HR Analyst

About the Role

At DS Smith, we're looking for an analytical, detail-focused HR Analyst to join our UK HR team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in delivering efficient HR operations while providing meaningful people insights that help shape business decisions.

Reporting into the HR function, you'll work closely with HR Business Partners, Centres of Excellence, and key stakeholders across the business to ensure high-quality HR processes, accurate data management, and insightful reporting. You'll also have the opportunity to contribute to process improvement initiatives, system enhancements, and projects that support the evolution of our people function.

This is a varied and developmental role that offers exposure across the entire employee lifecycle and would suit someone who enjoys combining operational excellence with data-driven problem solving.

What you’ll be doing

HR Operations

• Support HR administration across the employee lifecycle, including starters, changes, and leavers.

• Maintain accurate HR data and employee records.

• Respond to HR queries and coordinate key HR activities to ensure timely delivery.

Reporting & Analytics

• Produce HR reports, dashboards, and management information.

• Analyse workforce data to identify trends and provide actionable insights.

• Ensure data accuracy and consistency across HR systems and reporting.

Process Improvement & Projects

• Identify and implement improvements to HR processes and systems.

• Support automation, system enhancements, and HR-related projects.

• Create process documentation and support stakeholder training where needed.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner with HR Business Partners, Centres of Excellence, and business stakeholders.

• Support the delivery of HR initiatives through effective coordination and communication.

• Provide a professional, proactive, and customer-focused HR service.

About You

We're looking for someone who is naturally curious, highly organised, and enjoys working with data to solve business challenges.

You may already have experience in HR analytics, people data, or HR administration. Equally, we would welcome applications from candidates with strong analytical backgrounds in areas such as finance, business operations, reporting, or administration who are interested in building a career within HR.

This role could also suit:

• A finance professional looking to transition into HR analytics.

• A return-to-work candidate seeking a flexible opportunity after a career break.

• An ambitious early-career professional or graduate with strong analytical capability and commercial awareness.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including data analysis, formulas, pivot tables, and reporting.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

• Experience working with large datasets and producing meaningful reports.

• Excellent attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy.

• Strong organisation and prioritisation skills.

• Ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.

• Confident communicator with excellent stakeholder management skills.

Desirable

• Experience using HR systems and people data.

• Power BI knowledge, with the ability to interpret dashboards and reporting outputs.

• Experience creating Power BI dashboards and visualisations.

• Previous experience within HR, finance, shared services, analytics, or business support functions.

• Exposure to process improvement, automation, or project work.

Benefits

• Competitive salary

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays 

• Pension scheme, life assurance and income protection

• Employee Assistance Programme

• Employee Discounts

• Cycle to work scheme

Location: Remote flexible UK Location / Hybrid working

Hours:  Monday – Friday – 09:00 - 1700

Contract: Permanent (Full-time and Part-time Applications Considered)

About us

We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 65,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!

Fair recruitment at DS Smith

To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria

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