People & Compliance Manager

Partridge Green, West Sussex | Circa £55k + Benefits

Our client is a growing employee-owned business operating within the construction and infrastructure sector, supporting major projects across the UK. Due to continued growth, they are seeking an experienced People & Compliance Manager to lead their HR function, oversee recruitment activity and maintain compliance across the business.

This is a broad role offering the opportunity to influence culture, improve people practices and support operational excellence within a fast-paced SME environment. Working closely with senior leadership, you will balance strategic priorities with hands-on delivery while helping to drive positive change across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all core HR activities, including employee relations, performance management and policy development.
• Provide commercially focused advice and guidance to managers on people matters and employment legislation.
• Drive employee engagement, organisational development and cultural improvement initiatives.
• Manage end-to-end recruitment across operational and head office functions.
• Build talent pipelines to support ongoing business growth.
• Maintain compliance with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards.
• Support internal and external audits, document control and continuous improvement programmes.
• Partner with operational and Health & Safety teams to ensure compliance objectives are achieved.
• Monitor and report on HR and compliance metrics, identifying trends and areas for improvement.
• Build strong relationships across multiple sites and support workforce planning and organisational change.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• CIPD Level 5 qualified (or equivalent experience).
• Previous experience in a HR Manager, People Manager, People & Culture Manager or similar role.
• Strong employee relations experience and knowledge of UK employment law.
• Proven experience managing end-to-end recruitment.
• Hands-on experience supporting ISO frameworks and audit processes.
• Experience working within a growing SME environment.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.

Desirable

• Experience within construction, infrastructure, logistics, transport, manufacturing or engineering.
• Experience supporting business growth, change and transformation projects.
• Knowledge of HRIS, ATS and compliance systems.
• Understanding of Health & Safety management systems and operational compliance.

Benefits

• Salary of £55,000 - £60,000 depending on experience.
• Enhanced employer pension contribution.
• 23 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with service.
• Holiday purchase scheme.
• Death in Service benefit.
• Employee Assistance Programme and wellbeing support.
• Eligibility for an annual Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) bonus, subject to company performance.
• Ongoing professional development opportunities.

This is an excellent opportunity for a pragmatic and commercially minded professional looking to take ownership of both the people and compliance agenda within a successful and expanding employee-owned organisation.