HR Business Partner

Job Summary

At GKN Aerospace, we are driven by innovation, collaboration, and a mission to engineer a sustainable tomorrow. We are currently looking for a proactive and people-focused HR Business Partner to join us on an 18-month fixed-term contract. This is an exciting opportunity to partner with our corporate leadership teams, driving both strategic and operational HR activities that make a real difference.

As the HR Business Partner and trusted advisor to our corporate offices, remote workforce, and functional teams, you will serve as the primary HR lead, delivering both strategic and operational support to leaders and employees. In this pivotal role, you will ensure that all people activities are aligned with business objectives, drive high performance, and contribute to creating a truly Great Place to Work. Your remit will span the full HR spectrum—including engagement, wellbeing, employee relations, talent acquisition and on boarding, performance and talent management, learning and development, reward and benefits, and policy development and compliance.

How You'll Contribute

Strategic Partnership & HR Partnership
⦁    Collaborate with leaders to align HR activities and strategies with business goals.
⦁    Implement targeted HR initiatives that support high performance and long-term success.
⦁    Act as a trusted adviser on the full employee lifecycle.

Leadership Coaching & Development
⦁    Coach Managers to strengthen leadership capability.
⦁    Equip people leaders with tools and confidence to handle HR challenges effectively.

Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (DIB)
⦁    Champion inclusive practices and support cultural initiatives to foster a workplace where everyone thrives.

Engagement & Wellbeing
⦁    Drive meaningful employee engagement activities.
⦁    Lead wellbeing initiatives to support mental, physical, and emotional health.

Employee Relations
⦁    Be the first point of contact for employee concerns, fostering a positive, inclusive culture.
⦁    Manage ER issues with empathy, professionalism, and compliance.

Talent Acquisition & On boarding
⦁    Partner with leaders on hiring strategies and execution including interviewing, extending offers and pre-employment checks.
⦁    Oversee seamless on boarding processes that set new hires up for success.

Performance, Talent & Learning
⦁    Drive performance review cycles and talent reviews.
⦁    Support succession planning and learning pathways to enable career development.

Reward & Benefits
⦁    Coordinate salary reviews, bonuses, and benefit programs.
⦁    Conduct job evaluations and ensure competitive compensation alignment.

Policy & Compliance
⦁    Develop and maintain HR policies.
⦁    Ensure legal compliance and best practice across all HR activity.

HR Reporting & Metrics
⦁    Generate meaningful HR insights and reports to inform business decisions.

What You'll Bring

To help us make a difference, you’ll bring your passion and expertise/ talent for what you do along with the following skills, experience, qualifications and attributes:

Essential:

⦁    Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, or equivalent experience.
⦁    Broad HR generalist experience at Business Partner level.
⦁    Strong knowledge of UK employment law, HR best practices and employee relations
⦁    Data-savvy with experience interpreting and presenting HR metrics.
⦁    Skilled in influencing and relationship-building at all levels.
⦁    Agile, organised and comfortable managing multiple priorities.
⦁    Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite.

Desirable:

⦁    CIPD qualified or working towards it.
⦁    Experience in union/employee representative environments.
⦁    Aerospace or manufacturing sector HR experience.
⦁    Experience in stand-alone or matrixed HR roles.
⦁    Knowledge of HRIS and data analytics tools.
⦁    Project management capabilities.

What We'll Offer

Once you’re on board you’ll get the following perks and benefits:

• Competitive salary dependent on experience
• Industry Leading Pension Scheme = we’ll match your contributions up to 8% on a 1 : 1.5 basis
• Life Assurance 8 x salary
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays
• Flexible working hours 
• Income protection
• Shopping discounts
• Cycle To Work Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Virtual GP Clinic for you and immediate family
• A collaborative, dynamic working environment 

As well as a competitive package we’ll offer you a world of opportunity. We want to see your career fly!  We’ll support your career progression by providing you with learning and development opportunities. That’s the beauty of being part of a global business, once you’re on board you never know where you career journey may take you!