HR Manager

Hempsons Newcastle, England, United Kingdom

Reporting to:
Head of HR

Hours:

09:00‑17:00 Monday‑Friday (*)

Location:

Manchester, Newcastle or Harrogate

With over 250 staff and lawyers across five offices nationwide, Hempsons is a leading law firm for the health and social care, charity, and social enterprise sectors. We help our clients tackle a constantly changing array of opportunities and challenges – never more so than now. Our aim is to provide outstanding legal services that deliver the best possible client outcomes whilst nurturing a culture that makes us a “great place to work”.

We have an opportunity for an HR Manager to join our HR team in Manchester, Newcastle or Harrogate. Although based locally, you will support the HR team nationally. As part of a team providing HR strategic and operational support, the generalist HR Manager will provide day‑to‑day advice and guidance on employment legislation, best practice, the firm’s policies, procedures and benefits, and will work to deliver recruitment and other objectives of the firm.

• Lead induction for new employees, coordinating 1‑month, 3‑month and 6‑month reviews and ensuring documentation is returned.
• Provide day‑to‑day advice on employee relations, including disciplinary, grievance and equality and diversity matters.
• Act as investigating officer in disciplinary matters, keeping notes, making recommendations, and attending hearings.
• Oversee the annual performance management and salary review processes, providing market research and salary charts.
• Monitor absence records, conduct absence interviews and keep notes.
• Serve as the first point of contact for payroll matters, providing accurate information to Finance each month.
• Support the renewal of the benefits package and manage leavers, including exit interviews and recruitment business cases.
• Draft company‑wide HR communications and maintain the HR team’s SharePoint page.
• Act as the main point of contact for the HR system (People
  
  HR), ensuring data integrity and efficient use.
• Lead policy reviews, drafting new policies and keeping up‑to‑date with legislative changes.
• Partner with the Talent Acquisition Manager to support recruitment, ensuring business cases, candidate specifications and job descriptions are in place.
• Lead firm‑wide HR projects to improve culture, engagement and retention.
• Perform any other duties reasonably directed by the Head of HR.

• Experience as an HR manager in a professional services environment (e.g., law firm).
• Over one year of managerial HR experience, handling employee relations and TUPE processes.
• Experience in HR change‑management projects and commercial decision‑making.
• Strong written & verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience in recruitment interviews; graduate recruitment desirable.
• CIPD qualification (fully or part‑CIPD) or a bachelor’s degree; industry experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Experience reviewing and drafting HR policies and employee handbooks.
• Sound knowledge of employment legislation and recognised HR best practice.
• IT skills:
  Outlook, Word, Excel and an HR database (People
  
  HR).

Our benefits package includes private health insurance, life assurance, critical illness cover, season ticket loans, a cycle‑to‑work scheme and more.

Hempsons is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to providing equal opportunities for all and encouraging diversity through recruitment. Applications are welcome from all sections of the community, and decisions to progress will be made with reference to entirely objective criteria.

In line with the firm’s current hybrid guidance, a minimum of 2 days per week must be worked in the office.

(*) Advertised working hours are from 09:00 – 17:00 but staff may be required to work additional hours, sometimes at short notice.

Note:

this job description is not contractual and may be amended or revised from time to time. It will be reviewed periodically.