HR Manager

As HR Manager you will lead the company’s people function, ensuring that employment practices, policies and decisions are legally compliant, fair, consistent and aligned with business needs. Act as a trusted adviser to the Managing Director and line managers, providing practical support across the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, employee relations, pay and benefits, performance, wellbeing and organisational change. Take a forward-looking approach to workforce capability: creating clear development and progression pathways for current employees while building a sustainable local talent pipeline through purposeful partnerships with Careers Hubs, schools, colleges, universities and other regional organisations.

We're looking for an experienced HR Manager to lead and deliver our people function. This is a standalone role reporting directly to the Managing Director, offering the opportunity to influence business decisions, drive positive employee experiences and build the foundations for future organisational growth. As our HR Manager, you'll be a trusted adviser to managers across the business, providing practical, commercially focused support throughout the employee lifecycle. From employee relations and recruitment to talent development, reward and workforce planning, you'll play a key role in ensuring our people practices support both our employees and business objectives. This role would suit someone who enjoys variety, values autonomy and is confident operating across all areas of HR.

What you'll be doing:

• Leading the company's HR function and providing expert advice to managers and leaders.
• Ensuring employment policies, contracts and practices remain compliant and up to date.
• Managing employee relations matters, including absence, conduct, capability and family-friendly policies.
• Supporting and developing performance management processes across the business.
• Leading recruitment, onboarding and workforce planning activities.
• Developing learning, development and career progression opportunities for employees.
• Building relationships with schools, colleges, universities and other external partners to support future talent pipelines.
• Providing people insights and HR data to support business decision-making.
• Promoting a positive, inclusive and engaging workplace culture.
• Managing HR systems, external providers and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Maintain our Investors in People and Armed Forces Covenant accreditation.

What we're looking for:

Essential: We recognise that strong HR professionals develop through different experiences, so if you meet most of the criteria below, we'd encourage you to apply.

• Broad HR generalist experience with confidence across the full employee lifecycle, including employee relations, recruitment and performance management.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and the ability to apply it pragmatically within a business environment.
• Experience partnering with managers and senior stakeholders, providing credible advice and coaching on people matters.

Desirable:

• CIPD qualification (Level 5 or above), or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience developing talent, learning and succession initiatives that support long-term capability growth.
• Experience building external partnerships with educational institutions, training providers or community organisations to support recruitment and talent attraction.

What you'll bring:

• A practical, hands-on approach with the ability to balance strategic thinking and day-to-day delivery.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• Sound judgement, professionalism and discretion when handling sensitive matters.
• The ability to work independently and prioritise effectively across multiple responsibilities.
• A genuine passion for helping people and organisations succeed.

Why join us? This is an opportunity to make a visible impact in a standalone HR leadership role. You'll have the autonomy to shape people initiatives, influence business decisions and create meaningful development opportunities for employees while contributing directly to the future success of the organisation. If you're an experienced HR professional who enjoys variety, ownership and building strong people practices, we'd love to hear from you.