Macmillan Davies
Head of HR UK & Ireland
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Head of HR UK & Ireland
Location: West London (4 days on-site, 1 day flexibility) Salary: c. £100,000 - £110,000 base + car allowance + bonus Sector: Retail, leisure, hospitality or quick service restaurant (QSR) environments
We are partnering with a fast-paced, multi-site leisure business to appoint a Head of HR for the UK & Ireland.
This is a senior HR leadership role, sitting on the UKI senior leadership team and partnering directly with the General Manager and senior functional leaders.
While operational in nature, the role is not purely transactional. It requires an HR leader who:
- Is credible and commercially minded
- Can influence at senior level
- Shapes practical people plans
- Leads HR across a complex, multi-site environment
The Role
Reporting to the General Manager, this role involves:
- Acting as the senior HR lead for both head office and a large operational estate
- Partnering directly with the GM, Ops Director and wider senior leadership team
- Acting as a trusted advisor and sounding board at senior levels
Responsibilities Include:
- Leading and developing a small HR team, including HR Business Partners and coordination support
- Shaping and delivering forward-looking people plans aligned with business priorities
- Driving improvements in leadership capability and line manager effectiveness
- Overseeing complex:
- Employee Relations (ER)
- Restructures
- Site closures
- TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings)
- Organisational change
- Maintaining strong HR governance, ensuring compliance and consistency across the business
- Working closely with Group HR to align with wider frameworks, policies, and systems
- Using data and insight to identify trends and address business challenges
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This role requires someone who can:
- Operate at pace
- Influence senior stakeholders
- Balance hands-on delivery with strategic thinking
The Person
We are seeking a credible, senior HR leader with:
- Comfortable operating at leadership level while remaining close to the detail
- Proven experience operating at the Head of HR level (or equivalent in a multi-site environment)
- A background in multi-site, customer-facing businesses (e.g. retail, leisure, hospitality, or QSR environments)
- The ability to influence and challenge senior stakeholders with confidence and credibility
- Strong experience in:
- Organisational change
- Restructures
- Complex Employee Relations (ER)
- Experience creating and delivering commercially focused people plans
- Experience leading and developing lean HR teams
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Seek someone who demonstrates:
- Pragmatic and hands-on approach
- Strong business acumen
- High levels of resilience, sound judgement, and personal credibility
Additional qualities include:
- Confident and assertive, with low ego and a collaborative style
- Comfortable navigating strong personalities and complex stakeholder dynamics
- A team player who can act as a true partner to senior leadership
- Equally effective at thinking strategically and working in practical detail
Why This Role?
This is a high-impact HR leadership role in a business undergoing operational and organisational change.
Key contributions include:
- Supporting and influencing the UKI leadership team
- Improving leadership capability across the business
- Embedding effective people practices in a fast-moving environment
- Leading and developing a capable HR team within a lean structure
This opportunity offers:
- Genuine visibility, influence and impact
- Direct access to senior leadership
- The ability to shape how HR supports the business going forward
Desired Skills and Experience
- HR Leadership
- Senior Stakeholder Management & Influence
- Commercial Acume
- Change & Transformation Delivery
- Leading and Developing HR Teams
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