Head of HR

Job Title:

Head of People

Location:

Milton Keynes                      
Salary: up to £70,000 + bonus  
Role:
Permanent – Full-Time Permanent
 
Are you an inspiring, commercially astute People leader ready to shape and elevate the HR agenda in a fast‑paced, entrepreneurial retail environment? This is a rare opportunity to join a successful, multi‑site fashion retailer as their new Head of People, driving cultural evolution, building capability and ensuring the business continues to be an exceptional place to work and grow.

About the Role

In this pivotal position, you will set and deliver a progressive People strategy that strengthens organisational capability across UK and European markets. You’ll partner closely with senior leaders, bringing a balance of commercial pragmatism, strong HR governance and an engaging, people‑first approach.
You will:

Develop and execute a modern People strategy aligned to business growth, culture and long‑term ambitions
Provide confident, commercial HR partnership to senior and operational leaders
Lead and develop a small HR team, elevating capability and embedding a strong, cohesive culture
Oversee people operations across the UK and support international colleagues across Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Ireland
Influence and coach leaders on best‑in‑class people practices, ER, performance, talent and organisational effectiveness
Ensure policies, processes and compliance are robust, relevant and enable fast‑paced retail operations
Drive people‑related change projects, including organisational design, system upgrades, employee experience, and cultural development
Lead on complex ER matters with a balanced, pragmatic view
Support the organisation through future transformation or event activity, such as investment, sale or growth‑focused restructuring
About You

You’ll thrive here if you are both strategically minded and hands‑on, with genuine passion for people, culture and commercial outcomes. You will also bring:

Experience in a multi‑site retail, hospitality, or consumer‑facing environment
Strong UK employment law expertise with good grounding in European employment frameworks
Ability to influence senior stakeholders and hold your own with strong personalities
High emotional intelligence with the ability to coach, challenge and support teams
A collaborative leadership style that fosters trust, pace and accountability
CIPD Level 7 (or equivalent experience) preferred
Experience managing change and improving HR processes and systems
Commutable Locations:
Northampton, Milton Keynes, Watford, Oxford, Bedford, Kettering, Banbury, Luton  

If you’re a career motivated and driven Head of People or Head of HR, ready to take on a new challenge and make a significant impact, we’d love to hear from you! APPLY NOW for immediate consideration.

This role is handled by McCarthy Recruitment, an award-winning multi-sector recruiter. We are committed to unlocking your full potential and finding your perfect role.

Start your journey today. Apply now or find us online:

Web:
McCarthy Recruitment
Linked In:
McCarthy Recruitment
Facebook:
Mc Carthy Recruitment
Instagram:
Mc Carthyrecruitment  
The Legal Bit:
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age. By applying for this role, you are explicitly consenting for McCarthy Recruitment to hold and process your data in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulations. And your details will be added to our holding database.

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