People Partner 12-month FTC

Oakleaf Partnership; Ospringe; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

Oakleaf Partnership is seeking a People Partner for a 12-month fixed-term contract at our Faversham site in Kent. The role reports to the Senior People Partner and focuses on shaping the people agenda across a large operational site in a busy logistics setting.

The successful candidate will partner with site leaders to strengthen leadership capability, develop pipelines, and enable performance by coaching managers and handling employee relations with rigor and empathy.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as HR generalist with broad people functions.
• Strong background in employee relations and employment law.
• Experience improving leadership capability through coaching and development.
• Ability to partner with senior leaders and challenge constructively.
• Ability to translate people data into actionable insights.

Responsibilities

• Partner with site leadership to develop and deliver the people strategy.
• Act as trusted advisor to leaders at all levels with guidance and challenge.
• Drive improvements in leadership and management capability through coaching and support.
• Lead workforce planning, succession planning, and talent management initiatives.
• Support managers in employee relations matters, ensuring compliance with legislation.
• Build leadership confidence in performance management, absence, and engagement.
• Lead and develop a direct report within the People function.
• Use people data to influence decision-making and drive outcomes.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure a consistent people experience.
• Develop strong relationships with Trade Union representatives and industrial relations activities.

Skills

HR Generalist

Employee relations

Leadership development

Stakeholder management

People data analysis

Education

CIPD qualification

Job description

People Partner (12-Month Fixed Term Contract)

Faversham, Kent | c.£62,000 | Full-Time | Onsite (5 Days per Week)

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced People Partner to join a large, fast-paced operational business on a 12-month fixed-term contract based at its Faversham site.

This is a highly visible and influential role, partnering with senior operational leaders to drive people strategy, strengthen leadership capability, and build a high-performing culture across a complex logistics operation.

The successful candidate will be a credible HR professional with strong generalist experience who thrives in an operational environment and is passionate about developing leaders, improving management capability, and enabling business performance through people.

The Opportunity

Reporting into a Senior People Partner and forming part of the site leadership team, this role will play a critical part in shaping and delivering the people agenda across a large operational site.

The successful candidate will work closely with site leaders to ensure the right leadership capability, succession plans, performance standards and talent pipelines are in place to support both current operations and future growth.

A key focus of the role will be coaching and developing managers, helping them build confidence and capability in leading their teams, managing performance effectively, dealing with employee relations matters appropriately, and creating a positive and engaging workplace culture.

This position offers the opportunity to make a genuine impact within a business undergoing continued investment, transformation and growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner closely with the site leadership team to develop and deliver the people strategy.
• Act as a trusted advisor, providing expert guidance and constructive challenge to leaders at all levels.
• Drive improvements in leadership and management capability across the site through coaching, development and support.
• Lead workforce planning, succession planning and talent management initiatives.
• Support managers in handling complex employee relations matters, ensuring compliance with employment legislation and best practice.
• Build leadership confidence in dealing with performance management, absence management and employee engagement issues.
• Lead and develop a direct report, ensuring high standards and continuous improvement within the People function.
• Use people data and insights to identify trends, influence decision-making and drive business outcomes.
• Work collaboratively with key stakeholders across the wider business to ensure a consistent and effective people experience.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with Trade Union representatives, supporting positive industrial relations and employee engagement.

About the Candidate

The ideal candidate will be an experienced People Partner or HR Business Partner with a strong track record of operating in complex, fast-moving environments such as logistics, manufacturing, retail, distribution or other operational sectors.

They will bring:

• Proven experience across the full HR generalist remit.
• A strong background in employee relations, employment law and case management.
• Demonstrable success in improving leadership and management capability through coaching, development and influencing.
• Experience partnering with senior operational leaders and challenging constructively where required.
• The ability to build credibility quickly and operate as a true business partner.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate people data into meaningful action.
• Previous experience leading, coaching and developing others.
• Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• Experience working with Trade Unions and supporting industrial relations activity would be advantageous.
• CIPD qualification is desirable but not essential.