608 Hr Director jobs in the United Kingdom

HR Director | UK & ROI | Retail | Salary: Competitive + Benefits

We're supporting a high-profile, global retail & consumer brand in their search for an exceptional HR Director to lead the UK & ROI people strategy. This is a senior leadership role, partnering closely with the Regional Leadership Team to shape and deliver the HR agenda - driving a culture of inclusion, high performance, and engagement across a complex, fast-moving, multi-site environment.

The role
As HR Director, you'll be a strategic partner to senior leaders and the wider global HR community, ensuring people initiatives are aligned with both business priorities and global HR strategy. You'll lead and develop a talented regional HR team, working in partnership with global Centres of Excellence to deliver best-in-class HR services across Talent, Learning, Reward, and HR Operations.

You'll have full responsibility for cultural and organisational transformation - supporting growth, enabling change, and building organisational capability to meet future challenges. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion will be at the heart of your approach, ensuring every colleague has the opportunity to thrive.

HR Director Key responsibilities:

• Develop and deliver the UK & ROI people strategy in line with global objectives

• Partner with senior business leaders on workforce planning, organisational design, and transformation

• Lead, coach, and inspire the regional HR team, ensuring engagement and high performance

• Oversee complex, cross-border HR issues and navigate cultural diversity

• Champion DEI initiatives, ensuring they are embedded in all people practices

• Act as a trusted advisor to the senior leadership team and influence at board level

About you:

• Proven Senior HR leadership experience, ideally within a global or matrix retail/consumer environment

• Strong commercial acumen and a track record of influencing and coaching senior leaders

• Experience delivering complex change and organisational transformation

• In-depth knowledge of UK employment law and best practice

• Skilled at building high-performing teams and a collaborative, inclusive culture

• Strategic thinker with the agility to adapt to changing business needs

• CIPD Level 7 qualified (or equivalent experience)

This is a high-impact role for a dynamic, commercially minded HR leader who thrives in a fast-paced, people-first environment. If you're passionate about shaping strategy, enabling change, and delivering results, we'd love to hear from you.

BBBH34233

HR Director | UK & ROI | Retail | Salary: Competitive + Benefits

We're supporting a high-profile, global retail & consumer brand in their search for an exceptional HR Director to lead the UK & ROI people strategy. This is a senior leadership role, partnering closely with the Regional Leadership Team to shape and deliver the HR agenda - driving a culture of inclusion, high performance, and engageme.

WHJS1_UKTJ

About the Company

My client is an integrated public affairs agency that delivers outcomes for the top organizations and leaders around the world. With expertise in strategic communications, digital marketing, creative, research, and measurement, they offer a cohesive approach across corporate, policy, and public affairs strategy in today’s interconnected world. By combining incisive strategy and deep tactical expertise, we make change possible. Their transatlantic presence includes offices across thirteen markets in the US and Europe.

About the Role

The HR Director, Europe, will play a pivotal role in shaping and guiding the human resources function across Europe as we integrate newly acquired entities. This leadership position calls for a dynamic and strategic human resources professional who can navigate shifting priorities during a critical period of growth and change. The HR Director will be responsible for developing and implementing consistent HR policies and best practices that reflect the diverse needs of the European businesses while ensuring alignment with overarching global objectives and the established processes and cultural imperatives.

Responsibilities

• HR Functional Leadership:
• Advisor to Leadership: Be a trusted strategic partner and advisor to the Global COO, HR Leadership and the European team.
• Be able to offer a best practice point of view to management in areas of change management, organizational effectiveness, talent management, compensation and benefits, culture, performance management, recruitment.
• Give advice on complex people and management issues as they arise, being able to provide a 360 perspective.
• Resource for Team: Establish trust in the talent function and build relationships with managers and team members such that you provide guidance and play a key role in employee relations.
• Lead internal communications relevant to talent policies and initiatives across the Group Europe to keep everyone informed of the latest developments.
• Functional Leader: Provide leadership, direction & coaching across the full range of HR and people responsibilities.
• Ensure that a consistent strategic approach is taken to HR policies in each European country in which the business operates, while tailoring local approaches as needed.
• Form cost effective strategic alliances which enable counsel in areas such as employment law, talent acquisition and employee relations.

