HR Manager UK&I

Industry: Engineering & Manufacturing Location: Wales, United Kingdom Summary: Senior site-level HR role within a UK manufacturing business undergoing a significant reset after an ownership change. The role carries full accountability for people strategy, industrial relations, restructuring, and workforce stability at site level, working closely with an international General Manager and Group leadership. Tags: HR Business Partner, Manufacturing, Union Relations, Turnaround, Ownership Change

About the Role

• This is a senior, site-level Head of HR role within a UK manufacturing business of circa 100 employees, operating in a unionised environment and owned by a private equity group.
• The business is undergoing a period of structural and cultural change, with a newly appointed international General Manager and a clear mandate to stabilise operations, improve performance, and reset ways of working.
• The role requires a hands-on, resilient HR leader who is comfortable operating in ambiguity, leading difficult conversations, and acting as a stabilising force for both the workforce and leadership team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the people agenda for a UK manufacturing site during a period of organisational change and performance reset
• Own and manage all industrial relations activity, including union engagement, consultation, and negotiation
• Lead restructuring, organisational design changes, and employee relations processes with rigour and credibility
• Act as the primary people interface between the UK site, Group leadership, and private equity stakeholders
• Ensure full compliance with UK employment law, health & safety obligations, and internal governance standards
• Build and maintain robust HR operations, reporting, and people data to support decision-making
• Support, coach, and challenge site leadership to improve accountability, capability, and consistency
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, and workforce capability initiatives aligned to operational priorities

Must Haves

• Significant senior HR experience within a UK industrial or manufacturing environment
• Proven track record managing unionised workforces and complex employee relations cases
• Hands-on experience leading restructures, consultations, and workforce change
• Strong, practical knowledge of UK employment law and HR compliance
• High personal resilience and credibility with both shop floor and senior leadership
• Comfortable working closely with international, non-UK leadership teams
• Ability to operate autonomously and make decisions in high-pressure environments

Nice to Haves

• Experience working in private-equity-owned or turnaround situations
• Exposure to international manufacturing groups or multi-site environments
• Experience building HR reporting and KPI packs for senior leadership or investors
• Italian language capability

What We Offer

• A genuinely senior, high-impact HR role with real ownership and autonomy
• The opportunity to shape and stabilise a UK manufacturing business during a critical phase
• Direct exposure to Group leadership and private equity stakeholders
• A role suited to experienced HR leaders who value substance, challenge, and accountability over corporate theatre