HR Manager

Job: HR Manager

Location: East Kent / Office-based

Employment type: Permanent, Full-time

Salary: £50,000 – £55,000 DOE

Are you an experienced HR Manager who thrives in a busy, hands-on operational environment and enjoys being visible and present across a business rather than hidden away behind a desk? Are you someone who combines sound HR practice with genuine commercial judgement to make a real difference to the people and culture of an organisation?

We are delighted to be working exclusively with a well-established business at a pivotal and exciting point in their journey. Having navigated a period of change, the business is now firmly focused on positive growth, and this is a genuine opportunity to join at exactly the right moment, where the foundations are in place, and the future is full of opportunity.

You will lead the HR function day-to-day on site, with an HR Assistant reporting to you, supporting managers across office, warehouse, production and transport operations. This is a genuinely varied generalist role for someone who enjoys rolling their sleeves up, building relationships at every level of a business and making a tangible difference to people management capability.

The role will include:

• Leading the day-to-day HR function for the UK business, with a strong focus on supporting the main operational site
• Managing and developing an HR Assistant (including oversight of payroll), providing support, guidance and development opportunities
• Providing clear, practical HR advice to senior leaders, line managers and employees across all areas of the business
• Managing employee relations cases independently, including disciplinary, grievance, absence, capability and performance matters
• Coaching and upskilling line managers to handle people matters fairly, consistently and confidently
• Supporting recruitment, onboarding, probation reviews and workforce planning activity
• Maintaining and developing HR policies, procedures, contracts and employee documentation
• Ensuring full compliance with UK employment law and internal HR processes
• Supporting performance reviews, training needs analysis, succession planning and employee development
• Working closely with operational, transport and office-based managers to understand workforce challenges and provide practical solutions
• Maintaining accurate HR records and providing regular reporting on headcount, absence, turnover, recruitment and employee relations activity
• Supporting employee engagement, communication and a positive working culture across the site

About you:

• Comfortable and credible in an operational, hands-on environment, equally at ease on the shop floor as in the boardroom
• Strong communication, judgement and problem-solving skills
• Well organised, discreet and professional when handling sensitive and confidential matters
• Experience in manufacturing, distribution, logistics, steel or a similar operational environment would be a distinct advantage
• CIPD qualified or equivalent experience preferred

The package:

Alongside a salary of £50,000 – £55,000 dependent on experience, our client offers a company pension, life insurance and on-site parking. This is a fully site-based role requiring regular presence across the business.

If this HR Manager opportunity sounds like something you could add real value to, forward your CV to Cressida Courtney today or follow the link to apply online.