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Head of HR – 18-Month Fixed-Term Contract
Company: ZEISS UK
Location: ZEISS House, Cambourne, Cambridgeshire (Hybrid – up to 2–3 days working from home)
Travel: Regular travel to Lutterworth and UK & Ireland field-based teams, with occasional international travel.
About ZEISS
ZEISS is an internationally recognised technology leader in optics and optoelectronics, delivering innovative solutions across healthcare, life sciences, industrial quality and research. With a strong focus on innovation, quality and employee development, ZEISS is committed to creating an inclusive, collaborative and high-performing workplace where people can thrive.
The Role
ZEISS is seeking an experienced and strategic Head of HR to join the business on an 18-month fixed-term contract. Supporting both the Research Microscopy Solutions (RMS) UK production facility and the UK & Ireland Sales and Service Centre, you will play a key role in shaping and delivering the people strategy across multiple UK locations. Reporting directly to the Managing Director of RMS UK, with a dotted-line reporting relationship to the Managing Director of the UK & Ireland Sales & Service Centre, you will lead the HR function while partnering closely with senior leaders to drive organisational performance, employee engagement and business success.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, coach and develop the HR team, ensuring the delivery of a proactive and high-quality HR service across the business.
- Act as a trusted business partner to senior leadership, providing strategic and operational HR advice across a broad range of people matters.
- Develop, implement and continuously improve HR policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with UK employment legislation, ZEISS standards and best practice.
- Lead employee relations matters, providing expert guidance on disciplinary, grievance, absence management, performance and organisational change.
- Drive employee engagement initiatives and foster an inclusive culture aligned with ZEISS values and behaviours.
- Partner with Global Corporate HR to implement international HR initiatives, systems and organisational programmes.
- Manage relationships with Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) partners to ensure effective talent acquisition and a positive candidate experience.
- Lead compensation and benefits initiatives that support employee attraction, engagement and retention.
- Champion learning and development, leadership capability, succession planning and early careers programmes.
- Oversee onboarding and induction processes to ensure an exceptional employee experience from day one.
- Support business transformation and organisational change, helping leaders build high-performing teams.
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About You
To be successful in this role, you will have:
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- Chartered Member of the CIPD with a CIPD Level 7 qualification.
- Significant experience operating in a senior HR leadership role.
- Comprehensive knowledge of UK employment legislation and HR best practice.
- Proven experience partnering with executive and senior leadership teams.
- Strong leadership, coaching and people management skills.
- Excellent stakeholder management and influencing abilities.
- A commercially focused approach with the ability to balance strategic thinking and operational delivery.
- Experience leading employee engagement, organisational development and change management initiatives.
- The ability to manage multiple priorities within a fast-paced, agile environment.
- Willingness to travel between ZEISS sites, support field-based employees and undertake occasional international travel.
What's on Offer
- Opportunity to join a globally recognised technology leader.
- Hybrid working with up to 2–3 days working from home.
- A varied and influential leadership role supporting multiple business functions.
- Exposure to global HR projects and international collaboration.
- A supportive, innovative and people-focused working environment.
- Competitive salary and benefits package.
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Your ZEISS Recruiting Team
- Abigail Hannaby
- Farzana Rahman
- Kate Benyon
- Lara Haslam
- Natarlee Lawrence
- Suya Rolph
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