HR Business Partner ( Bottling & Blending )

About Irish Distillers, a Pernod Ricard company

Irish Distillers, a Pernod Ricard company, is a producer of some of the world’s most well-known and successful Irish whiskeys and Ireland’s leading supplier of spirits. Irish Distillers is part of Pernod Ricard’s Gold Brand Unit – Aged Spirits and Champagne, a division which brings together an exceptional and prestigious portfolio of whisk(e)y, cognac and champagne brands.

Led by Jameson, our Irish whiskeys are driving the success of the category globally. Jameson, crafted for smoothness at the Midleton Distillery, is the world’s bestselling Irish whiskey, a top 3 international whiskey brand and a top 10 international spirits brand. Our Midleton Distillery whiskeys are exported to 130+ markets around the world. As creators of conviviality, our collective spirit is fuelled by a blend of passion, pride and human connection.

About Bottling & Blending

Our Bottling & Blending site based in Clondalkin, Dublin 7,  has been a cornerstone of Jameson production since 1965. Here, we primarily package Jameson for distribution to over 130 countries. The facility operates a highly automated, just‑in‑time environment and is currently advancing an Operational Excellence transformation, embedding lean manufacturing principles across all processes.

What's involved?

This 1 Year Fixed Term Contract HR Business Partner role is a pivotal on‑site position within the Irish Distillers Bottling and Blending operations in Clondalkin, Dublin. Reporting to the HR Director of Irish Distillers and working closely with the Site Director, you will act as the HR lead for a fast paced operations environment. Supporting a workforce of c.140 employees, you will partner directly with the site leadership team to drive transformation, engagement, and organisational effectiveness. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the local people agenda while collaborating with a wider HR community across Ireland and with Pernod Ricard colleagues in the UK. With one direct report, you will combine strategic insight with hands‑on delivery across change, talent, performance, and employee and industrial relations.

Key deliverables  

Change management  

• As the local HR lead, support the Site Director in the implementation of operational and behavioural change.  

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of positive, constructive relationships with employee groups as the local  owner of IR agenda, along with the Site Director.  

• Working with the UK Bottling & Blending HR Team co-define the People Strategy for a newly integrated B&B function.  

Talent & Performance Management 

• Coach leaders on effective goalsetting, feedback, and performance conversations. 

• Support calibration processes to ensure fairness, consistency, and alignment with organisational standards. 

• Drive the annual talent review process, ensuring robust succession planning and identification of highpotential employees. 

• Support leaders in building strong talent pipelines for critical roles. 

Employee Engagement  

• Reinvigorate employee engagement through the development of a listening strategy supported by our quarterly pulse surveys and 2 way comms.  

Employee / Industrial Relations  

• Support leaders in navigating workplace issues, ensuring compliance with legislation and organisational policy. 

• Assist in the resolution of disputes, grievances, and negotiations in a fair and timely manner. 

Workforce Management 

• Lead quarterly workforce planning cycles, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy. 

• Support annual budgeting by providing data and insights into headcount, labour spend, overtime, and productivity drivers. 

• Partner with Finance and Operations to monitor actual labour costs against plan and recommend adjustments 

What we're looking for

This role requires an agile HR professional who is adept at managing ambiguity, adapting quickly to evolving priorities, and providing strategic guidance during transformation. Key attributes include expertise in change management (ideally with a represented workforce) the ability to operate independently with minimal supervision, proven credibility as a trusted advisor to leadership and employees. 

Your background

• Proven track record within HR / People centric roles, including minimum of 3 years partnering with leadership teams, ideally in a fast paced operational / manufacturing environment.  

• Experience managing local change programmes including restructuring and workforce planning. 

• Demonstrated experience in both Industrial and employee relations with working knowledge of Irish employment law.  

• Experience using HRIS platforms to manage people centric campaigns (Reward, Performance, Talent) with a level of comfort with reporting tools, excel, and BI dashboards.  

• Experience driving culture, engagement, and wellbeing initiatives. 

• Exposure to, and passion for, talent management, succession planning, and capability development. 

At Irish Distillers, we know that great spirits are crafted by blending unique ingredients, and we believe the same is true for people. We welcome individuals from all walks of life, including those from the Travelling community, diverse religious backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, abilities, and identities. It’s the mix of our experiences, voices, and cultures that gives us our true character.”

Our recruiting team are more than happy to provide reasonable adjustments during our application and interview process, in order for you to participate fully in our recruitment experience. For assistance, please contact us at [email protected]

Learn more about working with Irish Distillers www.irishdistillers.ie/careers

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