HR Business (HR Advisor Level)

HR Business (HR Advisor Level)

Littlehampton, West Sussex | £32,000 - £36,000 + Benefits

The Opportunity

A well-established engineering and manufacturing organisation is seeking a hands-on HR professional to become the lead HR presence at its Littlehampton site. Following a sustained period of growth and investment, the business is looking for an experienced HR Advisor-level professional who can provide practical, operational HR support while helping introduce greater structure, consistency and continuous improvement across the site.

Reporting directly to the HR Manager and working within a small but highly visible HR team, this is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys autonomy, building relationships with managers and making a genuine impact within a manufacturing environment.

This role would suit an HR Advisor, HR Officer or experienced HR Coordinator seeking a broader position with increased ownership, responsibility and influence.

The Role

This is far more than a traditional HR Advisor position.

You will act as the primary HR contact for the Littlehampton site, partnering closely with operational and production leaders while supporting a diverse employee population. You'll have the opportunity to influence processes, improve systems and establish yourself as a trusted advisor across the business.

As part of a small HR function, you'll gain exposure to the full employee lifecycle and play a key role in both day-to-day operations and longer-term HR initiatives.

If you enjoy solving problems, driving improvements and working within a fast-paced environment, this role offers genuine career development and visibility.

Key Responsibilities

Employee Relations & HR Support

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• Act as the first point of contact for HR matters on-site
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• Provide advice and guidance to managers and employees
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• Manage employee relations cases
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• Support disciplinary and capability processes
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• Conduct absence reviews and attendance management activities
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• Escalate complex cases to the HR Manager where appropriate
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Operational HR

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• Support the management of Time & Attendance processes
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• Liaise with payroll and ensure accurate payroll inputs are submitted
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• Monitor HR metrics and KPI reporting
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• Maintain accurate HR records and employee data
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Continuous Improvement

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• Develop and improve HR processes and procedures
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• Introduce greater structure around absence management and attendance monitoring
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• Support the transition away from heavily manual processes
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• Drive consistency and best practice across the site
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HR Projects

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• Support employee wellbeing initiatives
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• Assist with Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) activities
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• Contribute to employee benefits projects
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• Support employee engagement activities
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• Participate in sustainability and community initiatives
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• Assist with wider HR projects across the business
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About You

Essential Experience

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• Previous experience within a generalist HR role
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• Strong employee relations knowledge
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• Experience managing disciplinary, grievance and absence cases
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• Experience supporting operational managers
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• Understanding of Time & Attendance systems and payroll inputs
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• Ability to work confidently in a fast-paced environment
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• Strong communication and relationship-building skills
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Desirable Experience

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• Manufacturing, engineering or industrial sector experience
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• Experience working within a hands-on operational environment
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• Strong analytical and process improvement mindset
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• CIPD qualification or currently working towards CIPD
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Ideal Profile

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• Progressed through roles such as HR Coordinator, HR Officer or HR Advisor
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• Approximately 3-5+ years' HR experience
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• Looking for a role with greater autonomy and ownership
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• Comfortable balancing operational HR activity with continuous improvement projects
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Benefits

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• Salary of £32,000 - £36,000
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• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
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• Early finish every Friday
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• Flexible working hours with a core-hours approach
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• Annual salary review process
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• Performance and development framework
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• Potential CIPD support
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• Exposure across all areas of HR
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• Long-term career development opportunities
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About Ford & Stanley Group

Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group are in the business of people and performance. Our mission is to create one million better workdays through facilitating great recruitment, leadership and occupational mental fitness. We support our clients in their most challenging business areas - recruiting, developing and retaining the best talent from shop floor to boardroom.

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