Integration and Policy Development:

• Conduct a thorough review of existing HR policies in participating countries.
• Identify key differences in employment laws, benefits, and workplace practices.
• Organize focus groups with local teams to discuss findings and gather input.
• Seek advice from appropriate legal advisors to understand compliance requirements in each country.
• Draft a unified framework for HR policies captures the best of existing policies, that respects local regulations and cultural differences.
• Create guidelines for customising policies based on local needs while ensuring alignment with the central framework.
• Develop a phased rollout plan for new policies.
• Communicate changes effectively to all stakeholders.

Cultural Integration/ Transformation:

• The European HR Lead will champion and further develop a high performance inclusive, fun, and innovation-driven culture which at its core, drives excellence in the delivery of service to clients.
• Capture the best of existing initiatives and ensure they are shared across the group.
• Keep a pulse on employee engagement, using data from a comprehensive annual engagement survey.
• Cooperate closely with the Leadership Team to co-create an annual employee engagement plan.
• Develop and manage Performance and Talent review cycles, aligning with established practices in the US.
• Ensure that employee recognition programs are aligned with existing best practice.
• Develop a talent development and succession planning approach which ensures that the Group identifies and grows the next generation of leaders in Europe.
• Contribute to leadership team meetings on high-performance culture, accountability, and engagement strategies.
• Implement a platform for continuous feedback where employees can share their thoughts on cultural initiatives.
• Regularly assess progress and adjust strategies based on employee input.
• Develop programs that encourage collaboration among various cultural backgrounds and promote inclusion and belonging, such as cross-team projects.

Leadership of the Group’s Talent Management Strategy in Europe:

• Work with the Global Head of Talent and Talent acquisition to develop employer branding for Europe.
• Oversee executive recruitment by defining key competencies, values, and leadership qualities required for hires, while serving as the primary authority on candidate evaluation; collaborate with trusted external consultants to identify and attract top talent for strategic roles.
• Analyse turnover data to identify trends and address areas of concern in retention.
• Compile data on current employee skills and competencies to identify critical talent gaps.
• Develop profiles for high-potential employees to aid in succession planning.
• Create individualised development plans for employees based on their aspirations and organizational needs.

Compliance and Risk Management:

• Develop a compliance checklist for ongoing HR practices.
• Establish resources that can be accessed for up-to-date legal information and guidance.
• Create a protocol for reporting and addressing compliance violations.
• Regularly assess risks associated with changes in legislation or organisational structure.

Qualifications

• 10 + years international generalist HR experience.
• Must have a demonstrated ability to be a “hands on” individual contributor whilst simultaneously taking a strategic perspective.
• Excellent working knowledge of multiple HR disciplines including policy development, talent management, performance management, employee engagement, talent acquisition, training, compensation, and benefits.
• Outstanding skills in multi-cultural stakeholder management, proven ability in building and managing relationships with European and US stakeholders.
• Preferably a track record of building a People function and representing the function in a leadership position, ideally having led the HR integration of newly acquired entities.
• A background in Professional Services would be an advantage.
• International experience in high growth environments an advantage.

About the Company

My client is an integrated public affairs agency that delivers outcomes for the top organizations and leaders around the world. With expertise in strategic communications, digital marketing, creative, research, and measurement, they offer a cohesive approach across corporate, policy, and public affairs strategy in today’s interconnected world. By combining incisive strategy and deep tactical expertise, we make change possible. Their transatlantic presence includes offices across thirteen markets in the US and Europe.

About the Role

The HR Director, Europe, will play a pivotal role in shaping and guiding the human resources function across Europe as we integrate newly acquired entities. This leadership position calls for a dynamic and strategic human resources professional who can navigate shifting priorities during a critical period of growth and change. The HR Director will be responsible for developing and implementing consistent HR policies and best practices that reflect the diverse needs of the European businesses while ensuring alignment with overarching global objectives and the established processes and cultural imperatives.

Responsibilities

• HR Functional Leadership:
• Advisor to Leadership: Be a trusted strategic partner and advisor to the Global COO, HR Leadership and the European team.
• Be able to offer a best practice point of view to management in areas of change management, organizational effectiveness, talent management, compensation and benefits, culture, performance management, recruitment.
• Give advice on complex people and management issues as they arise, being able to provide a 360 perspective.
• Resource for Team: Establish trust in the talent function and build relationships with managers and team members such that you provide guidance and play a key role in employee relations.
• Lead internal communications relevant to talent policies and initiatives across the Group Europe to keep everyone informed of the latest developments.
• Functional Leader: Provide leadership, direction & coaching across the full range of HR and people responsibilities.
• Ensure that a consistent strategic approach is taken to HR policies in each European country in which the business operates, while tailoring local approaches as needed.
• Form cost effective strategic alliances which enable counsel in areas such as employment law, talent acquisition and employee relations.

