People Associate (Maternity cover

Benefits:
Company share save scheme, Competitive matched pension contribution, Life insurance up to 4x salary

Location:

Pizza and Bread Aston, Nantwich, CW5 8DL
/ Pizza and Bread Crewe, Crewe, CW1 6UA
, including Crewe DC

Ways of Working:
Site based - Hybrid Light

Hours of work:
Monday to Friday 08:30-17:00 (Flexibility required to meet business needs)

Contract Type:
Fixed Term – Approx. 12 Months (Maternity Cover)

Following the combination with Bakkavor in January 2026, we’re one of the UK’s leading creators of convenience food, driven by a simple purpose: to make every day taste better.

As a vibrant and fast-moving business, we’re proud to employ over 28,000 talented colleagues across 36 manufacturing sites and 21 distribution depots in the UK and the US. Together, we bring delicious food to life. Our products cover every meal occasion from breakfast through to dinner and dessert, with lunch and snacking in between. In FY25, our shared passion helped us achieve combined revenues of approximately £4bn.

Our extensive direct to store (DTS) network, with 17 depots across the UK, allows us to deliver fresh and frozen food both our own and from trusted partners to thousands of stores every day, ensuring consumers enjoy the very best, whenever and wherever they shop.

Our site in Nantwich, Aston, is a vibrant facility producing chilled speciality breads, including sliced baguettes, and dough balls. The site employs around 270 people and delivers high-quality products to a dedicated customer base.

Our site in Crewe produces chilled speciality breads, hand-crafted flatbreads, and dough balls. The site employs over 280 people in the factory operating at a high standard of quality and volume.

In this dynamic and engaging role as a People Associate, you will provide essential HR administration support to the local HR team while also taking an active role in employee engagement initiatives. You will help plan and deliver engagement activities, wellbeing initiatives, training coordination, and small HR projects and events, directly contributing to a positive employee experience across the business.

You will act as a first point of contact for colleagues and managers, offering practical HR guidance to ensure policies are followed and employees feel supported. This role combines hands-on HR administration with interpersonal engagement, giving you the opportunity to build a strong foundation in HR while making a real impact on the team and company culture.

Role Accountabilities:

• Provide day-to-day HR administrative support, including maintaining employee records, preparing HR documentation, and supporting onboarding to ensure a positive employee experience.
• Support generalist HR activities such as recruitment coordination, absence monitoring, and assisting with performance management processes.
• Support the coordination and delivery of learning and development activities, encouraging participation across the business.
• Assist with HR reporting, audits, and documentation to ensure compliance with company policies and employment legislation.
• Proactively identify opportunities to improve HR processes and contribute ideas to enhance engagement and overall employee experience.

• Some experience in an HR, people, or administrative role, ideally within a fast-paced environment.
• A genuine interest in developing a career in HR, with a desire to gain broad generalist experience.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritise effectively, and meet deadlines.
• High attention to detail and accuracy, particularly when handling data and confidential information.
• Confident using HR systems and Microsoft Office, with the ability to learn new systems quickly.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, able to adapt style for different audiences and formats.
• Resilient and calm under pressure, with a positive and professional approach.
• Analytical mindset, comfortable reviewing data and producing clear, accurate information.
• Proactive and pragmatic, with the confidence to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Curious, open to learning, and…