Job Description:

Head of HR

The Bukola Group is partnering with a large, established organisation to appoint an experienced Head of HR into a key leadership position.

This is a highly visible role leading the people agenda across a complex, unionised workforce. Reporting into the Executive Leadership Team, you will provide strategic and operational HR leadership, ensuring the delivery of a commercially focused people strategy while maintaining strong employee and industrial relations frameworks.

The successful candidate will bring significant experience operating within a unionised environment and will be confident leading on complex employee relations matters, organisational change, and trade union engagement.

The Role

As Head of HR, you will lead the HR function, partnering with senior leaders to deliver people initiatives that support organisational performance, workforce engagement, and business objectives.

You will be responsible for driving a proactive HR agenda while ensuring the organisation maintains effective employee relations practices and positive relationships with recognised trade unions.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the HR function and providing strategic direction across all people-related activities

• Acting as the senior HR advisor to executive and operational leadership teams

• Developing and implementing HR strategies aligned to organisational objectives

• Leading employee relations and industrial relations activity across the organisation

• Building and maintaining effective relationships with trade union representatives and employee forums

• Providing oversight and guidance on complex and high-risk employee relations matters

• Leading organisational change programmes, restructures, workforce planning initiatives, and consultation processes

• Ensuring compliance with employment legislation and HR best practice

• Developing management capability through coaching, guidance, and leadership development initiatives

• Driving employee engagement, performance, talent, succession, and workforce development strategies

• Using people data and insights to identify risks, opportunities, and areas for improvement

You will be a commercially minded HR leader with extensive experience operating within a complex, unionised environment.

You will bring:

• Proven experience in a senior HR leadership role, such as Head of HR, Senior HR Business Partner, or HR Director level

• Significant experience leading HR within a unionised workforce environment

• Strong employee relations and industrial relations expertise, including engagement with recognised trade unions

• Experience leading organisational change, consultation, and workforce transformation programmes

• Excellent knowledge of UK employment law and its practical application

• A track record of influencing and partnering with senior leadership teams

• Strong leadership, coaching, and stakeholder management skills

• Experience managing and developing HR teams

• CIPD Level 7 or equivalent professional qualification

What's on Offer

• Opportunity to lead and shape the people agenda within a large and complex organisation

• Significant exposure to senior leadership and strategic decision-making

• A broad and impactful remit covering both operational and strategic HR activity

• The chance to influence organisational culture, employee engagement, and workforce effectiveness

Essential Requirement

You must demonstrate substantial experience leading HR within a unionised environment, with a strong track record in employee relations, industrial relations, and trade union engagement.