People Strategy Lead

MCS Group | Your Specialist Recruitment Consultancy; Belfast; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment consultancy in Belfast is seeking an experienced People Strategy Lead to manage HR workstreams across mergers and acquisitions. This role focuses on cultural integration and compliance during critical transactions. The ideal candidate will have significant HR experience in M&A and strong stakeholder management skills. Benefits include a competitive salary, hybrid working, enhanced annual leave, and private medical care. This position offers dynamic responsibilities in a fast-paced environment.

Benefits

Competitive base salary + bonus

Hybrid working

Enhanced annual leave

Private medical care

Qualifications

• Proven HR experience in M&A, restructuring, or transformation projects.
• Strong knowledge of NI and UK employment law and TUPE.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Leading HR due diligence, identifying risks and opportunities.
• Managing TUPE transfers end-to-end.
• Designing cultural integration strategies.

Skills

HR experience in M&A

Knowledge of NI and UK employment law

Stakeholder management skills

Organisational skills

Education

CIPD Level 7 or equivalent

Job description

People Strategy Lead - Permanent - Belfast

Are you ready to take the lead on high‑profile M&A projects and shape the people strategy behind major business transformations? This is a rare opportunity for an experienced HR professional to step into a dynamic, fast‑paced role where no two days are the same.

The role

My client is looking to add an HR Manager to own the people workstream across mergers, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships. Acting as a trusted partner to senior stakeholders, you’ll ensure cultural integration, compliance, and employee engagement during complex transactions – playing a key role in driving the success of deals.

The main responsibilities

• Leading HR due diligence, identifying risks and opportunities.
• Managing TUPE transfers end‑to‑end, from consultation through to post‑transfer integration.
• Designing and delivering cultural integration and change management strategies.
• Partnering with Reward, Payroll and other teams to harmonise policies and processes.
• Acting as a strategic advisor to senior leaders on HR risks and readiness.
• Supporting day‑to‑day HR activity and employee relations during quieter periods between deals.

The ideal candidate

• Proven HR experience in M&A, restructuring, or transformation projects.
• Strong knowledge of NI and UK employment law and TUPE.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills – confident advising senior leaders.
• Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple complex projects.
• CIPD Level 7 (or equivalent) is desirable.

What’s on offer

• Competitive base salary + bonus
• Hybrid working
• Enhanced annual leave
• Private medical care

To speak in absolute confidence about this opportunity please send an up‑to‑date CV via the link provided or contact Rebekah Mulligan, Senior HR Recruitment Consultant at MCS Group on 02896 205148

Even if this position is not right for you, we may have others that are. Please visit MCS Group to view a wide selection of our current jobs www.mcsgroup.jobs

MCS Group is committed to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion for all, being the first recruitment agency in NI to achieve Bronze Diversity Mark accreditation, if you have a disability which means you require a reasonable adjustment to be considered at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact us and we will endeavour to facilitate the request.