• Dress for the day policy/modern office environment

What working for us means

We pride ourselves on being the employer of choice within our industry. We are a family company and our family values feed into everything we do. We are passionate about what we do, we challenge ourselves to achieve excellence and we are tenacious in overcoming obstacles. Through working together with passion and enthusiasm, we provide a unique experience for our customers.

We are in continuous evolution. We strive for the most innovative solutions to embrace change, always respecting safety, and the environment.

Our mission is to provide our people with personal fulfilment and enrichment. We are committed to sharing our knowledge, delivering training and support, enabling our people’s professional growth. We ensure fair opportunities through providing long-term career development, embracing diversity, and valuing all cultures. Diversity bringing strengths through different viewpoints, experiences & approaches.