HR Manager

Salary: £50,000 - £60,000 + Benefits Location: Blackburn Build a HR Function. Shape the Future. Our client is a successful, well-established manufacturing business seeking an experienced HR Manager to establish and lead their people function. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced HR professional who enjoys building robust HR foundations while partnering closely with senior leaders to support business growth, operational excellence and a positive workplace culture. With a loyal workforce and strong values already in place, the business is looking for someone who will take the time to understand how the organisation operates before introducing practical improvements that add real value. Working closely with the Board of Directors and senior management team, you'll become a trusted advisor, providing strategic guidance while remaining hands-on across all aspects of HR. The Opportunity This is a standalone HR leadership role offering genuine autonomy and the opportunity to shape every aspect of the people function. You'll develop and implement fit-for-purpose HR policies, processes and systems that support legal compliance, strengthen manager capability and improve consistency across the business, while preserving the culture that has contributed to the company's success. If you enjoy balancing strategic thinking with operational delivery, influencing senior stakeholders and creating practical HR solutions without unnecessary bureaucracy, this could be the perfect role. What You'll Be Doing As the company's HR Manager, you'll take ownership of the full employee lifecycle, including: • Building and developing a professional HR function aligned to business objectives. • Acting as a trusted advisor to the Board and management team on all people matters. • Leading on employee relations including disciplinaries, grievances, capability, attendance management, investigations and occupational health referrals. • Ensuring compliance with UK employment legislation and maintaining up-to-date contracts, policies, procedures and employee documentation. • Managing recruitment, onboarding, induction and workforce planning to support operational requirements. • Supporting succession planning for key operational and technical roles. • Identifying training and development needs whilst coaching managers to strengthen their leadership and people management capability. • Driving employee engagement, wellbeing and communication initiatives that reinforce a positive workplace culture. • Owning HR systems and ensuring accurate employee records, HR reporting and management information. • Producing regular HR metrics, KPIs and reports for the Board to support business decisions. • Managing payroll administration, ensuring accurate payroll inputs are submitted and queries are resolved efficiently. • Continuously reviewing HR processes to improve efficiency, consistency and the employee experience. About You You'll be an experienced HR professional who enjoys working autonomously while building strong relationships across all levels of an organisation. You'll be equally comfortable advising senior leaders on strategic people matters as you are supporting managers with day-to-day operational HR. You understand the importance of credibility, pragmatism and delivering solutions that work for both the business and its people. We're Looking For • CIPD Level 5 qualified (or equivalent). • Previous experience in a standalone HR Manager or Senior HR Generalist position. • Experience within manufacturing, engineering or another operational environment. • Excellent knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice. • Experience developing HR policies, procedures and systems. • Strong employee relations experience, including complex case management. • Experience supporting payroll processes and maintaining HR systems. • Ability to analyse HR data and produce meaningful management information. • Confident influencing senior stakeholders and coaching managers. • Commercially aware with a practical, hands-on approach. • Able to operate confidently at both strategic and operational level. What's On Offer? • £50,000 - £60,000 salary. • Company pension. • Generous holiday entitlement plus bank holidays. • Annual discretionary bonus • On site role, with an earlier Friday finish • The opportunity to establish and shape a modern HR function. • A collaborative leadership team that values practical thinking, continuous improvement and strong relationships. • A role where you'll have genuine influence and make a lasting impact across the business. If you're an experienced HR professional looking for the opportunity to build a people function that genuinely supports business success within a thriving manufacturing environment, we'd love to hear from you.