HR Manager

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The HR Manager is a senior, embedded business partner who operates as part of the plant leadership team, contributing directly to operational performance and financial outcomes. The role goes beyond traditional HR administration and requires P&L-aware decision-making, recognising that every HR intervention can materially affect plant financials, customer delivery, and operational stability.

Job Title: Human Resources Manager

Department: Human Resources

Site/Factory: WHS Pickering

Reports to: Plant Director

Direct reports: Business Administration Apprentice

Key responsibilities include:

• Act as a core member of the plant leadership team and influence decision-making with a full understanding of P&L impact, cost drivers, labour utilisation, overtime management, absence trends, headcount planning, and efficiency metrics.
• Evaluate HR decisions not only for legal and ethical compliance but for financial consequences (e.g., settlements, long-term sickness strategies, absence management, structure design, recruitment decisions).
• Provide real-time insight to the Plant Director on the workforce components that affect margin, throughput, and operational stability.

• Develop and maintain a dynamic manpower plan aligned to volume forecasts, customer schedules, shift patterns, and seasonal variations typical of Tier 1 JIT/JIS supply.
• Optimise labour utilisation in coordination with Production and MP&L.
• Partner with operations to reduce attrition, manage skills gaps, and build a pipeline of future team leaders, setters, and technicians.

• Lead/support all aspects of employee relations: disciplinary, grievance, capability, conduct, attendance, long-term sickness, and dispute resolution.
• Ensure all actions are consistent, legally robust, and proportionate to business need and financial risk.
• Proactively identify emerging employee‑relations hotspots to avoid cost escalation.

• Support the development of team leaders, technicians, and junior managers through coaching, training needs analysis, and development planning.
• Embed a performance culture with clarity around expectations, behavioural standards, and accountability.
• Lead succession planning and talent reviews for key operational roles.

• Minimum 5 years HR generalist or HR business partner experience.
• Manufacturing experience essential;
  Tier 1 automotive strongly preferred.
• Demonstrable history of managing complex casework, achieving cost‑efficient outcomes, and supporting plant performance improvements.
• Experience working with senior operational leaders and influencing cross‑functional decisions.

• Reduction in avoidable labour cost (overtime, agency reliance, absence cost, settlements).
• Improvement in attendance, retention, and operator/supervisor stability.
• Delivery of manpower planning aligned to production schedules.
• Manage agency supply, cost and retention.
• Positive engagement feedback from supervisors and plant leadership.
• Successful support during audits, customer visits, and programme launches.

• Advisory authority on all HR matters; expected to influence final decisions based on financial and legal implications.
• May authorise settlements, negotiated exits, and financial adjustments within agreed thresholds.
• Full ownership of HR operations at the Pickering plant.

• Pragmatic, commercially aware, highly organised.
• Comfortable with fast‑paced, high‑pressure environments.
• High emotional intelligence and resilience.
• Able to balance people‑centric judgement with hard financial realism.
• Demonstrates integrity, confidentiality, and professional maturity.
• Support and lead cultural change and improvement activities.

• Comply with applicable Health and Safety and Environmental Laws, Rosti Procedures, and general safe working practices.
• Consider our Health and Safety and Environmental policies and adhere to signs, posters, warning signals and…