HR Manager Operational & People Development in Redditch

Location: Redditch | Multi-site | Trade & Distribution Environment

Our client is looking for a hands-on HR Manager who enjoys being close to the business, building strong relationships, and helping managers get better. You will work closely with the Head of HR in a collaborative, transparent way, owning your areas end to end whilst keeping key stakeholders informed and involved where appropriate. This is a role for someone who wants to work as part of a team, likes doing the do, is tactical and a great coach and relationship builder.

About the role

This is a truly broad operational HR Manager role supporting their Support Centre and branch network. You will lead a small HR team and act as the go-to person for employee relations, manager capability, engagement, internal communications and people-related projects. They are a small close-knit team, who all work together collaboratively to do the best they can for the business. Whilst you will have autonomy to shape how the role works, this is not a traditional strategic HR Business Partner role removed from day-to-day HR delivery. You will stay close to ER, performance management, coaching managers of all levels senior to junior, through difficult conversations, and embedding good people practices where they really matter on the ground.

The business is in a period of transition, focused on improving profitability, developing managers and strengthening capability. There are lots of brilliant qualities here and also some challenges. This role needs someone who sees that as an opportunity.

What you will be doing:

• Leading operational HR and employee relations across head office and branches
• Coaching managers through disciplinary, grievance, absence and performance cases, supporting underperforming managers and helping them improve
• Upskilling people managers through practical guidance, tools and training workshops and training delivery
• Driving engagement initiatives, internal communications (including looking after our fantastic company intranet) and culture activity such as charity initiatives
• Overseeing recruitment delivery and onboarding experience
• Managing HR systems, people data, policies and the company handbook
• Leading and developing a HR Advisor and Recruitment Officer

This role will suit you if you:

• Enjoy operational HR and staying close to delivery
• Are creative and love the idea of doing a wide variety of work - from internal comms to engagement to charity fundraising, we love new ideas and someone who is passionate about continuous improvement
• Want an opportunity to make a mark and make a real impact!
• Build relationships first and challenge second
• Are positive, consistent and seen as a steady pair of hands
• Can work with managers who sometimes say the wrong thing and coach them to be better
• Are comfortable in a trade, distribution or B2B environment
• Don't need things to be overly corporate to be effective

This role won't suit you if you:

• Want a purely strategic or advisory HRBP role
• Prefer to stay out of ER or day-to-day HR activity
• Are overly hands-off or uncomfortable with operational realities

About you:

• Proven experience in a hands-on HR Manager or senior HR generalist role
• Strong employee relations capability and confidence handling volume and complexity
• Experience coaching and developing line managers
• Comfortable working across multi-site or operational environments (there may be some travel to sites required)
• Practical, resilient, organised and commercially aware
• CIPD Level 5 (or equivalent experience)

Why join them:

You will have real influence, visible impact, and the chance to shape how HR works in a business that genuinely wants to get better - not just talk about it. If you’re looking for a role where you can roll your sleeves up, build trust, and make a difference, they’d love to hear from you.