Head of HR

Reference:

Posted:

Location: Telford Shropshire, United Kingdom

Type: Full Time

Company: Rheinmetall Defence UK Ltd

Contact: Max Mustermann

Email:

Job title: Head of HR
Location: Telford, with occasional travel to Bristol
Reporting to: HR Director
Contract: 40 hrs, Perm/Full Time
About the Company
Rheinmetall Defence UK Limited (RDUK) was established in 2009 to strengthen its presence in the UK defence market, delivering advanced solutions to enhance the capabilities of the UK's armed forces. RDUK leads the BOXER Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) programme and is partnered on the Challenger 3 Main Battle Tank. With a growing workforce, RDUK reflects Rheinmetall's global success in the UK market.
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced and proactive Head of HR to lead the delivery of our people strategy and provide operational HR leadership across the organisation.
Reporting directly to HR Director, this is a senior leadership role with responsibility for leading and developing HR team, ensuring the effective delivery of HR services, and driving people initiatives that support organisational performance and business objectives.
The role will ensure that the HR Operational team and processes run efficiently, that employees are well-supported through business practices, processes and initiatives, and that the business remains compliant with all employment regulations.
They will be a credible and influential leader who can build strong relationships with senior stakeholders, line managers, and trade union representatives.
Position Responsibilities:

Lead, develop, and manage the HR Operational Team, setting clear priorities and ensuring high-quality service delivery across all HR activities
Drive consistency, accuracy, and continuous improvement in HR operations
Overseeing the design, implementation, and periodic review of HR policies to ensure they remain legally compliant, up-to-date, and aligned with best practice
Leading on complex employee relations cases within a unionised manufacturing environment
Build and maintain effective working relationship with Trade Union representatives, ensuring open communication and constructive dialog
Support with negotiations, consultations, and collective agreements in line with company policy and legal requirements
Support managers and HR Business Partners in managing performance issues and implementing improvement plans
Overseeing salary benchmarking activities and conduct workforce analysis to support equitable, competitive, and evidence-based reward decisions
Drive effective and data driven workforce and headcount planning
Utilising HR metrics, management information, and data analysis to inform decision-making, identify trends, and recommend improvements
Ensure HR systems, data and reporting processes are robust, accurate and support strategic analysis and planning.
Continuously assess market trends, look at recruitment and retention trends and ensure that the benefits and reward strategies are implemented across the business.
Ensure HR Business Partners are aligned with business priorities and objectives
Support HR initiatives such as wellbeing, EDI and STEM