Senior HR Generalist

We are recruiting a Senior HR Generalist to join a growing and highly successful pharmaceutical business at its Cambridge site, supporting a rapidly expanding UK workforce across the full employee lifecycle. This newly created role offers the opportunity to partner with managers, drive recruitment activity, deliver HR advisory support and help shape HR processes as the organisation continues to invest heavily in its UK operations.

Client Details

Our client is a globally recognised pharmaceutical organisation with a strong heritage of innovation and a growing presence within the UK market.

The organisation offers a collaborative, people-focused culture where employees are trusted, empowered and encouraged to contribute ideas and improvements. Whilst operating within a corporate environment, the business prides itself on maintaining a supportive and approachable culture. Due to continued growth, they are looking for an experienced Senior HR Generalist to join their site in Cambridge on a permanent basis, to support the wider HR team on all aspects of the employee lifecycle. The ideal candidate will have established experience in HR across the full employee lifecycle, including Employee Relations, Recruitment, Policy implementation etc. There will be an opportunity to contribute to process improvement and utilise previous experience to drive the HR practice forward, whilst contributing to wider HR initiatives. The role sits between HR administration and HR business partnering, providing a significant level of autonomy and ownership across a broad range of people activities.

Description

Key responsibilities include:

• Managing HR activities across the full employee lifecycle.
• Acting as a first point of contact for managers and employees on HR matters.
• Providing HR advice and guidance on policies, procedures and employee relations issues.
• Supporting consultation processes and organisational change activity.
• Coordinating recruitment activity from requisition through to onboarding.
• Working with management teams to improve and streamline HR processes.
• Supporting performance management, development and employee engagement initiatives.
• Maintaining HR systems and ensuring employee data remains accurate and compliant.
• Preparing HR documentation including contracts, letters and employee communications.
• Supporting payroll inputs and wider HR administration activities.
• Assisting with HR projects and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Building effective relationships with a range of senior stakeholders across scientific, commercial and operational functions.

Profile

The successful candidate will be a capable Senior HR generalist who enjoys working across a broad range of HR activities and is comfortable operating in a standalone environment whilst having support from a wider HR team.

You are likely to demonstrate:

• Previous experience in a HR Advisor, HR Generalist or HR Specialist position.
• Strong knowledge of the employee lifecycle.
• Experience supporting recruitment and onboarding activities.
• Exposure to employee relations matters and consultation processes.
• Ability to advise and influence managers confidently.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience using HR systems and Microsoft Office.
• A proactive approach with a continuous improvement mindset.
• The confidence to challenge constructively and build credibility with senior stakeholders.

CIPD qualification or working towards a qualification would be advantageous but is not essential for candidates with relevant experience.

• Experience within pharmaceuticals, life sciences, medical devices or similarly regulated environments would be beneficial, although candidates from other sectors with strong HR generalist experience are encouraged to apply.

Job Offer

• Competitive salary, negotiable depending on experience
• 25 days of annual leave.
• Private health insurance.
• Life assurance 4 x salary
• Enhanced pension contribution
• Hybrid working - on site in Cambridge 3 x per week