Human Resources Manager

At Assala Energy, we are building on strong foundations with high standards, clear ambition and forward momentum. As a leading oil and gas producer in Gabon, with an established corporate base in London, we are looking for an experienced and hands-on HR Manager to help lead the day-to-day delivery of HR operations in the UK and play an important role in the continued evolution of our people function.

This is an exciting time to join Assala Energy. As the business continues to evolve, so does our approach to people. We are looking to strengthen our HR capability, raise the quality and consistency of delivery, support the continued development of the existing team, and help drive the transition from a traditional HR model towards a broader, more value-adding and fit-for-purpose human capital approach.

This role would best suit a hands-on, pragmatic and grounded HR professional who takes pride in disciplined execution, has a keen eye for detail, and is motivated by making things work well. It will suit someone who brings structure, sound judgement and follow-through, but who also understands that strong HR delivery is about people, relationships and trust.

As HR Manager, you will take ownership of the day-to-day delivery of HR operations across Assala Energy UK. You will support employees working under UK contracts, including UK based employees, international assignees in the UK, and UK contracted employees deployed to Gabon. You will work closely with managers, employees, the wider HR team and colleagues in Gabon to ensure that HR support is consistent, credible and well judged. Reporting to the Human Resources & Corporate Affairs Director, you will play a key role in translating priorities into disciplined day-to-day execution, while helping strengthen the capability, coordination and impact of the wider team.

What you will do

• Lead and continuously strengthen delivery of the people agenda in the UK, with particular emphasis on providing high-quality, hands-on HR support across the full employee lifecycle;
• Act as a trusted, pragmatic and credible adviser to managers on day-to-day people matters;
• Manage employee relations matters with fairness, consistency and sound judgement;
• Strengthen core HR operations, including onboarding, offboarding, contracts, policies, absence management and HR documentation;
• Support recruitment, performance management, workforce planning, learning and development, and organisational effectiveness;
• Improve HR processes, systems, reporting and data quality to enhance efficiency, consistency and employee experience;
• Work closely with the existing HR team to strengthen coordination, build capability, support competency development and raise the overall quality of delivery across the function;
• Contribute to the continued evolution of the team from a traditional HR support model towards a stronger human capital approach, focused on capability, performance, development and long-term business value;
• Partner closely with colleagues in the UK and Gabon, including your counterpart in Gabon, to support a one team mindset while respecting local context and requirements.

This role is not about replacing an existing team. It is about strengthening it, while helping others grow and creating the conditions for a stronger, more mature and more impactful people function.

What we are looking for

• A strong HR generalist with the maturity, judgement and operational discipline to succeed in a dynamic, multicultural and internationally connected business.
• Significant progressive experience in HR, with strong exposure to operational delivery and employee relations;
• Solid knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice;
• Experience working in multicultural and geographically dispersed organisations;
• The ability to coach and support managers confidently across a broad range of people matters;
• The credibility and collaborative style to strengthen an existing team and support the development of others;
• A structured, pragmatic and solutions-focused approach;
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust across all levels;
• Experience using HR systems and working with HR data, reporting and process improvement;
• Fluency in French would be highly desirable, though it is not a prerequisite;
• Experience in the upstream oil and gas sector, wider extractive industries, or similarly complex international environments would be highly advantageous.
• Experience supporting assignees or cross-border employment matters would also be beneficial.

Why join Assala Energy

Assala Energy is a business where people can make a real impact. You will join a company with a clear sense of purpose, a strong operational base and a commitment to building long-term value responsibly. You will work in an environment that combines pace, complexity and opportunity, and where the quality of execution, collaboration and judgement genuinely matter. This role offers the opportunity to strengthen a core function at an important point in its evolution, work closely with senior stakeholders, support the development of an existing team, and contribute to building a more capable, connected and forward-looking human capital function.

If you are looking for a role where you can bring hands-on HR expertise, lead from the front, strengthen delivery, support people and help shape an exciting period of evolution, we would be pleased to hear from you.