People and Development Manager

OpenWorks Engineering Ltd; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

A growing engineering firm in the UK is seeking a Lead People Advisor to support its scaling operations in Newcastle. The role focuses on enhancing employee experience, performance management, and learning development, requiring prior HR management experience and a CIPD qualification. You will coach line managers, lead people projects, and utilize people data to inform strategic decisions. The company offers a competitive salary, numerous benefits, and a people-centered culture.

Benefits

Competitive salary between £46,000 - £54,000

25 days holiday plus public holidays

Free breakfast and lunches

Private healthcare

Life assurance

Pension plan with employer contributions

Paid team socials

Qualifications

• Experience as a Lead People Advisor or HR Manager.
• Excellent communication and people-management skills.
• Strong understanding of UK employment law.

Responsibilities

• Provide people support, coaching line managers.
• Lead performance management processes.
• Own learning and development initiatives.
• Maintain engagement and wellbeing processes.
• Use data to guide decisions.

Skills

People partnering

Performance management

Learning and development

Employee experience

Data analysis

Project management

Coaching

Communication

Education

CIPD Level 5 or equivalent

Tools

HRIS (Rippling)

Job description

This newly created role puts you at the heart of delivering our "Enabling People" strategy and supporting OpenWorks as we continue to scale at pace.

In this role, you'll play a key part in shaping a fair, consistent and people-centred support across the full employee lifecycle - partnering with line managers, driving performance and progression, owning learning and development, strengthening engagement and wellbeing and leading people projects that bring our Enable People approach to life.

This position is based on-site in Prudhoe (close to Newcastle-upon-Tyne) with flexible working options available. We are unable to sponsor a visa or UK/global relocation for this position.

Applications close on the 11th January 2026 but we may close early if we receive lots of interest, so early applications are encouraged.

Who We Are

OpenWorks is a rapidly growing business operating globally with a passion for exceptional engineering and building on a legacy of defence innovation in the North East of England.

Our products provide ultra-high performance, real-time detection, tracking, identification and targeting of dynamic aerial threats. They have been deployed internationally to protect high profile military and civilian assets, and contribute towards the defeat of nuisance, misguided and maliciously deployed drones during operations.

We are very proud to have supported a wide range of law enforcement and military operators, protecting many of the most high profile sites and individuals around the world.

The amazing things we do are only possible because of a dedicated and passionate team.

Benefits

• Competitive remuneration package, salary between £46,000 - £54,000 depending upon experience
• 25 days' holiday + public holidays, with long-service rewards and the option to buy up to 5 additional days
• Free breakfast and freshly cooked lunches every day, courtesy of Chef Mark and his team
• Private healthcare through Aviva, keeping you feeling your best
• Life assurance for peace of mind
• Salary sacrifice schemes - including EV car and Cycle to Work options for easy, sustainable travel
• Paid team socials - from quiz nights and football to board games and more; we love to have fun together
• Pension plan with employer‑matched contributions to help you plan for the future
• A culture that empowers - we enable change, encourage challenge and celebrate personal growth

What to Expect at Interview

1. Stage 1 (online): A pre‑screen call with Jo (Head of People and Talent)
2. Stage 2 (in person): A situational judgement assessment and a competency‑based interview with Jo (Head of People and Talent) and a member of the executive team

What You'll Be Doing

• People Partnering and Employee Relations. Provide fair, consistent and compliant people support, acting as a trusted partner and coaching line managers to handle everyday people matters with confidence.
• Performance and Progression. Lead and continuously improve our PDR, probation and newly created pay progression processes, while supporting managers to set expectations, give feedback, manage underperformance and drive high‑quality development outcomes.
• Learning and Development. Own our learning calendar and deliver impactful micro‑learning, identifying skills gaps and building strong coaching, communication and collaboration capabilities across teams, bringing in external specialists where needed.
• Employee Experience. Support engagement, wellbeing, inclusion and engagement initiatives while maintaining clear, consistent and employee‑friendly people processes.
• Data and Continuous Improvement. Use people data and key metrics to guide decisions, lead engagement surveys and actions, and standardise processes with clear, accessible tools and templates. You'll partner with our People Systems and Data Manager to develop a tailored KPI dashboard that highlights where your time will have the greatest impact.
• Projects and People Strategy. Lead people projects that strengthen capability, engagement and collaboration, applying our "Enable People" philosophy and shaping policies and frameworks.

Essential – What We're Looking For

• Experience as a Lead People Advisor, People Manager, HR Manager or Senior HR Business Partner related position or above
• CIPD Level 5+ or strong equivalent experience
• A proactive, collaborative and solutions-focused, "enable not police" approach
• An excellent communicator who brings grace and finesse to every interaction, collaborating effectively and offering clear, constructive feedback at all levels of the business
• Strong understanding and applied practice of UK employment law, people processes and building policies
• Experience coaching and supporting line managers
• Skilled in using an HRIS (we'll soon be embedding Rippling!) and organising/interpreting people data to guide decisions, identify patterns and support continuous improvement
• Confidence around designing training and development programmes
• Planning and prioritisation skills to navigate a fast‑moving, change‑focused environment
• A mindset of continuous improvement as well as practical and creative problem solving
• Able to manage sensitive and complex cases with discretion, pragmatism and fairness
• Comfortable using an HRIS and organising/interrupting people data to story‑tell, inform decisions and identify trends

Desirable

• Experience scaling an SME business, ideally from an engineering and/or manufacturing environment
• Experience modernising performance cycles or learning programmes
• Comfort around people analytics tools