Integration and Policy Development:

• Conduct a thorough review of existing HR policies in participating countries.
• Identify key differences in employment laws, benefits, and workplace practices.
• Organize focus groups with local teams to discuss findings and gather input.
• Seek advice from appropriate legal advisors to understand compliance requirements in each country.
• Draft a unified framework for HR policies captures the best of existing policies, that respects local regulations and cultural differences.
• Create guidelines for customising policies based on local needs while ensuring alignment with the central framework.
• Develop a phased rollout plan for new policies.
• Communicate changes effectively to all stakeholders.

Cultural Integration/ Transformation:

• The European HR Lead will champion and further develop a high performance inclusive, fun, and innovation-driven culture which at its core, drives excellence in the delivery of service to clients.
• Capture the best of existing initiatives and ensure they are shared across the group.
• Keep a pulse on employee engagement, using data from a comprehensive annual engagement survey.
• Cooperate closely with the Leadership Team to co-create an annual employee engagement plan.
• Develop and manage Performance and Talent review cycles, aligning with established practices in the US.
• Ensure that employee recognition programs are aligned with existing best practice.
• Develop a talent development and succession planning approach which ensures that the Group identifies and grows the next generation of leaders in Europe.
• Contribute to leadership team meetings on high-performance culture, accountability, and engagement strategies.
• Implement a platform for continuous feedback where employees can share their thoughts on cultural initiatives.
• Regularly assess progress and adjust strategies based on employee input.
• Develop programs that encourage collaboration among various cultural backgrounds and promote inclusion and belonging, such as cross-team projects.

Leadership of the Group’s Talent Management Strategy in Europe:

• Work with the Global Head of Talent and Talent acquisition to develop employer branding for Europe.
• Oversee executive recruitment by defining key competencies, values, and leadership qualities required for hires, while serving as the primary authority on candidate evaluation; collaborate with trusted external consultants to identify and attract top talent for strategic roles.
• Analyse turnover data to identify trends and address areas of concern in retention.
• Compile data on current employee skills and competencies to identify critical talent gaps.
• Develop profiles for high-potential employees to aid in succession planning.
• Create individualised development plans for employees based on their aspirations and organizational needs.

Compliance and Risk Management:

• Develop a compliance checklist for ongoing HR practices.
• Establish resources that can be accessed for up-to-date legal information and guidance.
• Create a protocol for reporting and addressing compliance violations.
• Regularly assess risks associated with changes in legislation or organisational structure.

Qualifications

• 10 + years international generalist HR experience.
• Must have a demonstrated ability to be a “hands on” individual contributor whilst simultaneously taking a strategic perspective.
• Excellent working knowledge of multiple HR disciplines including policy development, talent management, performance management, employee engagement, talent acquisition, training, compensation, and benefits.
• Outstanding skills in multi-cultural stakeholder management, proven ability in building and managing relationships with European and US stakeholders.
• Preferably a track record of building a People function and representing the function in a leadership position, ideally having led the HR integration of newly acquired entities.
• A background in Professional Services would be an advantage.
• International experience in high growth environments an advantage.

• Develop and implement HR strategies and policies.
• Lead and manage the HR department.
• Oversee talent acquisition and retention efforts.
• Design compensation and benefits programs.
• Drive performance management and employee development.
• Foster a positive organizational culture.
• Ensure legal compliance and HR best practices.
• Manage HR budget and resources.

• Develop and implement HR strategies aligned with business objectives.
• Oversee talent acquisition, including recruitment, onboarding, and retention programs.
• Manage employee relations, conflict resolution, and disciplinary processes.
• Develop and administer compensation and benefits programs.
• Implement performance management systems and foster a culture of continuous feedback.
• Design and deliver learning and development initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant employment laws and regulations.
• Advise senior management on HR best practices and strategic issues.
• Promote and maintain a positive and inclusive company culture.
• Manage HR budgets and vendor relationships.

• Extensive experience in Human Resources, with a significant portion in a leadership role (e.g., HR Manager, HR Director).
• Proven track record in developing and implementing HR strategies.
• In-depth knowledge of employment law, HR best practices, and compensation/benefits administration.
• Experience managing HR in a remote or distributed workforce is highly desirable.
• Strong leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Experience with HRIS and other HR technologies.
• CIPD qualification or equivalent is preferred.
• Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Ability to work strategically and operationally in a remote setting.