People Generalist

Science in Sport PLC; Knuzden Brook; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading sports nutrition company in the UK is seeking a People Generalist to support the employee lifecycle and promote an inclusive workplace. The ideal candidate will have a CIPD qualification and strong interpersonal skills to advise managers on HR processes. This full-time role offers a salary of up to £45,000 with benefits including a gym and pension scheme.

Benefits

On‑site gym

Cycle to work scheme

Product discount

Birthday day off

Pension scheme, employer contribution at 4%

Qualifications

• Experience providing HR advice to managers.
• Demonstrable experience in a generalist HR role.
• Familiarity with payroll processes and systems.

Responsibilities

• Support the business through people lifecycle activities.
• Ensure compliance with HR policies and legislation.
• Manage employee relations casework.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Strong understanding of UK employment law

HR project management

Communication skills

Training delivery

Education

CIPD qualified, minimum Level 5

Tools

HRIS systems

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Who We Are

Science In Sport Group is a world leader in sports and performance nutrition.

We have two highly regarded brands; SiS which combines world-class science and innovation to provide optimal performance nutritional solutions for professional athletes, sports and fitness enthusiasts and the active lifestyle community. This includes over 320 professional teams worldwide across a broad range of sports including Football, Rugby, Cycling, Athletics, Basketball, Netball and Swimming. Brand ambassadors include former track cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, an eleven-time world champion and six-time Olympic champion, and Eilish McColgan, who won gold in the 2022 Commonwealth Games 10,000 metres.

PhD Nutrition is a premium, active‑nutrition brand for the active lifestyle community wanting intelligent nutrition to help them achieve their goals. With over 20 years of research and development, our products are designed to maximise performance in and out of the gym. It’s an exciting time for PhD Nutrition as 2025 will kick off an entirely new line up of brand ambassadors, from hybrid athletes to qualified sports nutritionists.

The two brands sell through the phd.com and scienceinsport.com digital platforms, third‑party online marketplaces including Amazon, as well as extensive domestic and international retail distribution.

In 2022 the company opened a state‑of‑the‑art 160,000 square foot manufacturing and logistics facility in Blackburn, Lancashire. Providing a significant advantage in product costs and customer response time and most importantly, allowing Science In Sport to lead the way for quality standards.

Science In Sport is the nutrition partner to globally recognised elite teams, including Tottenham Hotspur, Saracens Rugby, British Triathlon, Aquatics GB, British Cycling, England Netball and Loughborough Sports. As well as being the Official Energy Gel Provider of RunThrough and the Official Nutrition Partner of Ultra X.

The Role

At Science in Sport, our strategic people objective is to empower our people to deliver outstanding performance through thoughtful organisational design, a distinctive employer experience, meaningful and challenging work, continuous career development, and rewards that truly recognise contribution. The People Generalist will be a key role in delivering this.

This role will partner with our business and collaborate with other members of the People Team to support the employee lifecycle and contribute to a high‑performing, and inclusive workplace. This role is ideal for someone with strong foundational HR knowledge, excellent interpersonal skills, and a passion for enabling people and processes. This role will provide first‑level advice to managers, manage core HR processes, and support strategic initiatives across the business.

Job Details

• Job Type: Permanent, full‑time
• Salary: Up to £45,000 per annum
• Working Hours: Mon – Friday, 9am – 5.30pm
• Location: Blackburn

Benefits

• On‑site gym
• Cycle to work scheme
• Product discount
• Birthday day off
• Pension scheme, employer contribution at 4%

The Work – Your 4 Most Important Responsibilities

• HR Operations and Employee Relations – support the business through people lifecycle activities and manage ER case work as and when it arises, ensuring managers and employees are supported equally through all processes.
• Policy Development & Compliance – ensure our people operation complies with legislation through the development and deployment of relevant policies. Ensure policies are reviewed and updated in line with changing legislation and are communicated and embedded with relevant audiences.
• HRIS and Employee Data Management – be the main owner of our HRIS and the custodian of employee data ensuring records are up to date throughout the employee lifecycle and the lifecycle model is efficient, engaging and consistent.
• Training & Development – support the upskill of people managers and employees through the development and delivery of training on a broad range of HR/ER topics. Improve practical understanding through guided support and creating forums for advice and learning from others.

