UK/ Aberdeen - Human Resources Generalist

This is a Cactus International position and is located in the UK.

Role Purpose

We're looking for an HR Generalist to be the on-the-ground HR presence for our UK and Norway operations. This role focuses on employee relations, local compliance, and day-to-day people support in both markets, working closely with a Senior HRBP based in the UAE. Transactional HR functions — recruiting, benefits administration, training delivery, HRIS, and payroll — are handled by our corporate support team; this role is the local liaison to that team and the point of judgment on the ground.

Key Responsibilities

Employee Relations

- Act as first point of contact for employee relations matters in the UK and Norway, escalating complex cases to the Sr. HRBP as appropriate

- Support managers with performance management, disciplinary, and grievance processes in line with local employment law

- Promote a positive employee experience and help resolve day-to-day workplace issues

Compliance & Policy

- Ensure day-to-day HR practices align with UK employment law and Norwegian labor law, partnering with local legal counsel on complex or ambiguous matters

- Maintain and localize HR policies and employee handbooks for both jurisdictions, in coordination with legal counsel where needed

- Stay current on legislative developments in both countries and flag implications to the Sr. HRBP and legal counsel as appropriate

Employee Lifecycle & Local Liaison

- Serve as the local point of contact for onboarding, contract changes, transfers, and offboarding, coordinating with corporate support to execute them

- Act as the UK/Norway liaison to corporate support for recruiting, benefits administration, training, HRIS, and payroll — surfacing local nuances, resolving issues, and ensuring local requirements are met

- Verify that employee data and lifecycle actions processed by corporate support are accurate and compliant with local requirements

Talent & Development

- Support hiring managers through the recruiting process led by corporate support, providing local market and candidate context

- Assist with performance review cycles and goal-setting conversations at the local level

- Help identify local learning and development needs and feed them to corporate support for delivery

Partnership & Reporting

- Partner with the Sr. HRBP (UAE) on workforce planning, org design input, and people initiatives that span the broader region

- Review and interpret HR metrics (headcount, turnover, absence, etc.) provided by corporate support for UK and Norway, flagging trends and risks

- Support the rollout of global/regional HR programs, adapting them for local context

Requirements

- 3+ years' experience in an HR Generalist or similar role, with demonstrated experience supporting employees in Norway (required) as well as the UK

- Working knowledge of Norwegian labor law (arbeidsmiljloven) and HR practices — day-to-day application, not legal interpretation, as local legal counsel will support on compliance matters

- CIPD qualification (or working towards) desirable

- Experience supporting employees across multiple countries/jurisdictions strongly preferred

- Strong employee relations skills and sound judgment on compliance matters

- Comfortable working through a shared-services/corporate support model, with strong cross-team coordination skills

- Excellent communication skills; comfortable working across time zones and cultures

- Norwegian language skills are a plus but not required (English is the working language)

- Ability to work independently while maintaining close alignment with a remote manager

Corporate Support Model

As with all roles in our organization, this position is supported by a central corporate support function that owns recruiting, benefits administration, training delivery, HRIS, and payroll. The HR Generalist is not responsible for executing these processes directly, but acts as the local expert and point of contact — ensuring UK and Norway needs are represented and issues are resolved quickly.

What Success Looks Like

- Smooth, compliant HR operations across both UK and Norway

- Trusted advisor to line managers on employee relations and policy matters

- Strong working relationship with the Sr. HRBP, with proactive flagging of risks and opportunities

- Reduced administrative burden on managers through solid HR processes