Senior HR Advisor; FTC - Maternity Cover

Job Description:

Senior HR Advisor (FTC - Maternity Cover)

Airbus Helicopters UK

RAF Shawbury, Hangar 2, Wem Road, Shawbury, Shropshire, SY4 4DZ
(With travel to Kidlington, Oxford)

37.5 per week

Fixed term contract 12 months - Maternity Cover

HR Business Partner

Airbus Helicopters is the world’s largest helicopter manufacturer and the company’s site at Oxford Airport is Britain’s civil helicopter hub.

AHUK offers considerable experience in helicopter sales, bespoke completions, maintenance and spares support. Its in‑house engineering capabilities include design, customisation, installation, flight‑testing and certification, as well as technical support, maintenance, training and the supply of spares for civil and military applications.

AHUK is the MoD’s chosen provider of helicopters and maintenance for its No.1 Helicopter Flying school (referred to as MFTS) located in RAF Shawbury (Shropshire) and RAF Valley (Anglesey)

We are seeking a Senior HR Advisor to join us on a Fixed term contract for 12 months to be based at RAF Shawbury with travel as required to AHUK HQ in Kidlington, Oxford. This is a pivotal, hands‑on role, covering a period of maternity leave, you will be responsible for providing dedicated, high‑level HR support across dual locations. A primary focus will be supporting the HR Business Partners in harmonising practices and facilitating the successful integration of the two regional HR functions into a cohesive, high‑performing team.

The Senior HR Advisor will deliver comprehensive, professional HR support across the entire employee lifecycle, ensuring all processes are efficient, accurate, and fully compliant with company policy and UK employment legislation.

• Review, update, and maintain organisational policies, ensuring compliance with current UK employment law, regulatory requirements, and best practice.
• Lead scheduled policy reviews, coordinating stakeholder input and managing timely approval and publication.
• Develop clear supporting materials (e.g., guidelines, templates, FAQs) to facilitate effective policy implementation.
• Provide expert, first‑line HR advice and guidance to Line Managers and employees on day‑to‑day matters including policy application, absence management, conduct, and performance.
• Develop, refine, and support procedural timelines and documentation for formal ER cases (investigations, disciplinaries, grievances) to promote consistency and fairness

• Coordinate the full end‑to‑end recruitment process
• Partner with hiring managers to facilitate end‑to‑end interview processes, ensuring objective candidate evaluation and a positive candidate experience
• Ensure an effective and engaging induction experience for all new starters to support smooth business integration.
• Maintain accurate and up‑to‑date recruitment and onboarding records, trackers, and key metrics

Maintain and update employee records within the HR Information System (Workday), ensuring absolute data integrity and full compliance with GDPR

• Track and maintain accurate training records, monitor completion rates, and assist with compliance reporting.
• The ability to be highly effective with HR data is essential, including using Workday/Google suite to extract, manipulate, and analyse employee data to generate reports, identify trends, and inform management decisions.

• Support strategic HR initiatives and business projects, including organisational change Contribute proactively to continuous improvement of HR systems and processes to enhance efficiency and the overall employee experience.
• Build trusted, professional working relationships across the business through confident and supportive communication

• CIPD Level 5 qualification (or working towards) preferred or equivalent experience
• Strong working knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
• Demonstrable experience in supporting or managing a range of employee relations cases (e.g., disciplinaries,…