HR Advisor

Short Intro and About the Job

The main purpose of this role is to provide generalist and operational HR advice to support the business. We are looking of a strong team player, preferably from a manufacturing background, who has the ability to prioritise and multi-task across a broad range of activities. You will be responsible for liaising with Line Managers to manage and co-ordinate a high level of ER case work, including absence management, disciplinaries and grievances.

 

You will possess effective communication skills with the proven ability to build great stakeholder relationships across all levels of the organisation. Confidentiality at all times is absolutely critical to this role.

 

Key accountabilities, deliverables & KPIs, impact on business results

• Support the delivery of the Danone People Survey (DPS) action plans, driving employee engagement and fostering a positive employee experience across the site.
• Provide a high-quality HR advisory service, managing employee and manager queries professionally, accurately, and within agreed service levels, including ownership of queries received through the HR Inbox.
• Deliver engaging and informative HR inductions for all new starters, ensuring content remains up to date, relevant, and aligned to business and compliance requirements.
• Support HR Business Partners in the management of employee wellbeing and medical welfare cases, ensuring appropriate processes, documentation, and employee support mechanisms are in place.
• Lead on absence management administration and compliance, including return-to-work processes, attendance tracking, employee records management, and maintaining accurate Employee Relations and absence management trackers. Provide managers with guidance on attendance policies, sanctions, and next steps.
• Independently manage a varied Employee Relations caseload, including investigations, disciplinary matters, grievances, and absence management cases, ensuring consistency, fairness, and compliance with company policies and employment legislation.
• Coordinate and support Occupational Health and Physiotherapy services, acting as a key point of contact for employees and managers. Provide advice and guidance on implementing recommendations and workplace adjustments that support employee wellbeing while meeting operational requirements.
• Support the local delivery of employee benefits programmes through effective communication, promotion of initiatives, and first-line response to employee queries.
• Maintain accurate, confidential, and compliant HR records and documentation, ensuring adherence to data protection and audit requirements.
• Contribute to the delivery of people-focused projects and initiatives, including health and wellbeing campaigns, employee engagement activities, and broader HR strategic objectives.
• Support the development and execution of the site's internal communications strategy by creating engaging communications, managing communication channels and inboxes, and helping to drive employee engagement and awareness of key business initiatives.
• Manage the HR Inbox to ensure prompt and effective resolution of employee and manager enquiries, identifying trends, escalating complex matters where appropriate, and delivering a positive customer experience.
• Provide regular and accurate Employee Relations data, reporting, and trend analysis to HR Business Partners, supporting informed decision-making and proactive people management across their respective business areas.

Stakeholders

Internal:

• HR Business Partners
• Senior HR Advisor
• Site Leadership Team
• Line Managers
• Recruitment and Shared Services Teams
• Employees
• Trade Union Representatives
• HR representatives from partner organisations

External

• Employment solicitors
• Occupational Health and Wellbeing Providers
• Physio providers

About You

Candidate profile (leadership & functional competencies)

• Previous experience of working as a HR Advisor
• Excellent influencing, relationship building and communication skills
• Proven track record of working effectively with multiple level stakeholders requiring an autonomous, decision-making approach
• Can demonstrate curiosity and uses a coaching style to challenge their partners to think differently and seek new perspectives and move beyond obstacles
• Thinks broadly and can consider all implications of actions across the business function, demonstrating high levels of resilience and emotional intelligence
• Is practised and experienced in all matters relating to employee relations
• Has strong commercial acumen
• Has the ability to take initiative and work without supervision is essential, prioritising own workload and self-efficient, results orientated
• Strong IT skills - PowerPoint, Excel
• CIPD level 3 minimum qualified is preferred
• Demonstrates curiosity
• Can manage change effectively

 

Critical experience required

• Certificate in personnel practice/equivalent experience in HR processes or the willingness to attain this
• Experience in a fast-paced administration role, which required a need for confidentiality.
• Worked in a role which required excellent numeracy and literacy skills to produce accurate reports

• Experience of working in a fast paced environment with a high caseload.

About Us, We offer and What's next

Danone is a major FMCG company in the UK, with market leading brands across three divisions: Waters (Evian, Volvic), Dairies (Actimel, Activia, Shape), Specialized Nutrition (SN) (Aptamil, Cow & Gate and Neocate, Fortisip).

 

The Specialized Nutrition category, offer nutritional solutions with the shared goal of improving the health and well-being of vulnerable individuals. This ambition stretches from the first day of pregnancy into old age, with similar activities in terms of innovation and scientific research. Specialized Nutrition focuses on allergies, from prevention to treatment, with Early Life Nutrition and Advanced Medical Nutrition working hand-in-hand to foster synergies and strengthen Danone's leading position in this sector. The Nutricia brand is a key asset for both businesses, thanks to a medical legacy of more than 120 years and a recognition of health leaders around the world.

Nutricia is Europe’s largest specialist nutrition company and the market leader in the UK. We specialise in the delivery of medical nutrition for the very young, the old and the sick, supplying high quality feeds to patients and consumers. Our purpose is to pioneer nutritional discoveries that help people live longer, healthier lives.

 

When it comes to finding a great place to work there are plenty of things to look for: inspirational colleagues, freedom in your job to make a real difference, and a shared ethos you can truly believe in. Throw in top perks, a responsive and dynamic environment and unrivalled opportunities to develop personally and professionally and you’ve found something pretty special. You’ve found Danone.

Here at Danone we put people at the centre of everything we do – whether we’re developing ground-breaking new products, taking care of individual patients, or supporting the community. And if you join us you can expect exactly that sort of attention too.

 

Nutricia  medical nutrition products have a strong market share. The business is operating within a mature market but there is still scope for expansion both within local and global markets, and the emphasis in the coming years with be on maintaining volume growth, whilst ensuring we drive our cost targets in the right direction.

 

Selling points of the role

• This role will be critical to enabling the HR team to meet the demands of the business
• Establishing processes and working practices that are efficient, streamlined, automated, robust, and repeatable
• Feeder role into Junior HRBP Roles or specialist roles within the wider Danone Group

What does future career progression look like?

 

Next possible positions: Senior HR Advisor, HR Business Partner or specialist roles within the wider Danone Group.