HR Manager (Maternity Cover)

JR United Kingdom; Reading; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company specializing in retail and FMCG brand management is seeking an experienced HR Manager for a 4-month maternity cover contract. The role focuses on managing the employee lifecycle, ensuring compliance with employment law, and maintaining a positive work culture. Ideal candidates will have strong interpersonal skills and experience in HR best practices.

Qualifications

• At least 2 years in a generalist HR role is essential.
• Previous experience in health & safety is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Managing recruitment, onboarding, offboarding, and employee relations.
• Maintaining HR policies, HR records, and GDPR compliance.
• Supporting health & safety procedures and internal communications.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Understanding of employment law

Organisational skills

Discretion and professionalism

Multitasking ability

Confidence working independently

Familiarity with health & safety

Tools

Microsoft Office

Apple Mac systems

Job description

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Contract Type: 4-month rolling contract (maternity cover)

Reports to: Business Unit Director

Jupiter Prestige Group is a $25m turnover group of companies specialising in retail and FMCG brand management, packaging graphics services and software solutions, with offices in the United Kingdom, United States, Hong Kong, Australia and India.

We’re looking for an experienced and adaptable HR Manager to join our team on a maternity cover basis. This 4-month rolling contract will support the HR function across three of our Europe businesses (approx. 70–80 employees) located in Southend and London.

As the HR Manager, you’ll be responsible for all aspects of the employee lifecycle, ensuring legal compliance, maintaining a positive work culture, and supporting our managers and teams. You will also play a hands-on role in health & safety and site management.

Key responsibilities include:

• Managing recruitment, onboarding, and offboarding processes
• Handling employee relations matters, disciplinaries, and welfare support
• Maintaining and updating HR policies and employment documentation
• Leading the annual appraisal process and supporting training coordination
• Ensuring HR records are accurate, up to date, and GDPR-compliant
• Collaborating with the Finance team to ensure payroll alignment
• Managing health & safety procedures with third-party support
• Providing first-line HR advice to staff and coaching to managers
• Overseeing employee engagement initiatives and internal communications
• Site management duties, including supervision of the Southend receptionist and coordination of facilities and contractor services

The role is based in our Southend studio, with occasional travel to London as required.

Key Qualities / Skills

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Solid understanding of employment law and HR best practices
• Able to manage sensitive situations with discretion and professionalism
• Highly organised with the ability to multitask and prioritise effectively
• Confident working independently
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (especially Word and Excel)
• Experience with Apple Mac systems (helpful but not essential)
• Familiarity with health & safety and risk assessments

Experience Required

• At least 2 years in a generalist HR role (essential)
• Previous experience in health & safety responsibilities (preferred)

This is a great opportunity for an experienced HR professional to step in and support a growing business. If you're proactive and people-focused, we’d love to hear from you.