UK HR Manager

North East  (Ref 785) Permanent

£62k – £75k  + car or car allowance + bonus + half day Friday!

This is a newly created role. The HR Manager will play a key role in stabilising, modernising and transforming people practices across two unionised UK manufacturing sites.

This is not a maintenance HR role. It is a high‑impact opportunity for an experienced HR leader who enjoys challenge, complexity and ownership. You will work closely with the Managing Director and senior leadership, with the mandate and backing to make changes that genuinely improve culture, capability and performance.

Why This Role Is Different

• You will be the most senior HR professional in the UK
• You will work across two very different cultures and operating models
• You will have a clear mandate to lead change, not just manage process
• HR is expected to move from reactive to strategic
• This is closer to an HR reset / transformation than a steady‑state role

Key Focus of the Role

• Act as the trusted HR partner to the UK leadership team
• Define, develop, and implement the UK HR strategy
• Support the Managing Director and Leadership Team in organisational planning, succession planning, and workforce development.
• Support organisational change initiatives, including restructurings, acquisitions, site changes, and cultural development.
• Lead and improve employee relations in a unionised environment
• Harmonise and modernise HR policies, contracts and practices
• Strengthen manager capability and accountability
• Reduce dependency on HR by upskilling leaders
• Embed governance, consistency and legal compliance
• Create and deliver a clear UK HR roadmap

Industrial Relations Environment

This is a strongly unionised operation and candidates must be comfortable operating in this space. Challenges include:

• Robust union engagement
• High levels of scrutiny around process and compliance
• Regular post‑exit claims driven by union advice
• Requirement for excellent documentation and discipline

What Kind of HR Professional Will Succeed

This role requires strength of character as much as technical skill. You are likely to be:

• A resilient and credible HR leader
• Comfortable making decisions and holding your ground
• Confident influencing senior stakeholders
• Able to challenge constructively, not avoid difficult conversations
• Calm, disciplined and evidence‑led in ER situations
• Equally strategic and hands‑on
• Motivated by improving things that aren’t perfect

The Key Challenges You Will Tackle

• Transforming HR from reactive support to proactive leadership
• Navigating differing cultures and legacy practices across sites
• Managing complex union relationships and expectations
• Reducing turnover and improving engagement
• Harmonising policies without destabilising operations
• Preparing the business for a shifting UK employment law landscape

Structure & Practicalities

• Regular presence required at both sites, one in the North East (local office) and one in Staffordshire, with a requirement to be on site around 2 times per month here
• Reporting directly to the UK Managing Director
• Small UK HR team with wider Group HR support

Why Apply?

• Senior leadership influence and autonomy
• A genuine opportunity to shape and build HR
• Clear sponsorship for change
• Exposure within a growing international group
• A meaningful leadership challenge with long‑term impact