Based on the Outskirts of Thetford, Suffolk (with monthly travel to additional UK sites)
Salary dependent on experience
Role Purpose
The HR Manager will be a senior, strategic, and transformational leader responsible for shaping and delivering the organisation’s people strategy. Operating at leadership level, this role will influence business direction, culture, and performance, combining strategic oversight with confident, hands-on execution.
As a trusted advisor to the Core Leadership Team, the HR Manager will lead people-focused transformation, ensure organisational capability keeps pace with growth, and drive a high-performance culture. The role requires the credibility and confidence to operate at executive level, challenge constructively, and manage complex and sensitive situations with professionalism.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic & Executive Leadership
- Act as a senior HR leader within the Core Leadership Team, contributing to business strategy and long-term organisational planning.
- Provide strategic HR leadership to Directors and senior managers, aligning people strategy with commercial and operational objectives.
- Lead transformational HR initiatives that strengthen capability, culture, and performance across the business.
- Attend and actively contribute to monthly leadership meetings and quarterly operational reviews.
- Operate with authority and influence at board or executive level.
- Lead end-to-end recruitment strategy across multiple sites.
- Design and implement effective retention strategies.
- Partner with senior leaders to identify critical roles and future capability requirements.
- Establish and deliver a structured learning and development framework.
- Drive succession planning for key and senior positions.
- Support leadership development during growth and change.
- Champion a positive, inclusive, and performance-driven culture.
- Lead engagement, wellbeing, and cultural initiatives.
- Play a central role in organisational change programmes.
- Ensure HR policies and processes meet best practice.
- Lead complex disciplinary and grievance processes.
- Confidently manage difficult and sensitive conversations.
- Provide oversight to part-time HR administrative support.
- Collaborate with Finance on payroll-related queries (payroll not directly managed).
- Develop and implement HR policies aligned with UK employment law.
- Promote Equality, Diversity & Inclusion.
- Ensure GDPR and data protection compliance.
- Work closely with Health & Safety teams.
- Based on the outskirts of Thetford with regular travel to additional UK sites.
- Support workforce planning and operational HR priorities.
- Ensure consistency across all locations.
Candidate Profile
Essential
- Senior HR leadership experience at board or executive level.
- Proven strategic and transformational HR expertise.
- 10+ years’ progressive HR experience, including 5+ at senior level.
- Experience within manufacturing, engineering, or construction.
- CIPD Level 5 minimum; Level 7 or Chartered preferred.
- Strong UK employment law knowledge.
- Proven capability handling sensitive and complex situations.
- Willingness to travel monthly.
- Experience leading organisational or cultural change.
- Influential and credible leadership style.
- Commercially aware and hands-on.
- Awareness of Health & Safety legislation.
- Competitive salary and benefits package
- Company pension scheme
- Car allowance
- Private healthcare
- Professional development support
- Clear career progression
- Opportunity to lead HR strategy during a major expansion phase