Senior People Leader in Manchester

Locations: Manchester, UK; Doncaster, UK

Time type: Full time

Posted on: Posted Today

Job requisition id: R021458BW

Packaging is driving performance at the intersection of people, technology, and customer care. As part of the privately held Barry-Wehmiller family, we unite a global team of packaging experts with a clear purpose: People Who Care, Building Solutions that Perform. We take on our customers’ toughest challenges as our own — delivering both innovative and enduring solutions that set the standard for value and performance. Our strength comes from our people and the power of our brands — trusted names in packaging that are known worldwide for engineering excellence, application expertise, and lifetime commitment to customer success. Truly Human Leadership guides our belief that exceptional business results and profound respect for people together provide the foundation of enduring success. We are committed to forging lasting partnerships with our customers, earning their trust through integrity, expertise, and execution. With our full range of packaging solutions and long term partnership and service, we help customers achieve operational excellence today while building the future of packaging together.

Barry-Wehmiller is a diversified global supplier of engineering consulting and manufacturing technology for the packaging, corrugating, sheeting and paper-converting industries. By blending people-centric leadership with disciplined operational strategies and purpose-driven growth, Barry-Wehmiller has become a $3 billion organization with nearly 12,000 team members united by a common belief: to use the power of business to build a better world.

Job Description: The Senior People Leader plays a critical role in how culture shows up in everyday interactions with team members, reinforcing care for people and the business through consistent follow-through, responsiveness, and attention to detail. Owns the day-to-day execution of People processes and shapes how those processes are experienced by team members and leaders across teams, functions and locations. Ensures onboarding, offboarding, and core workflows run smoothly, accurately, and with clarity in moments that matter most to team members. Operates in a multi-country environment, ensuring People practices reflect local market realities, cultural nuances, and regulatory requirements across EMEA. Serves as a trusted point of contact for questions, support, and guidance, building strong, trusted relationships through reliability, accessibility, and clear communication. Works closely with peers and leaders across multiple European countries, navigating cultural differences and aligning practices while respecting local context. Brings People programs to life by supporting rollout and adoption of People Capabilities & Enablement initiatives, translating established frameworks into practical application. Observes how processes and programs are experienced in real time, identifying patterns, gaps, and opportunities to improve. Strengthens alignment between how People practices are designed and how they are experienced across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• People Operations Execution
• Execute onboarding and offboarding processes across teams and locations, ensuring a smooth, well-coordinated experience
• Manage Workday transactions and workflow execution with accuracy and attention to detail
• Maintain team member records, documentation, and compliance requirements in alignment with established standards
• Respond to team member and leader inquiries, providing clear, timely, and practical guidance on policies and processes
• Support administrative People processes such as reimbursements and expense-related coordination in alignment with established practices
• Support recruiting coordination, including opening requisitions, coordinating with recruiting teams, and assisting with interview scheduling or participation for front-line roles
• Support visa and work authorization processes in partnership with corporate teams, ensuring documentation and tracking are maintained
• Ensure People processes are executed in alignment with local labor laws, practices, and cultural expectations
• Employee Relations & Coordination
• Partner with leaders to anticipate and address workforce challenges, advise on sensitive situations, including performance management, terminations, and organizational changes
• Manage intake and processing of employee relations questions and concerns with professionalism and discretion. Gather relevant information and documentation to support next steps
• Conduct initial fact-finding and support investigations, gathering statements, documentation, and relevant information to inform next steps
• Conduct exit interviews, capturing themes and insights to support continuous improvement
• Route and escalate complex cases appropriately in partnership with People Business Partners
• Process Consistency & Experience
• Ensure consistent application of policies and procedures across teams and locations
• Reinforce clear communication and strong follow-through in all team member interactions
• Identify structural gaps in processes and drive improvements at a regional or global level
• Support implementation of new processes and updates, helping drive consistency and adoption
• Balance global consistency with local adaptation, ensuring processes are relevant and effective across different countries and cultures
• Program Rollout & Insight
• Support rollout and adoption of People Capabilities & Enablement initiatives, ensuring effective implementation in day-to-day operations
• Observe how team members and leaders experience People processes and programs, identifying patterns and opportunities for improvement
• Share insights and feedback with People Business Partners and People teams to strengthen processes, programs, and overall experience
• Provide feedback on regional differences in adoption, engagement, and effectiveness of People programs

Qualifications & Experience

• Essential
• 7+ years of experience in People Operations, HR, or similar role
• Strong working knowledge of People processes, systems, and workflows
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining accuracy and responsiveness
• Experience supporting employee relations intake or coordination preferred
• Familiarity with Workday or similar HR systems
• Ability to operate with autonomy and sound judgment in ambiguous or sensitive situations
• Desirable
• Experience working in a multi-country environment
• Strong understanding of cultural differences and ability to operate effectively across diverse teams and locations
• Demonstrated experience advising leaders in a multi-country environment on complex People topics
• An understanding of employee relations frameworks across multiple European countries

Key Partnerships

• People Operations team members
• People Business Partners
• Recruiting and shared services teams
• BW Corporate, People team
• Senior Leader, Leaders and team members across teams and locations

At Barry-Wehmiller we recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job. If your experience is close to what you see listed here, please still consider applying. We know that our differences often can bring about innovation, excellence and meaningful work—therefore, people from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply to our positions. Please let us know if you require reasonable accommodations during the interview process.