HR Advisor - FTC 5 month contract

hyperiongrp; Wexford; Hybrid; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Howden Ireland, part of Howden, the global insurance intermediary group, is seeking an experienced HR Generalist/ER professional to support the newly established Retail business. The role blends in-office and remote work across Ireland with weekly travel to ROI and NI locations.

You will handle ER matters, probation and performance processes, data accuracy in Workday, and partner with the HRBP to drive people initiatives.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years' experience in HR Generalist/ER role.
• CIPD qualified or HR-focused degree.
• Experience using Workday.
• Knowledge of Republic of Ireland and United Kingdom employment law preferred.
• Fast-paced environment with high-volume case management experience.
• Strong Excel, PowerPoint and Word skills.
• Ability to travel within ROI and Northern Ireland weekly.

Responsibilities

• Respond to HR queries via the HR Inbox accurately and professionally.
• Serve as the initial contact for general inquiries and address Employee Relations matters.
• Support probationary, performance management, disciplinary, capability and grievance cases.
• Provide advice and direction, script conversations, draft and issue paperwork, update MI tracker.
• Coach and upskill first line leaders in employee relations and manager capability.
• Own sickness and long‑term absence cases including occupational health arrangements.
• Conduct exit interviews and feed insights to the HRBP.
• Provide on-demand letters and administrative support as needed.
• Maintain data integrity in Workday and alert on data/security concerns.
• Collaborate on projects such as policy reviews, training, SMCR, diversity and manager training.
• Keep abreast of regulatory changes in Ireland and the UK affecting the role.
• Produce Workday reports (headcount, absence, talent, objectives).
• Upskill managers on Workday self-service with HR Employee Services.

Skills

HR Generalist

Employee Relations

Workday

Data reporting

Education

CIPD qualification

Tools

Workday

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

Who are we?

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It's what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities - work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering - you'll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

About the Role:

As a key contributor, you will thrive in our dynamic and fast-paced environment, you'll embrace the complexity and commerciality that accompanies Howden's growth plans.

This role involves navigating ambiguity, turning it into opportunity, and working collaboratively with the broader HR Team to craft the operational landscape of our newly established Retail business.

This role allows for flexibility in location, with a hybrid work pattern (2-3 days in-office) and travel to other office locations within the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland is required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Responding to HR queries received via the HR Inbox accurately, professionally and in accordance with the Service Level Agreement
• Serve as the initial contact for general inquiries and address Employee Relations matters, collaborating with the HR Business Partner and Head of HR for significant issues.
• Support probationary, performance management processes, as well as disciplinary, capability and grievance cases.
• Provide advice and direction, scripting conversations, note taking, drafting and issuing paperwork as required. Ensuring the relevant MI tracker or system is updated, and the Head of HR is aware of any trends.
• Coach, support and upskill first line leaders in order to develop employee relations and manager capability.
• Ownership of sickness and long-term absence cases, including occupational health assessments, return to work arrangements, group income protection applications and line manager support.
• Proactively run exit interviews for members of staff, advising the HR Business Partner of any key business insights and feedback.
• Offer on-demand, custom letters, and administrative support when needed.
• Act as a guardian for data integrity within the system, ensuring that any concerns regarding data and security are raised and resolved
• Collaborate with the HR Business Partner on various projects, and contribute to other initiatives as needed, such as policy and process reviews, training program development, CBI/SMCR process implementation, talent and goal setting, early careers, diversity & inclusion, and manager training.
• Keep informed of all regulatory and legal changes in both Ireland and the United Kingdom which impact on the job role and contribute to the continuous improvement of HR procedures, policies and practices.
• Maintain and produce reports utilising Workday e.g. headcount, absence, talent, objectives etc.
• Upskilling managers on Workday self-service in collaboration with HR Employee Services.
• Verify data and Workday records, making sure job titles, teams, and cost centres are accurate, and sending relevant notifications to the appropriate business collaborators.

About You:

• Minium of 5 years' experience working within HR Generalist/ER role scope.
• CIPD qualified /Third level business related qualification with a HR focus.
• Experienced employee relations capability.
• Experience using Workday.
• Solid understanding of Republic of Ireland employment law and United Kingdom employment law preferred.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced and constantly evolving environment with high volume case management experience.
• Strong customer focus and employee experience mind-set - using this for continuous improvement in service delivery.
• Good Excel, PowerPoint and Word skills.
• Ability to travel within the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland weekly.

About Howden Ireland:

Howden Ireland is part of Howden, the global insurance intermediary group, and has over 600 employees across 28 local offices advising clients on their commercial insurance, personal insurance, health insurance, life and pensions and mortgage requirements. Our success is primarily down to the incredible people we employ.

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we valu