Group Human Resources Director

The McLean Partnership; Reading; On-site; GBP 130,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A fast-growing company in the built environment is seeking a Group HR Director to enhance organizational performance. This pivotal role requires a hands-on leader to manage senior employee relations and align remuneration frameworks with group strategy. The ideal candidate will have experience in commercial, performance-driven organizations and be ready to influence leadership development across a diverse workforce. Competitive salary and bonus structure available, alongside a unique opportunity to make lasting impacts within a growing business.

Benefits

Car allowance

Bonus (30-50%)

Additional benefits

Qualifications

• Comfortable moving between strategic leadership and operational detail.
• Experience in commercial, performance-driven organizations.
• Collaborative, hands-on team player for a small, high-impact HR function.

Responsibilities

• Lead employee relations and performance management for leadership teams.
• Partner with the CEO and CFO to drive commercial outcomes.
• Review and develop senior management remuneration frameworks.

Skills

Resilience

Pragmatism

Strong relationship-building

Hands-on leadership

Job description

Location: South East, England (M3/M4 Corridor, with travel to other locations)

Salary: £130,000 - £150,000 + Car+ Bonus (30-50%)+Benefits

We are partnering with a highly entrepreneurial, fast-growing business operating within the built environment.

The business generates £500mn+ revenue, employs just under 1,000 people, and operates through c40 operating companies across the UK. The culture is commercial, sales-driven and delivery-focused, with deliberately lean central functions and a strong emphasis on empowering local management teams.

The Role

Reporting into the Group CEO and working alongside the SLT, the Group HR Director will play a pivotal role in driving performance, consistency and capability across the group.

• Lead on employee relations and performance management for senior leadership and executive teams, remaining hands-on where required.
• Partner closely with the CEO and CFO to drive organisational performance and commercial outcomes.
• Provide pragmatic and commercial HR input into acquisitions (typically £5m–£50m turnover businesses with headcounts under 100).
• Review, harmonise and develop senior management and executive remuneration frameworks aligned to group strategy.
• Identify and deliver people efficiencies, particularly around duplicated back-office functions.
• Lead and contribute within a small HR team of fewer than five people.

The Person

• Resilient, pragmatic and hardworking, with the credibility to operate at senior and board level.
• Comfortable moving between strategic leadership and operational detail.
• Able to build strong relationships in environments where group functions must earn trust and credibility.
• Experience within commercial, performance-driven organisations; exposure to listed or small-cap / FTSE environments is advantageous.
• Suitable candidates are likely, during their careers, to have experience working in very commercial, multi-sited operations – for example; retail, logistics, construction, engineering, maintenance or wider built environment.
• A strong Senior HR Manager or Head of HR ready to step into a first HR Director role, or an HR Director from a similarly lean structure (open to rolling their sleeves up as the job dictates)
• Collaborative, hands-on team player suited to a small, high-impact HR function.

Why This Role?

• Opportunity to shape and embed a modern, high-impact people agenda across a diverse group.
• Influence leadership development, succession planning and early careers including graduate and apprenticeship programmes.
• Work closely with a highly engaged senior leadership team.
• Make a visible and lasting impact within a growing, acquisitive organisation.