A well-established, well-respected manufacturing group that currently employs c145 people across four sites, is looking for an experienced, grounded HR Manager, ideally from a manufacturing/product delivery environment.At a significant point in its evolution, you will be happy to roll your sleeves up and look after the people function in its entirety across the business as a whole, site by site. It is a standalone role so being self-sufficient and self motivated is a must if you are to deliver what is needed and expected. You will be based in the Chester area, attending one of the four sites on a daily basis and managing your own diary.It's a business that has been around long enough to know what good looks like, and cares enough to keep raising the bar. The culture is collaborative and non-hierarchical. People are trusted to get on with the job, treated with respect, and supported. Each site is a close-knit team that takes pride in its work, and the business takes pride in its people.As the HR Manager you will

• Take full ownership of HR operations across all sites, covering contracts, policies, employee records, compliance, and the ongoing transition to the BambooHR portal
• Manage the complete ER caseload independently, including disciplinaries, grievances, performance management, and absence across a mixed workforce that includes a Unite-recognised site
• Support site consolidation and restructuring activity with sound employment law knowledge and the appropriate level of discretion
• Drive SMART objective-setting across the group and own the annual performance review cycle
• Implement and embed the group community programme, which includes engagement surveys, Town Halls, Site Champions, long service recognition, Annual Awards, the Group Family Day, and the Employee Voice Forum
• Be the first point of contact for all ER matters and help develop line managers to handle day-to-day people issues with confidence
• Coordinate the group youth employment programme across all sites

The successful HR Manager will

• Hold CIPD Level 5 as a minimum Level 7 preferred
• Have solid, hands-on HR experience in a multi-site SME manufacturing, logistics, or operational environment
• Bring a strong track record of managing ER caseload independently and to ET level if necessary
• Be flexible, adaptable and can think on their feet when required
• Want to take genuine ownership of the people function across the business, shaping it is as it needs to be for a growing business
• Have practical experience of working with HRIS systems; knowledge of BambooHR is an advantage
• Have the confidence and communication skills to operate at all levels, from the boardroom to the shopfloor, and to be taken seriously at both
• Bring with them a straightforward communication style and the ability to give clear, practical advice without overcomplicating it
• Ideally have had some exposure to unionised environments is useful, though not essential

So, if you have a track record of success as an HR Manager and you are looking for the opportunity to build and manage a coherent people function with a company at a pivotal point in its growth, and where what you do truly matters, we need to have a conversation!Candidate Source Ltd is an advertising agency. Once you have submitted your application it will be passed to the third party Recruiter who is responsible for processing your application. This will include holding and sharing your personal data, our legal basis for this is legitimate interest subject to your declared interest in a job. Our privacy policy can be found on our website and we can be contacted to confirm who your application has been forwarded to.