People Manager

Cardiff Airport; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Cardiff Airport is seeking an experienced People Manager to lead the People function, manage a small team, and deliver a professional, customer-focused HR service across the Airport. The role covers employee relations, recruitment, learning and development, payroll oversight, people systems, and organisational change.

You will drive continuous improvement, modernise people practices with digital tools and AI, build capability, support change initiatives, and develop strong relationships with

Qualifications

• Strong generalist HR background with experience managing complex employee relations.
• Proven ability to influence stakeholders at all levels and lead a team.
• Passion for developing people and driving process improvements.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day operation of the People function.
• Provide expert advice on employee relations and employment law.
• Support organisational change and transformation initiatives across the business.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding and talent development activities.
• Lead the learning and development framework and succession planning.
• Drive continuous improvement of People policies, systems and processes.
• Build strong relationships with managers, employees and trade unions.
• Produce people insights to support business decision-making.
• Oversee payroll-related activities and policy compliance.

Job description

An exciting opportunity for an experienced People/HR professional to manage operational HR, learning and development, and people transformation within Wales' national airport.

Join Cardiff Airport as our People Manager and help shape the future of our People function.

Reporting to the People Director, you will manage the day-to-day operation of the People function, leading a small team and delivering a professional, customer-focused people service across the Airport. This is a broad and influential role with responsibility for employee relations, recruitment, learning and development, payroll oversight, people systems, continuous improvement and organisational change.

As Cardiff Airport continues its journey of growth and transformation, we are looking for an experienced People professional who can balance operational excellence with continuous improvement. You'll play a key role in developing organisational capability, supporting business-wide change initiatives, modernising people practices and embracing digital solutions and AI to enhance the way we work.

What You'll Be Doing

• Managing the day-to-day operation of the People function and developing the People team.
• Providing expert advice and guidance on employee relations, employment law and people management matters.
• Supporting organisational change and transformation initiatives across the business.
• Managing recruitment, onboarding and talent development activities.
• Managing the Airport's learning and development framework, helping to build capability and support future succession planning.
• Driving continuous improvement across People policies, systems and processes, utilising technology and AI to improve efficiency and employee experience.
• Building positive working relationships with managers, employees and trade union representatives.
• Producing people insights and management information to support business decision-making.
• Managing payroll-related activities and ensuring compliance with employment legislation and company policies.

About You

You’ll be an experienced HR professional with a strong generalist background and a track record of managing complex employee relations matters in a fast-paced environment. You’ll be confident influencing stakeholders at all levels, managing and developing a team, and building effective relationships across the business.

You will be passionate about developing people, improving processes and driving positive change. You’ll combine strong operational delivery with a continuous improvement mindset and be excited by the opportunity to help shape a modern, forward-thinking People function.

Why Cardiff Airport?

As Wales' national airport, we connect Wales to the world. This is a unique opportunity to join an organisation with ambitious plans for the future and play a key role in developing the people, culture and capability that will support our continued success.

If you're looking for a role where you can make a genuine impact, influence change and help shape the future of both our people and our organisation, we'd love to hear from you