Enjoy a career, packaged with care, whilst helping protect food, people and the planet
We are a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions. We’re on a mission to make all packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable. Every day, we ensure the hygiene and safety of food and drink for people around the world. We are Huhtamaki.
You could be part of our vision. Because it’s our talented people that make it happen. Our people on the shop floor producing innovative, sustainable products. Our people in our offices delivering excellence for our customers every day. It’s every one of us working together.
We offer a place where you can feel safe, be supported, and make an impact so we can all focus on the future together.
We have an exciting opening at Huhtamaki for a HR Manager to join our team in Belfast, where you will lead a dedicated HR team and play a key role in shaping the people strategy for our UK & Ireland Foodservice Market Unit. Reporting to the Head of HR for the UK & Ireland Foodservice Market Unit, with a dotted line to the Site Manufacturing Manager, you will partner with local management to drive progress against business objectives and key performance indicators.
Where you’ll be
Huhtamaki Belfast, Northern Ireland.
You will work closely with the local management team and provide HR leadership across the Belfast site.
What you'll be doing
Acts as a Strategic HR Business Partner for the business to ensure plant goals and objective are achieved.
- Providing HR strategy & planning, organizational effectiveness and leadership development
- Leadership and strategic insight to the leadership team on both business and HR matters.
Operational HR management
Responsible for overseeing HR team members in Belfast and providing overall HR management responsibility, including, but not limited to:
- Recruitment across all organisational levels, implementing recruitment guidelines and managing recruitment partners.
- Onboarding and induction procedures.
- Local compensation and benefits process (including pay review, Incentive planning and payout).
- Advise managers on employee and labour relations, supporting senior leaders on labour and union matters.
- Ensure compliance with employment legislation, company policies and procedures, including customer audits.
HR Development and Processes
- Directs the annual performance management and salary review processes for the plant.
- Drive supervisor and manager training in performance management, compensation, benefits, employee/labour relations, and leadership; coordinate national training on core competencies.
- Partner with our Training Specialist to identify and address capability gaps.
- Oversee talent development and succession planning
- Implement global and national HR policies and programs
- Own all strategic HR initiatives for the Belfast site
HR Leadership and Advisory
- Directs, advises and counsels managers and their direct reports concerning policies and procedures, organisational structure, and business unit goals and objectives;
- Directs HR team to ensure consistent and effective HR support to all employees of the plant (including performance management, employee relations, policy and procedures).
HR Planning and Organizational Review
- Align HR plans with business needs and adapt to organizational change
- Ensure organizational structure supports strategic goals; manage change as needed
- Keep job descriptions current and relevant with managers
- Oversee headcount budgeting and planning for the plant.
What you’ll bring to the role
- At least 3 years’ experience managing a busy HR department, preferably in a multi-site manufacturing environment
- CIPD (Level 5) or above (required); degree educated in a related discipline (preferred)
- Proven experience partnering with and advising a Senior Management Team.
- Broad HR generalist and operational experience, with a strong understanding of Northern Ireland employment law.
- Experience negotiating with external stakeholders, work councils and/or trade unions.
- Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to deliver practical, commercially focused HR solutions.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and HRIS systems; Workday experience desirable.
- Ability to build strong relationships and credibility at all levels of the organisation.
- Proven leadership, team-building and collaboration skills, with the ability to work independently.
- Proactive, pragmatic and results-driven, with strong interpersonal skills, accountability and a commitment to continuous improvement.
- Commercial awareness and a focus on supporting operational performance and business objectives.
What we offer in return
- A meaningful job in a global company: At Huhtamaki, we believe in protecting food, people and the planet. Our innovative and transformative solutions touch the daily lives of people everywhere.
- Development opportunities: We care for each other – and want our talent to thrive and develop.
- Responsible employer: Sustainability is embedded in everything we do. We believe diverse teams fuel innovation. We invest in fostering an environment where everyone is safe both psychologically and physically and where diversity and inclusion are promoted through day-to-day behaviours, which are reinforced by our policies and practices.
Join us. Help protect food, people and the planet.
Skills Required
- At least 3 years of experience managing a busy HR department
- CIPD Level 5 or above
- Experience partnering with and advising a senior management team
- Broad HR generalist and operational experience
- Strong understanding of Northern Ireland employment law
- Experience negotiating with external stakeholders, works councils, and/or trade unions
- Strong problem-solving and practical, commercially focused HR solution skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and HRIS systems
- Ability to build strong relationships and credibility at all organizational levels
- Leadership, team-building, collaboration, and independent working skills
- Proactive, pragmatic, results-driven, and strong interpersonal skills
- Commercial awareness and focus on operational performance and business objectives
- Experience in a multi-site manufacturing environment
- Degree in a related discipline
- Workday experience
Huhtamaki Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Huhtamaki and has not been reviewed or approved by Huhtamaki.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as comprehensive with dental and vision options, and employer contributions toward premiums are portrayed as generous. Feedback suggests this breadth makes the overall package feel competitive for many roles.
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Retirement Support — Retirement programs include a 401(k) with pre‑tax and Roth options, with certain groups also having access to a pension and even deferred compensation. Feedback suggests these features stand out positively in a manufacturing context.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off, paid holidays, and generous parental leave are emphasized alongside meaningful PTO accruals. Feedback suggests this leave structure strengthens perceived total rewards even where base pay is viewed as only fair.
Huhtamaki Insights
What We Do
Huhtamaki is a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions for consumers around the world, enabling wellbeing and convenience. Our innovative products protect on-the-go and on-the-shelf food and beverages, ensuring hygiene and safety, and help prevent food waste. We embed sustainability in everything we do. We are committed to achieving carbon neutral production and designing all our products to be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2030. We are a participant in the UN Global Compact and EcoVadis has awarded Huhtamaki with the Gold medal for performance in sustainability. To play our part in managing climate change, we have set science-based targets that have been approved and validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. With 100 years of history and a strong Nordic heritage we operate in 37 countries and 103 operating locations around the world. Our values Care Dare Deliver guide our decisions and help our team of around 18 000 employees make a difference where it matters. Our 2023 net sales totaled EUR 4.2 billion. Huhtamaki Group is headquartered in Espoo, Finland and our parent company, Huhtamäki Oyj, is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. Find out more about how we are protecting food, people and the planet on www.huhtamaki.com








