People Operations Lead

We’re delighted to be recruiting a Human Resources Operations Lead on behalf of a well-established, operationally focused organisation. This new and varied HR vacancy offers the opportunity to play a pivotal role in supporting depot-based teams, partnering closely with leadership to drive performance, engagement, and workforce stability within a fast-paced environment.
 

• Salary up to £45,000
• Full-time, 35 hours per week with flexible working hours (e.g. 8am–4pm or 9am–5pm)
• Hybrid working – 3 days on site in Northampton, 2 days from home
• One day per month travel to Wigan (expenses covered)
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Private healthcare, pension scheme, and discretionary bonus
• Regular social events and an excellent benefits package

Duties and responsibilities

• Act as the primary HR contact for depot leadership, supporting delivery of operational goals through effective people strategies
• Build strong on-site relationships with managers and frontline employees, providing practical HR guidance aligned to business priorities
• Manage a range of employee relations cases including disciplinaries, grievances, absence, performance, and investigations
• Provide expert advice to managers, ensuring fair and consistent application of policies and employment legislation
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and retention initiatives for operational roles to ensure workforce stability
• Coach and develop managers to strengthen people leadership capability across the depot
• Analyse HR metrics such as absence and turnover, providing insights to inform decision-making and support continuous improvement

Required skills and experience

• Proven HR experience within an operations-led environment such as logistics, transport, manufacturing, or warehousing
• Strong employee relations knowledge with experience handling complex cases
• Ability to influence and challenge operational leaders in a constructive and professional manner
• Confident coaching and advisory skills, with a focus on developing management capability
• Good understanding of employment law and HR best practice
• CIPD Level 5 (or above) qualification, or equivalent experience, is desirable
• Strong communication skills with the ability to build credibility across all levels of the organisation