Head Of HR

D4 Ltd; Stockport; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A growing social care organization seeks a Head of Human Resources to define and lead their people strategy. This senior role offers the chance to create scalable HR systems and a Great Place to Work across multiple companies. Ideal candidates will have over 10 years of HR experience, strong knowledge of UK Employment Law, and a background in social care. The position comes with a market-leading salary and benefits, including a path toward HR Director as the organization grows.

Benefits

Market-leading salary

25 days holiday plus birthday off

Private healthcare

Mental health support

Cycle to Work scheme

Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme

Full support toward Chartered Fellow (FCIPD) status

Clear path toward HR Director

Qualifications

• At least 10 years of HR experience with 5 or more in a senior role.
• Direct experience in the social care sector is highly desirable.
• Strong practical expertise in UK Employment Law and regulations.

Responsibilities

• Define and develop the people framework for the organization.
• Oversee the full HR lifecycle, including recruitment and performance management.
• Create scalable HR processes and systems aligned with business growth.

Skills

HR experience

Leadership

CIPD accreditation

Understanding of UK Employment Law

Agility

Education

CIPD accreditation at Associate or Chartered level

Degree in HR, Psychology, Business, or related field

Job description

Head of Human Resources

Salary: Market rate – Displayed salary is DOE

Location: Stockport, with regular travel across the Collection, Chester, Manchester, and Wigan

We are looking for a Head of Human Resources to join our growing Collection of social care companies. We are not just one company, but a Collection of Companies, each with its own personality, united by the ambition to be best in class. With over 400 employees today and plans to double our headcount in 2026, we are creating this role for the first time. This is a senior, hands‑on leadership position for a Builder–Leader who enjoys creating clarity and governance without drowning people in bureaucracy.

You will join with a largely blank sheet of paper and a clear mandate to create a Great Place to Work at scale across a diverse and expanding group of businesses. This role is about designing the future of our people strategy rather than maintaining what already exists. You will have the opportunity to shape and influence the employee experience across a Collection of companies, each with its own culture and operating environment, while ensuring consistency, fairness, and excellence across the workforce.

As Head of HR, you will define the people framework for the Collection, working closely with senior leadership to balance strategy, culture, compliance, and commercial realities. You will design, embed, and evolve a culture where values are lived every day, create the foundations, systems, and behaviours that make people want to stay, grow, and perform at their best, and lead an inclusive agenda that strengthens performance and decision‑making. Coaching and challenging senior leaders to build high‑performing and engaged teams will also be central to your role.

You will oversee the full HR lifecycle across the Collection, including recruitment, reward, performance management, learning and development, and employee relations. You will design modern, scalable HR processes and systems that can grow with the organisation, using people data to inform decisions, manage risk, and enhance engagement while keeping HR delivery efficient, practical, and proportionate. You will provide confident guidance around UK Employment Law, TUPE, ACAS, and employee relations, with a particular focus on healthcare‑related businesses, ensuring compliance across employment law, data protection, health and safety, and HR policy governance.

Qualifications

We are looking for a candidate with at least 10 years of HR experience, including five or more years in a senior leadership role, ideally within the social care sector. Direct experience in homecare, residential care, supported living, or similar settings is highly desirable. You will have practical experience of HR challenges specific to social care, such as managing shift‑based teams, supporting frontline leaders, handling complex employee relations cases, ensuring compliance with sector‑specific regulations, and driving engagement in high‑pressure care environments. CIPD accreditation at Associate or Chartered level is essential, and a degree in HR, Psychology, Business, or a related field is preferred. Strong practical expertise in UK Employment Law, TUPE, and the Equality Act is required, alongside experience supporting multi‑site or multi‑entity organisations.

The ideal candidate will be commercially minded, understanding that excellent HR enables growth rather than slowing it down. You will be agile and grounded, equally comfortable in boardrooms and on the frontline, and motivated by creating structure from scratch as well as improving existing systems. Authentic leadership, approachability, credibility, curiosity, and a values‑led mindset are key qualities. Experience in building high‑performing teams, developing people frameworks, and leading cultural change within social care organisations will set you apart.

Benefits

• Market‑leading salary
• 25 days holiday plus birthday off
• Private healthcare
• Mental health support
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
• Full support toward Chartered Fellow (FCIPD) status
• Clear path toward HR Director as the Collection grows
• Opportunity to create a lasting impact on people and culture across a growing social care organisation

About the Role

This role is for someone who wants to build an HR function that people genuinely believe in, someone who is excited by scale, complexity, autonomy, and the chance to shape a Great Place to Work across a Collection of care‑focused businesses. If you have the experience, sector knowledge, and leadership mindset to make a real difference, we would love to hear from you.