Oakleaf Partnership
Director HR UK
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Director of HR, UK
London | 4 days per week onsite initially, reducing to 3 days per week
About the Role
We're looking for an experienced, standalone HR professional to take on the newly created role of Director of HR, UK. This is a true generalist leadership position, you will be the most senior HR presence in the UK, owning everything from day-to-day employee relations through to senior stakeholder management, while a wider HR team based in the US is on hand to support with group-level or particularly complex matters.
This role suits someone who has genuinely operated as a standalone HR function before, comfortable being the only HR person in the room, confident making autonomous decisions, and able to flex seamlessly between strategic partnership and hands-on execution.
Key Responsibilities
HR Business Partnership & Leadership
- Act as the primary HR advisor to leaders and employees across the UK business.
- Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, coaching and influencing on people matters.
- Partner with managers on organisational effectiveness, team performance, and workforce planning.
- Balance commercial objectives with sound HR practice and legal compliance.
- Confidently challenge and influence leaders while remaining collaborative and solutions-focused.
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Employee Relations & Employment Law
- Lead employee relations across the UK workforce, including investigations, disciplinaries, grievances, performance management and absence.
- Ensure compliance with UK employment legislation and company policy at all times.
- Escalate and partner with the US HR team on sensitive, complex, or group-level matters.
Organisational Development & HR Operations
- Own the development and implementation of HR processes, programmes and policies for the UK.
- Drive consistency in manager practice, documentation and people decision-making.
- Maintain accurate, confidential HR records and documentation.
- Lead annual HR cycles, performance reviews, compensation planning, talent discussions and engagement initiatives.
Talent Acquisition
- Lead full-cycle recruitment for the UK business across permanent, fixed-term and contractor hires.
- Partner with hiring managers to shape requirements and recruitment strategy.
- Own candidate experience and oversee onboarding and integration of new starters.
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What We're Looking For
- Significant, progressive HR experience gained supporting UK-based workforces.
- Proven experience operating as a standalone HR function, covering everything from senior stakeholder management to day-to-day HR delivery.
- Strong working knowledge of UK employment law and best practice.
- Hands-on experience leading employee relations casework and workplace investigations.
- A confident, independent operator who can manage competing priorities without close oversight.
- Excellent communication, relationship-building and influencing skills.
- Ideally, experience gained within a founder-led or entrepreneurial organisation.
- Background outside of the media, digital or related sectors is preferred.
- CIPD qualification or equivalent is desirable but not essential.
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