People & Operations Manager

Cherry Professional Ltd; Rugby; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Cherry Professional Ltd. is recruiting a People & Operations Manager to lead the people function and enable operational excellence across a multi-site organisation.

The role reports to the senior leadership team and collaborates with field-based teams to drive engagement, performance and compliance. You will develop practical HR policies, support recruitment and onboarding, manage employee relations, and support change initiatives to sustain growth.

Qualifications

• Experience as standalone HR Manager or HRBP in a multi-site business.
• Strong employee relations and policy development experience.
• Ability to influence operational teams with credible HR guidance.
• Commercial mindset with pragmatic problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Own and develop the people agenda across the business.
• Support operational efficiency and continuous improvement.
• Produce management information and reporting.
• Oversee fleet-related health, safety and compliance processes.

Skills

HR policy development

Employee relations

Stakeholder management

Commercial awareness

Autonomous working

People management

Job description

People & Operations Manager

Location: Warwickshire / West Midlands

The Opportunity

Our client is a successful and profitable service-led business operating across a national network, with ambitious growth plans and strong private investment backing.

Following a period of significant growth, they are seeking an experienced People & Operations Manager to establish and develop their internal people function whilst supporting key operational activities across the business.

This is a unique opportunity for a commercially minded HR professional who enjoys working in a hands-on environment and wants to make a genuine impact within a growing organisation.

The Role

Reporting into the senior leadership team, you will take ownership of the people agenda whilst supporting operational effectiveness across a multi-site workforce.

Key responsibilities will include:

People & HR

• Developing and implementing practical HR policies and procedures
• Supporting managers with employee relations matters
• Driving employee engagement and retention initiatives
• Managing recruitment and onboarding activities
• Supporting performance management processes
• Advising on employment law and best practice
• Reviewing and enhancing existing people processes
• Supporting organisational change and business growth initiatives
• Developing management capability across the business
• Ensuring compliance with HR legislation and company policies

Operations

• Supporting operational efficiencies and continuous improvement initiatives
• Working alongside field-based teams to improve performance and engagement
• Producing management information and reporting
• Assisting with health, safety and compliance processes
• Supporting operational planning and resource management
• Working closely with key stakeholders across the business

Fleet Oversight

• Supporting the management of a company vehicle fleet
• Liaising with external providers and suppliers
• Monitoring vehicle compliance and utilisation
• Assisting with driver standards and related processes

About You

We are interested in speaking with candidates who can demonstrate:

• Previous experience in a standalone HR Manager, HR Business Partner or People Manager position
• Strong employee relations experience
• Experience developing HR policies, procedures and people frameworks
• Ability to build credibility with operational and field-based teams
• Commercial awareness and a pragmatic approach to problem solving
• Strong stakeholder management skills
• Confidence working autonomously within a growing business

Desirable

• Experience within automotive, fleet, engineering, logistics, field service or multi-site environments
• Exposure to fleet operations or vehicle management