Accountability – What You Are Responsible for Delivering

• Day to day ownership of the people lifecycle; ensure a compliant and consistent experience from the first contact with our business to the last.
• Provide first‑level guidance and support to managers on employee relations matters including performance, conduct, grievances, and absence management. Support investigations where relevant, ensuring fair and consistent outcomes.
• Guide ER work to ensure we are legally compliant and that we deliver the best outcome for the individual and the business.
• Draft, review, and update HR policies, frameworks, guidance and procedures in line with legislation and best practice. Ensure consistent application of policies across the business and maintain compliance with employment law and support internal audits and reporting.
• Analyse workforce data to identify trends and inform decision‑making and collaborate with leaders to assess workforce needs and support strategic planning. Assist with succession planning and talent development initiatives.
• Maintain accurate employee records and data within the HRIS, generate reports and insights to support business needs and improve the efficiency and employee experience through automation.
• Design and deliver training sessions to managers and employees on HR policies, procedures, and compliance topics, support onboarding and induction programmes and contribute to the development of learning materials and initiatives for broader topics.
• Prepare and validate monthly payroll data in collaboration with Finance and external partners, ensure accuracy of pay‑related changes including new hires, promotions and contractual amendments and support resolution of payroll queries and maintain confidentiality.
• Work alongside the People Performance Lead to improve management capability in employee lifecycle actions such as absence management, onboarding, parental leave, disciplinary and grievance and other manager‑led lifecycle actions.
• Lead on workforce planning, skills matrices and role definitions within our operational business to support the continuous improvement of this business area.
• Conduct regular audits on our processes and documentation to ensure we are delivering a people service to the highest standards and compliant with ever‑changing legislative landscape.
• Lead on value‑add people projects that deliver real impact for our business where appropriate.

Capability – The Skills and Behaviours Required to Do This Job Well

• CIPD qualified, minimum Level 5 (or working towards)
• A true generalist covering all aspects of the employee lifecycle from hire to retire.
• Demonstrable experience of successfully delivering change and impact through people activities.
• Strong understanding of UK employment law and HR best practices.
• Experience providing sound HR advice to managers and guiding managers through HR/ER processes.
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Ability to connect people actions with organisational goals, so we can make what we do make sense for our people.
• Intuitive with high emotional intelligence and the ability to coach.
• Proficient in HRIS systems and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Experience delivering training or workshops.
• Familiarity with payroll processes and systems.
• HR project management experience.

Performance – How You Will Know You Are Doing a Great Job

• Our high performance people measures
• HR compliance audit scores
• People Operation KPIs
• Legal compliance
• Maintain a strong people operation including employee records, admin, ER and process adherence.

Specific metrics will be set when in role and will be reviewed and built upon regularly. Alongside this, you will be supported with a personal performance plan that will enable you to continue improving your own performance and impact.

Attributes – Experience and Mindset that Will Enable You to Do Well in This Role

• Demonstrable experience in a generalist HR role
• Comfortable working with Senior Leaders and managers.
• Comprehensive and rounded people generalist covering all aspects of the people lifecycle.
• Well‑seasoned and practical application of employment legislation in a diverse range of businesses, eCommerce, manufacturing and retail would be of particular interest.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with flawless attention to detail.
• Collaborative and community building; a magnet for energy who continuously leverages the power of diverse and collaborative people for the good of the business and the people within it.
• A genuine passion for performance through people and an attitude that will drive us to success.
• A genuine interest in sports and performance nutrition would be an added bonus.
• Ability to challenge stakeholders to drive deep thinking and encourage change.
• Proactive and versatile with excellent communication, problem‑solving, and organisational skills.
• Ability to manage sensitive information with discretion.
• Strong digital skills with the ability to use technology to improve efficiency of the function.

Science in Sport Group is an equal opportunity employer; we value diversity and strive to cultivate an inclusive workplace. We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind in regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We fully support reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process, to provide an inclusive and welcoming recruitment experience.