Head of HR - Longford

Collins McNicholas Recruitment; Longford; On-site; EUR 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent recruitment agency in Ireland seeks a Head of HR to lead strategic HR initiatives in the manufacturing sector. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of HR leadership experience, particularly in a unionised environment, and will be responsible for aligning HR strategies with business goals and leading a team across multiple sites. This position requires excellent stakeholder management and project management skills, along with a willingness to travel across Ireland and the UK.

Qualifications

• 10+ years' experience in senior HR leadership role, ideally in unionised environment.
• Proven experience managing HR across multiple sites and unions.
• Strong project management skills and experience leading change.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver HR strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Partner with senior stakeholders on HR approaches.
• Lead and manage employee and industrial relations across sites.

Skills

HR leadership

Project management

Communication

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Tools

HR systems

Job description

Head of HR – Manufacturing

An established and growing leader in the manufacturing sector is seeking an experienced Head of HR based in Longford to join its senior leadership team. With operations across Ireland and the UK and over 900 employees, this business is recognised for its innovation, sustainability, and continued investment in technology and people. This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic HR professional to shape and deliver the people strategy for a multi-site organisation entering a new phase of growth and transformation.

Overview of Role

Reporting directly to the Managing Directors, the Head of HR will play a pivotal role in developing and executing the organisation’s people strategy, driving engagement, and ensuring the alignment of HR initiatives with overall business goals. Permanent role with travel to Cork, Northern Ireland & Scotland as required. Manufacturing and unionised experience is preferred.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver the HR strategy in alignment with business objectives across all sites.
• Partner with senior stakeholders to establish a consistent HR approach covering talent acquisition, succession planning, performance management, and employee engagement.
• Lead and manage employee and industrial relations across a multi-union environment, including pay negotiations and organisational change.
• Design and implement talent development and succession plans to support business growth.
• Advise and partner with leaders on strategic people matters, building a high-performance culture and an engaged workforce.
• Oversee recruitment, compensation benchmarking, and reward management.
• Identify and address training and development needs, ensuring strong ROI on learning initiatives.
• Lead and mentor a team of HR professionals to deliver excellence across all HR functions, ensuring compliance with employment legislation and best practices.

The ideal candidate

• A results-driven, commercially minded HR leader who thrives in a fast-paced, operationally focused environment.
• 10+ years’ experience in a senior HR leadership role, ideally within a unionised manufacturing, processing, or industrial environment.
• Proven experience managing HR across multiple sites and unions.
• Strong project management skills and experience leading organisational change.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management abilities.
• Demonstrated leadership and team development capability.
• Proficiency in HR systems, payroll oversight, and compensation strategy.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently across Ireland and the UK.

Interested?

If you’re an experienced HR leader looking for a hands-on, strategic role within a growing international business, we’d love to hear from you.

Contact for confidential discussion

For a confidential discussion and more information on the role, please contact Nicola Egan.

090 6450668

[e-mail]