HR Manager Operational and People Development

hireful; Bromsgrove; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading trade and distribution company in Bromsgrove seeks a hands-on HR Manager to lead HR operations across branches. The successful candidate will enhance employee relations, coach managers, and drive engagement initiatives. Ideal for those with multi-site experience and a practical approach, this role offers significant influence in shaping HR practices within the organization. If you enjoy operational HR and making a tangible impact, we encourage you to apply.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a hands-on HR Manager or senior HR generalist role.
• Strong employee relations capability and confidence handling volume and complexity.
• Experience coaching and developing line managers.
• Comfortable working across multi-site or operational environments.
• Practical, resilient, organised and commercially aware.

Responsibilities

• Leading operational HR and employee relations across head office and branches.
• Coaching managers through disciplinary, grievance, absence and performance cases.
• Driving engagement initiatives and managing internal communications.
• Overseeing recruitment delivery and onboarding experience.
• Managing HR systems, people data, policies, and the company handbook.

Skills

Employee relations

Coaching managers

Operational HR

Engagement initiatives

Multi-site experience

Education

CIPD Level 5 (or equivalent experience)

Job description

Overview

Location: Bromsgrove | Multi-site | Trade & Distribution Environment

Our client is looking for a hands-on HR Manager who enjoys being close to the business, building strong relationships, and helping managers get better. You’ll work closely with the Head of HR in a collaborative, transparent way, owning your areas end to end while keeping key stakeholders informed and involved where appropriate. This is a role for someone who wants to work as part of a team, likes doing the do, is tactical and a great coach and relationship builder.

About The Role

This is a truly broad operational HR Manager role supporting their Support Centre and branch network. You’ll lead a small HR team and act as the go-to person for employee relations, manager capability, engagement, internal communications and people-related projects. They are a small close-knit team who work together collaboratively to do the best they can for the business. While you’ll have autonomy to shape how the role works, this is not a traditional strategic HR Business Partner role removed from day-to-day HR delivery. You’ll stay close to ER, performance management, coaching managers of all levels from senior to junior, through difficult conversations, and embedding good people practices where they really matter on the ground. The business is in a period of transition, focused on improving profitability, developing managers and strengthening capability. There are lots of brilliant qualities here and also some challenges. This role needs someone who sees that as an opportunity.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading operational HR and employee relations across head office and branches
• Coaching managers through disciplinary, grievance, absence and performance cases, supporting underperforming managers and helping them improve
• Upskilling people managers through practical guidance, tools and training workshops and training delivery
• Driving engagement initiatives, internal communications (including looking after our company intranet) and culture activity such as charity initiatives
• Overseeing recruitment delivery and onboarding experience
• Managing HR systems, people data, policies and the company handbook
• Leading and developing a HR Advisor and Recruitment Officer

This Role Will Suit You If You

• Enjoy operational HR and staying close to delivery
• Are creative and love the idea of doing a wide variety of work from internal comms to engagement to charity fundraising, with a passion for continuous improvement
• Want an opportunity to make a mark and make a real impact
• Build relationships first and challenge second
• Are positive, consistent and seen as a steady pair of hands
• Can work with managers who sometimes say the wrong thing and coach them to be better
• Are comfortable in a trade, distribution or B2B environment
• Dont need things to be overly corporate to be effective

This Role Won’t Suit You If You

• Want a purely strategic or advisory HRBP role
• Prefer to stay out of ER or day-to-day HR activity
• Are overly hands-off or uncomfortable with operational realities

About You

• Proven experience in a hands-on HR Manager or senior HR generalist role
• Strong employee relations capability and confidence handling volume and complexity
• Experience coaching and developing line managers
• Comfortable working across multi-site or operational environments (there may be some travel to sites required)
• Practical, resilient, organised and commercially aware
• CIPD Level 5 (or equivalent experience)

Why join them

You’ll have real influence, visible impact, and the chance to shape how HR works in a business that genuinely wants to get better, not just talk about it. If you’re looking for a role where you can roll your sleeves up, build trust, and make a difference, they’d love to hear from you.