HR Manager

HR Manager – Preston

Location: UK (Multi-site role) – Head office Preston

Type: Full-time and Permanent, Monday–Friday (40 hours per week, incl. 1-hour unpaid break)

Salary: £45,000 – £50,000 per annum + benefits

Our client is a well-established, market-leading national distributor within the FMCG sector, with a successful heritage spanning over 60 years.

With a turnover exceeding £150m and a workforce of 400+ employees, they operate across multiple UK sites, delivering a wide range of products to businesses of all sizes from independent operators to large-scale organisations.

Blending local expertise with national scale, the company is known for its strong customer relationships, operational excellence, and commitment to innovation in a fast-moving industry.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced HR Manager to play a key role in shaping and delivering the organisation’s People Plan.

Working closely with the Group HR Director, you’ll take a hands-on, strategic and operational role, supporting managers across the business while driving best practice in people management and employment law compliance.

• Partner with senior leadership to develop and implement HR strategy aligned to business goals
• Lead end-to-end recruitment and workforce planning
• Oversee onboarding, training, and development initiatives
• Act as a trusted advisor on employee relations, including complex case management
• Draft and manage HR documentation, policies, and procedures
• Drive performance management processes, including appraisals and reviews
• Support succession planning and talent development across business units
• Monitor and improve employee engagement and retention strategies
• Manage compensation, benefits, and payroll coordination
• Maintain accurate HR systems, reporting, and data compliance
• Deliver training sessions and workshops to managers and teams
• Lead and contribute to HR projects and continuous improvement initiatives

• Ensure full compliance with UK employment legislation and HR best practice
• Promote a culture of equality, diversity, and inclusion
• Maintain strict confidentiality and professionalism
• Support a safe and compliant working environment, adhering to Health & Safety standards

Essential:

• CIPD Level 5+ (or equivalent experience)
• Proven experience as an HR Manager or Senior HR Advisor
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law
• Experience handling complex employee relations cases
• Excellent organisational, communication, and problem-solving skills
• High attention to detail and ability to manage sensitive information

Desirable:

• CIPD Level 7 (or working towards)
• Experience in organisational change or transformation
• Exposure to M&A activity
• Knowledge of GDPR/Data Protection
• Experience using HR analytics and data-driven decision making

• KPI Bonus Scheme
• 33 days holiday (incl. bank holidays)
• Company Pension Scheme
• Life Assurance
• Company Sick Pay
• Employee Discount Scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme

This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing, nationally recognised organisation where you can truly make an impact. You’ll have the autonomy to shape HR practices while working within a supportive leadership structure.