HR Business Partner – 18-Month FTC (Maternity Cover)

Location: North East – Seaham-based, supporting three UK sites

Salary: £45,000–£60,000 + car allowance and benefits

Contract: 18-month fixed-term contract – maternity cover

Reporting to: HR Director

About Natara Global

Natara Global is an international manufacturing business specialising in aroma and speciality ingredients. With operations across the UK and US, the business is evolving and growing, creating an exciting environment for an experienced HR professional who enjoys working at pace and making a visible impact.

We are now looking for an experienced HR Business Partner to join the business on an 18-month fixed-term contract, providing maternity cover.

The Role

Based at our Seaham headquarters, the HR Business Partner will provide proactive, commercially focused HR support across the global business, partnering with managers and senior leaders throughout three UK sites and one US location.

Reporting to the HR Director, you will take ownership of employee relations, recruitment, absence and performance management, while supporting managers to strengthen people capability and deliver wider HR initiatives.

You will also coordinate and oversee the monthly payroll processes for both the UK and US, working with internal stakeholders and external payroll providers to ensure accurate and timely delivery.

This is a hands-on role requiring someone who can balance day-to-day operational HR responsibilities with effective business partnering. You will coach managers, improve people practices and provide commercially focused advice across the full employee lifecycle.

The position would suit an experienced HR Business Partner or a strong Senior HR Advisor ready to operate at HRBP level.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with managers and senior leaders across three UK sites and one US site, providing practical and commercially focused HR advice and coaching.
• Take ownership of employee relations matters, including disciplinary, grievance, investigations, absence, capability and performance management.
• Coach managers through complex people issues, ensuring appropriate outcomes while effectively managing employment law and business risk.
• Proactively manage short and long-term absence, working with managers and Occupational Health to improve attendance and maintain absence levels at 3.5% or below.
• Support managers with performance management, including developing performance improvement plans and ensuring underperformance is addressed effectively.
• Coordinate and oversee the monthly UK and US payroll processes, ensuring information is accurate, complete and submitted within agreed deadlines.
• Manage payroll changes including new starters, leavers, contractual changes, absence, deductions, bonuses and one-off payments.
• Liaise with internal stakeholders and external payroll providers to investigate queries and ensure payroll issues are resolved promptly.
• Support employee benefits administration across both the UK and US.
• Support wider people initiatives, including employee engagement, learning and development, organisational change and workforce planning.
• Produce and analyse HR data, including headcount, absence, turnover, payroll and recruitment metrics, to support business decision-making.
• Maintain accurate HR systems and employee records, identifying opportunities to improve HR processes and ways of working.
• Support the HR Director with wider HR projects and initiatives across the global business.