People and Development Manager

Internetwork Expert; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic engineering firm in Prudhoe is seeking a Lead People Advisor to support their growth strategy. This on-site role emphasizes a people-centred approach, driving performance, engagement, and development within the organization. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in HR management, CIPD Level 5 certification, and a strong understanding of UK employment law. You will also lead initiatives that enhance employee wellbeing and foster a culture of continuous improvement. A competitive salary ranging from £46,000 to £54,000 is offered, along with attractive benefits including private healthcare and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

Competitive remuneration package

25 days' holiday + public holidays

Free breakfast and lunches

Private healthcare

Life assurance

Salary sacrifice schemes

Paid team socials

Pension plan with employer match

Empowering culture

Qualifications

• Experience in a senior HR role such as Lead People Advisor or HR Manager.
• Strong understanding of UK employment law and people processes.
• Proven ability to coach and support line managers effectively.

Responsibilities

• Provide people support and coach line managers.
• Lead performance management and pay progression processes.
• Own learning calendar and deliver impactful micro-learning.
• Support engagement initiatives and maintain employee-friendly processes.
• Use people data to guide decisions and standardise processes.
• Lead people projects that strengthen engagement and collaboration.

Skills

Communication

Coaching

Problem solving

Planning and prioritisation

Data analysis

Education

CIPD Level 5+

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.

Here’s what our benefits have to offer:

• 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

Stage 1 (online): A pre-screen call with Jo (Head of People and Talent)

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

What we’re looking for

Essential

• 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