HR Manager - Europe in Ipswich

Glent Group is a specialist construction and engineering contractor delivering Civil, Structural and Architectural (CSA) packages across the Data Centre and Pharmaceutical sectors throughout Europe. Headquartered in London, Glent has established a strong reputation for safely delivering complex projects in live and fast-paced environments. The Group currently operates across Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and Ireland, employing a diverse workforce of both white-collar and blue-collar employees.

As our business continues to grow, we are looking for an experienced and hands-on HR Manager to join our London Head Office. This is a busy operational role within a growing and high-performing HR team, supporting a workforce spread across multiple countries and projects. We are looking for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys delivering high-quality HR operations. The successful candidate will have experience working in high-volume organisations, ideally within construction, logistics, manufacturing, FMCG or similar sectors, where onboarding, payroll and employee administration are business-critical activities.

This is not a heavily strategic or corporate HR role. Instead, we are seeking a practical, organised and detail-oriented HR professional who enjoys rolling up their sleeves, leading a team and ensuring that HR processes run smoothly. Strong attention to detail is essential, as is the ability to manage competing priorities and maintain high standards of accuracy. The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting an international workforce across multiple European jurisdictions. Working closely with the Head of People, HR & Payroll team, payroll providers and operational managers, you will help ensure that onboarding, employee administration, payroll processes, compliance requirements and day-to-day HR operations are delivered efficiently and consistently across the business.

Key Responsibilities

• HR Leadership & Team Management
  • Line manage the HR Officer and two HR Administrators
  • Oversee the quality and accuracy of HR administration carried out by the team
  • Provide day-to-day guidance, coaching, and mentoring to junior team members
  • Support the professional development and performance management of the HR team
  • Ensure clear ownership, priorities, and workload distribution within the team
• HR Operations & Employee Relations
  • Act as a senior point of contact for managers and employees on HR matters
  • Provide guidance on policies, procedures, absence, performance, and conduct
  • Support and advise managers on employee relations matters, escalating complex cases to the Head of People
  • Ensure consistent application of HR policies across the business
• Payroll & Data Oversight
  • Oversee the preparation and accuracy of HR data provided for payroll processing
  • Work closely with payroll providers and internal stakeholders to resolve payroll-related queries
  • Review changes relating to salaries, allowances, leave, and employee status before submission
  • Support the Head of People with payroll governance and controls
• Systems, Processes & Compliance
  • Oversee the administration of HR systems (including Staffology) carried out by the HR team
  • Ensure annual leave, rotations, and absences are correctly recorded and approved
  • Maintain oversight of employee records and compliance documentation
  • Support audits, reviews, and compliance checks as required
• Onboarding, Offboarding & Mobility
  • Oversee onboarding and offboarding processes managed by the HR team
  • Ensure contracts, starter documentation, and leaver processes are completed accurately and on time
  • Support relocation and immigration processes in coordination with external advisers
  • Ensure a consistent and compliant employee lifecycle experience
• Stakeholder Support
  • Build strong working relationships with the senior leadership team and managers across the business
  • Act as a reliable escalation point for HR queries and issues
  • Support the Head of People in communicating HR processes and changes

Person Specification

Essential

• Proven experience in an HR Manager or Senior HR Advisor role
• Demonstrated experience managing and developing junior HR team members
• Strong working knowledge of HR processes and employment law (UK essential; EU exposure desirable)
• Experience supporting payroll processes and working with payroll teams/providers
• High attention to detail and strong organisational skills
• Confident, practical communicator able to advise managers
• Able to prioritise, delegate, and oversee work effectively

Desirable

• Experience working in an international organisation
• Experience supporting both white-collar and blue-collar workforces
• Exposure to HR systems and process improvement projects
• CIPD Level 5 (or equivalent)
• Additional language skills (German, Dutch, Romanian)

Company Benefits

• Company pension, 4% matching contribution
• Cycle to work scheme
• Gym membership discounts
• Health & wellbeing programme
• Retail discounts through Perkbox
• Company events

Job Type: Full-time (Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm), office-based

Work Location: London, N1 7EU

Candidates must have the right to permanently live and work in the UK. If you meet these requirements and are a proactive HR professional looking for a challenging and rewarding opportunity in international HR, we encourage you to apply.

Glent Group is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Closing date: Friday, 26th June 2026.