HR Manager

Michael Page Business Support; Watford; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

10% retention bonus

Hybrid working

Flexible hours (35h week)

Watford office presence

Job summary

Michael Page Business Support is recruiting an experienced HR Manager for a 14‑month fixed-term contract, supporting corporate functions across the UK and EMEA. The role combines hands-on case management with strategic business partnering and stakeholder engagement.

The role focuses predominantly on employee relations, advising managers and handling complex people issues while partnering with senior leaders on talent and engagement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in a HR Business Partner, Senior HR Advisor or HR Manager role.
• End-to-end employee relations experience including performance, absence, disciplinary and grievance management.
• Excellent working knowledge of UK employment law.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience coaching managers through complex people situations.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced corporate environment.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Experience supporting HR projects and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong communication and relationship-building abilities.
• A pragmatic and commercially minded approach to HR.
• Experience supporting restructuring, settlement agreements, redundancies or EMEA populations would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Providing expert HR advice and coaching to managers across employee relations matters.
• Managing performance, absence, disciplinary, grievance and flexible working cases from start to finish.
• Supporting managers through investigations, hearings and employee relations processes.
• Advising on organisational change initiatives, restructures and redundancies where required.
• Building strong relationships with senior leaders and influencing appropriate people decisions.
• Partnering with stakeholders on talent, performance and engagement initiatives.
• Supporting annual people processes including performance and development activities.
• Contributing to wellbeing, engagement and inclusion programmes across the business.
• Supporting employee resource groups and office engagement activities.
• Reviewing offer documentation, contracts and employee lifecycle paperwork.
• Supporting onboarding and recruitment activity alongside specialist teams.
• Participating in HR projects, process improvements and wider business initiatives.
• Supporting EMEA activity including new country set-ups and employee-related projects.

Skills

Employee relations

Stakeholder management

Coaching managers

UK employment law

HR business partnering

Change management

Communication

Relationship building

Commercial HR mindset

Job description

We are recruiting an experienced HR Manager to join a leading international organisation on a 14-month fixed-term contract, supporting corporate functions across the UK and EMEA. This is a highly visible role with a strong employee relations focus, combining hands-on case management with strategic business partnering and stakeholder engagement.

Client Details

Our client is a globally recognised organisation with an established international presence and ambitious growth plans across the EMEA region.

Operating within a fast-paced corporate environment, the business prides itself on its people-focused culture, collaborative leadership style and commitment to creating an engaging and inclusive workplace. Employees benefit from a flexible working environment, exposure to international projects and the opportunity to work alongside experienced HR professionals in a high-performing team.

Description

Reporting into the senior HR team, this HR Manager position will support a number of corporate functions across the UK and EMEA, acting as a trusted advisor to managers and stakeholders on a wide range of people matters.

The role has a particularly strong employee relations focus, with approximately 70% of time dedicated to advising managers and supporting complex people issues.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing expert HR advice and coaching to managers across employee relations matters.
• Managing performance, absence, disciplinary, grievance and flexible working cases from start to finish.
• Supporting managers through investigations, hearings and employee relations processes.
• Advising on organisational change initiatives, restructures and redundancies where required.
• Building strong relationships with senior leaders and influencing appropriate people decisions.
• Partnering with stakeholders on talent, performance and engagement initiatives.
• Supporting annual people processes including performance and development activities.
• Contributing to wellbeing, engagement and inclusion programmes across the business.
• Supporting employee resource groups and office engagement activities.
• Reviewing offer documentation, contracts and employee lifecycle paperwork.
• Supporting onboarding and recruitment activity alongside specialist teams.
• Participating in HR projects, process improvements and wider business initiatives.
• Supporting EMEA activity including new country set-ups and employee-related projects where required.
• This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys balancing hands-on case management with true business partnering and stakeholder engagement.

Profile

The successful candidate will be a confident HR professional with strong employee relations experience and the ability to build credibility with senior stakeholders.

You are likely to demonstrate:

• Previous experience in a HR Business Partner, Senior HR Advisor or HR Manager position.
• Strong end-to-end employee relations experience including performance, absence, disciplinary and grievance management.
• Excellent working knowledge of UK employment law.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• The confidence to challenge constructively and provide commercially balanced advice.
• Experience coaching managers through complex people situations.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced corporate environment.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Experience supporting HR projects and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong communication and relationship-building abilities.
• A pragmatic and commercially minded approach to HR.
• Experience supporting restructuring, settlement agreements, redundancy programmes or EMEA populations would be advantageous but is not essential.

Job Offer

Competitive salary, negotiable depending on experience

14-month fixed-term contract.

10% retention bonus payable upon successful completion of the contract.

Hybrid working with 2-3 days per week in the office in Watford

Flexible working hours within a 35-hour working week.