Reporting to the Group Head of HR, the HR Manager is the senior HR lead for Glennon Brothers' Country operations, accountable for establishing, leading and developing an effective HR footprint across Country locations. The role combines strategic business partnering with visible, hands-on operational HR delivery and will work closely with Managing Directors, General Managers and site leaders to translate the Group People Strategy into practical, consistent and commercially focused action.

A substantial proportion of the role will involve day-to-day employee relations, manager support and case management in a multi-site, unionised manufacturing environment. The HR Manager will lead a small HR team, personally support complex disciplinary, grievance, absence, capability, investigation and change matters, strengthen management capability, maintain legal compliance and reduce employment tribunal risk. The role will also lead priority transformation initiatives, including HRIS implementation, improved people data and the standardisation of HR policies, processes and service delivery across their Region.

Knowledge & Experience

– Minimum 5 years’ progressive generalist HR experience, including significant experience at HR Manager, Senior HR Business Partner or equivalent level within manufacturing, industrial or another operational environment.

– Strong working knowledge of Irish/UK employment law and HR practice, with direct experience of managing complex employee relations matters.

– Proven, hands-on employee and industrial relations experience, including disciplinary, grievance, absence, capability, investigations, hearings, restructuring, consultation, negotiation and engagement with employee representatives or trade unions.

– Experience establishing or strengthening a multi-site HR service, leading and developing an HR team, setting service standards and building people-management capability among operational leaders.

– Demonstrated delivery across workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, performance management, talent development, succession planning, reward and colleague engagement.

– Demonstrated experience implementing or improving an HRIS and using applicant tracking, payroll and workforce analytics systems to strengthen data quality, reporting, governance and colleague experience.

– CIPD membership or a relevant degree or postgraduate qualification in Human Resources, Employment Law, Business or a related discipline. Full driving licence and flexibility to travel regularly between sites.

– Support recruitment and onboarding for critical and senior roles, ensuring operational vacancies, capability gaps and succession risks are addressed with appropriate pace and quality.

– Partner with the Group Head of HR and Regional leadership to deliver organisation design, restructuring, workforce planning, management development and other agreed transformation priorities.

– Oversee accurate and timely HR inputs to payroll, reward and benefits processes, working with Payroll and Finance to maintain strong controls and colleague confidence.

– Use workforce data and HR dashboards to identify trends and drive action on headcount, turnover, absence, recruitment, performance, employee relations, workforce cost and people risk.

– Ensure HR policies, processes, records and systems comply with UK employment law, are audit ready and are consistently applied across Scottish operations.

– Lead the implementation of the Group HRIS and related digital processes, including data cleansing, process design, manager adoption, training, governance and benefits realisation.

– Develop and deliver practical site people plans covering workforce capability, recruitment, onboarding, retention, succession, absence, engagement, performance and organisational change.

– Lead industrial relations activity, consultation and negotiation, building constructive relationships with employee representatives and trade unions while protecting business continuity and Group interests.

– Coach and challenge operational leaders to apply policies and procedures consistently, address issues early and build confidence and accountability for day-to-day people management.

– Maintain effective case governance across all assigned sites through regular case reviews, clear ownership, timely progression, quality standards and reliable management information.

– Personally lead or oversee complex investigations, hearings, appeals and high-risk cases, ensuring fair process, accurate documentation, appropriate escalation and effective management of legal and employment tribunal risk.

– Provide visible, practical and timely advice to managers on disciplinary, grievance, absence, capability, conduct, dignity at work and other employee relations matters.

– Lead, coach and develop the HR team, setting clear responsibilities, priorities, service standards and case-management disciplines, while building resilience and capability within the function.

– Act as the senior HR lead for your region, establishing a clear HR operating model and ensuring responsive, consistent and credible support across sites.

– Commercial & Operational Judgement – balances strategic priorities with practical site requirements, acts decisively and understands the impact of people decisions on safety, production, cost, risk and colleague relations.

– Leadership & People Development – sets clear expectations, coaches others and builds a capable, accountable HR team and management community.

– Influence & Stakeholder Management – builds trust, communicates with credibility and constructively challenges decisions at senior level.

– Execution & Accountability – remains close to operational detail, sets clear ownership and standards, manages competing priorities and follows through to a timely conclusion.

– Change Leadership – leads consultation and implementation with clarity, pace, empathy and appropriate risk control.

– Data & Digital Fluency – uses HR systems, workforce analytics and evidence to improve decisions, efficiency and colleague experience.

– All policies, case records and people processes maintained to legal, Group and audit standards, with corrective actions closed within agreed timescales.

– HR team objectives and development plans maintained, with regular one-to-ones, clear performance expectations and demonstrable improvement in service responsiveness and stakeholder confidence.

– Management capability programme delivered for priority leaders, with completion, application and confidence measures agreed and reviewed at least quarterly.

– Measurable improvement against agreed site targets for absence, retention, recruitment lead time, onboarding completion and mandatory performance-management activity.

– Monthly people dashboards provided to Regional leadership covering headcount, turnover, absence, vacancies, employee relations, workforce cost and priority risks, with clear owners and actions.

– HRIS implementation milestones delivered to the agreed plan, including data quality, process readiness, manager training and user adoption, with at least 98% accuracy in core colleague data following stabilisation.

– Quarterly case reviews demonstrate improved consistency, reduced avoidable delay and repeat issues, and no material process failures resulting from poor HR governance.

– 100% of employee relations cases recorded with a named owner, current status, next action and supporting documentation; high-risk matters escalated promptly and cases progressed within agreed timelines.

– Group Head of HR – strategic alignment, governance, escalation and delivery of the Group People Strategy.

– Managing Directors, General Managers and Site Leaders – workforce planning, organisational performance, change and people risk.

– Regional HR Team & HR People Partners – team leadership, site support, case management, service standards and continuous improvement.

– Payroll and Finance – pay governance, workforce cost, controls, benefits and accurate colleague data.

– Health, Safety, Environment and Quality Teams – wellbeing, compliance, culture and safe organisational change.

– Employee Representatives and Trade Unions – consultation, negotiation and constructive industrial relations.

– External Partners – employment lawyers, occupational health, recruitment partners, learning providers and regulatory bodies.

Contract Type Permanent

Headcount Region Dependent

Budget Authority within agreed budgets and capital approval thresholds

Hours Full time, 40 hours per week

Working Week Monday to Friday