People Manager

Job Description:

The HR & People Manager will play a key role in shaping and delivering Rydal Group’s people strategy. Reporting directly to the CEO and sitting on the Senior Leadership Team, this role combines responsibility for HR compliance and policies with a strong focus on developing our people. Supporting a team of around 95 employees in the UK and South Africa, the HR & People Manager will ensure effective recruitment, structured onboarding, and training roadmaps are in place across all departments, while holding managers accountable for developing their teams. The role will also provide leadership and direction to a part-time HR Support Lead, ensuring day-to-day processes run smoothly while building the structure needed to scale.

As Rydal continues to grow through acquisitions, the HR & People Manager will play a central role in integrating new teams, aligning contracts and policies, and embedding culture consistently across the group. This is a hands-on and strategic position that protects the business through robust HR practice, while driving growth through talent recruitment, development, and retention within a strong culture of success.

Leadership Team Responsibilities

· Act as a core member of the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to business strategy and growth planning with our people.

· Hold managers and leaders accountable for developing their teams and delivering agreed people roadmaps.

· Report people KPIs (turnover, training, engagement, recruitment costs) to the CEO and board.

· Implement strategies that help managers and team members flourish.

Training & Development

· Lead the design and delivery of a company-wide training and development framework.

· Build role-specific training roadmaps for Sales, Technical, Operations, and Support teams.

· Ensure all leaders are equipped to deliver effective onboarding and product training and can evidence this.

· Coordinate external training (e.g. Microsoft/technical certifications, leadership programmes).

· Oversee performance reviews, 121s, and appraisals to ensure continuous development.

HR Management

· Lead all HR matters across the company, including sickness absence, performance, capability, and conduct.

· Chair disciplinary, grievance, and capability hearings, providing advice in line with policy and best practice.

· Ensure compliance with employment law, GDPR, TUPE, and health & safety requirements.

· Review and update all HR policies, procedures, and staff handbook.

Recruitment & Onboarding

· Lead recruitment campaigns, liaising with recruitment agents and building direct talent pipelines.

· Manage the full new starter process: contracts, job offers, right-to-work, and induction planning.

· Design and implement a structured onboarding programme, ensuring consistency across departments.

· Oversee leaver processes to capture feedback and improve retention.

Engagement & Culture

· Run engagement surveys, track eNPS, and deliver action plans to improve culture.

· Support wellbeing initiatives and reward/recognition schemes.

· Promote inclusion across all sites.

Strategic HR

· Provide workforce planning insights linking revenue growth to headcount requirements.

· Support international HR processes (South Africa, Dubai) in partnership with local EOR providers.

· Lead on integration of people during acquisitions, including TUPE and harmonisation of contracts.

Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities Required:

· CIPD Level 5 (minimum), Level 7 (desirable).

· Strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR compliance.

· Proven experience designing and embedding training and onboarding frameworks.

· Ability to influence and hold senior managers accountable.

· Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.

· Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust across all levels.

· Commercially minded, balancing people needs with business performance.

· Full compliance with the company’s vision, values, and policies.

Key Contributions & Benefits:

· Competitive Salary

· 23 days annual holiday + UK bank holidays

(Holiday entitlement increases by 1 day per year after 2 years of service, capped at 27 days)

· Extra days off for 'Life's Moments' – Moving house, Child starting school and much more.

· Pension with Employer contributions

· AXA Health Care Plan (private medical cover)

· Life Assurance (Death in Service Cover)

· On-site free parking

· Management Performance Bonus (KPI Driven)

Career development and CIPD support

· Team events, wellbeing days, and incentives

Job Type: Open to Part Time or Full-time Applicants – the right person is the key for us.