Human Resources Manager (12-month FTC)

Slaughter and May; Greater London; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Slaughter and May is seeking an experienced HR Manager on a fixed-term basis to lead the HR Advisory team during a maternity leave. You will drive business-aligned HR strategies, support employee experience, and champion inclusive practices in a fast-paced legal environment.

You will partner with stakeholders, manage employee life cycle activities, and oversee policy development while mentoring junior HR staff.

Qualifications

• CIPD qualification with substantial HR experience, ideally in professional services or a legal environment.
• Proven ability to provide high-level HR advice to senior leaders and managers.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law, with experience managing complex ER matters.
• Skilled in data analysis and HR systems, with ability to interpret trends for strategic decision‑making.
• Demonstrated success in managing HR projects, from design to implementation.
• Comfortable using AI-enabled tools to support day-to-day work, with sound judgement.
• Strong business acumen, aligning HR initiatives with commercial objectives.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills with senior stakeholders.
• Collaborative approach and cross-functional teamwork.
• High level of confidentiality, integrity and professionalism.
• Proactive, solution-focused mindset with multi-priority management.

Responsibilities

• Develop strong working relationships with stakeholders and act as a trusted adviser on people matters.
• Provide proactive advice on employee relations, performance management, absence management, flexible requests and wellbeing.
• Analyse HR data, identify trends and provide strategic insights for decisions.
• Advise on organisational structures, restructures, workforce planning and mobility.
• Support and facilitate annual performance review processes.
• Partner with Learning & Development to upskill managers.
• Collaborate with Recruitment on hiring strategies and diversity objectives.
• Provide HR support for graduate and early careers programmes.
• Oversee onboarding through offboarding processes.
• Lead policy development and process improvements with Employment lawyers.
• Mentor HR Advisors and HR Administrators.
• Promote collaboration across HR and align strategies across departments.

Skills

HR advisory

Data analysis

Stakeholder management

UK employment law

AI tools

HR systems

Project management

Commercial acumen

Communication

Collaboration

Confidentiality

Prioritisation

Education

CIPD qualification

Tools

AI-enabled tools

Job description

We are seeking an experienced HR Manager to join our HR Advisory team on a FTC basis to cover a maternity leave. The HR Advisory team plays a critical role within the broader Human Resources function providing high-quality HR support to the firm.

This role is an excellent opportunity for a skilled HR professional to drive business-aligned HR strategies, enhance employee experience, and champion inclusive workplace practices within a dynamic and fast-paced legal environment.

Our HR Advisory team offers a comprehensive range of HR support, partnering with Business Services leaders to develop and implement people strategies that drive organisational success. Working closely with the broader HR function - including Early Careers Development, Early Careers Recruitment, Recruitment, Diversity and Inclusion, HR Systems and MI, Global Mobility, and Reward and Benefits - this role ensures an integrated, proactive, and high-impact HR service.

Key responsibilities

The key responsibilities of this role are set out below and there may be others which are not listed. You may be required on occasion to work outside our normal working hours of 9:30am to 5:30pm.

Strategic HR Advisory and Business Partnering

• Develop strong working relationships with key stakeholders and act as a trusted adviser on people matters.
• Provide proactive advice and guidance on employee relations, performance management, absence management, flexible working requests and wellbeing matters.
• Analyse HR data, identify trends and provide strategic insights to support decision-making.
• Advise on organisational structures, restructures, workforce planning and internal mobility.
• Support and facilitate annual performance review processes.
• Partner with key stakeholders and Learning & Development to ensure managers have the skills and knowledge to lead effectively.
• Collaborate with Recruitment on hiring strategies and recruitment processes that support business needs and diversity objectives.
• Provide HR support for graduate and early careers programmes where applicable.

Employee Lifecycle & Engagement

• Oversee the employee lifecycle from onboarding through to offboarding.
• Conduct and analyse exit interviews, identifying themes and supporting retention initiatives.
• Work on the annual salary and bonus review process in partnership with Reward & Benefits.
• Partner with business leaders to develop and implement employee engagement initiatives, ensuring high levels of motivation and satisfaction.
• Support health and wellbeing initiatives and ensure employees have access to appropriate support and resources.

HR Policy and Compliance

• Ensure HR policies remain current, legally compliant and aligned with best practice.
• Lead policy development and process improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with the firm’s employment lawyer on complex ER matters and risk mitigation.
• Work with HR Advisers to ensure a seamless HR service.
• Develop and mentor the HR Adviser, HR Assistant and HR Administrator alongside the other HR Managers.
• Promote collaboration across the HR function and encourage a joined-up and consistent approach to service delivery.
• Work closely with the other HR Managers to align people strategies across departments.

Candidate profile

Candidates for this position must have:

• A CIPD qualification with substantial HR experience, ideally in professional services or a legal environment.
• Proven ability to provide high-level HR advice to senior leaders and managers.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law, with experience managing complex employee relations matters.
• Skilled in data analysis and HR systems, with the ability to interpret trends and inform strategic decision‑making.
• Demonstrated success in managing HR projects, from design to implementation.
• Comfortable using AI-enabled tools to support day-to-day work, with the ability to apply sound judgement and critical thinking when interpreting outputs.
• Strong business acumen, with the ability to align HR initiatives with commercial objectives.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, able to engage with senior stakeholders and employees at all levels.
• A collaborative approach, working effectively with cross‑functional teams.
• High level of confidentiality, integrity, and professionalism.
• A proactive, solution‑focused mindset, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.

We are a Disability Confident Committed employer and will offer an interview to applicants with a disability or long‑term condition who best meet the minimum or essential criteria for our Business Services roles. If you would like to apply through the Disability Confident 'Offer An Interview' commitment, please apply via our online application form and not via LinkedIn. You are disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long‑term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. For more information about the Disability Confident scheme, please see the government website here.

We welcome applications irrespective of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, belief or marital status