Job Description
The company is within a group of rapidly growing, multi-site, service, engineering, design and manufacturing businesses This is a hands-on people role with recruitment as its primary commercial priority.
The postholder will:
- build an effective internal recruitment capability, reduce agency reliance and fill critical roles across the business
- provide practical HR leadership throughout the employee lifecycle
- Lead the development of employee talent, skills training and competency growth
Job title: Head of HR & Internal Recruitment
Reports to: CEO and individual business unit leaders
Location: Whitham Mills Engineering Ltd., Middleton, Manchester
Contract: Permanent, full-time
Role Summary
Whitham Mills Engineering designs, manufactures, installs and services waste-management equipment and project-engineered systems. This role will take ownership of recruiting the engineering, manufacturing, project, site, service and support employees needed for delivery and growth. The principal objective is to make direct recruitment the normal route, build credible talent pipelines and deliver measurable savings against agency costs. The postholder will also lead day-to-day HR activity, support managers and ensure employment processes are consistent, practical and compliant.
Key Responsibilities
· Develop and maintain a workforce and recruitment plan aligned with current vacancies, workload, succession risks and future business requirements.
· Build teams across newly opening UK service hub sites
· Own the full recruitment process, including role scoping, job descriptions, advertising, direct sourcing, screening, interviews, offers, checks and onboarding.
· Work with hiring managers to define the genuine requirement, challenge unclear briefs and maintain pace and accountability throughout each campaign.
· Reduce external agency usage and cost. Where an agency is necessary, control the brief, negotiate terms and ensure its use is commercially justified.
· Track vacancies, candidates, time-to-hire, source of hire, recruitment cost, agency-cost avoidance, offer acceptance and early retention, with clear leadership reporting.
· Develop relationships with colleges, universities, apprenticeship providers, technical networks and local employment partners.
· Provide practical HR advice on attendance, conduct, capability, performance, grievance, disciplinary and other employee-relations matters.
· Lead the development of employee talent, skills training and competency growth
· Maintain appropriate contracts, policies, employee records, templates and procedures, ensuring matters are handled consistently, confidentially and lawfully.
· Own effective onboarding, induction, probation and offboarding processes, and coordinate accurate employee changes for payroll and benefits.
· Support managers with performance management, development, succession planning, retention and the early resolution of recurring people issues.
· Maintain reliable HR data and work with Health and Safety, Quality, Finance and operational leaders so people processes support competence, compliance and delivery.
Required Qualifications and Experience
· Proven in-house recruitment experience, including direct sourcing and successful delivery of technical, engineering, manufacturing or operational appointments.
· Evidence of reducing recruitment-agency reliance and demonstrating recruitment savings through clear commercial measures.
· Broad generalist HR experience, with confidence advising managers on employee relations, absence, performance, conduct and capability.
· Sound working knowledge of UK employment law, fair process, confidentiality and data protection as they apply to recruitment and employment.
· Ability to understand practical engineering and operational roles and assess candidates beyond keywords on a CV.
· Strong interviewing, influencing and stakeholder-management skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively and maintain accountability.
· Commercial awareness and confidence using recruitment and HR measures to show cost, value, risk and delivery performance.
· CIPD qualification, or equivalent knowledge and substantial practical experience appropriate to a senior hands-on HR role.
Preferred Experience
· Experience in an engineering, manufacturing, construction, industrial services or project-delivery business.
· A strong network or demonstrable sourcing methods for engineering, skilled-trade, site and technical-management candidates.
· Experience establishing or significantly improving internal recruitment within a small or medium-sized business.
· Experience with apprenticeships, graduate recruitment, work placements and education or training-provider partnerships.
· Experience improving an applicant-tracking system, HR information system, workforce planning or employee-retention activity.
Initial Success in the First 12 Months
· A clear recruitment plan, vacancy-control process and direct-sourcing approach are established and used consistently.
· Agency spend is materially reduced, with agreed cost avoidance and direct recruitment savings tracked against the cost of the role.
· Priority vacancies are progressed faster, with clear visibility of status, ownership, next actions and hiring risks.
· Talent pipelines are developing for recurring engineering, manufacturing, service, installation and project-delivery requirements.
· Time-to-hire, recruitment cost, source effectiveness, offer acceptance and early retention are measured and reported.
· Core HR policies, employee records, onboarding, probation, absence and employee-relations processes are controlled and completed on time.
Ongoing Success Beyond the First 12 Months
· Direct recruitment is the normal route, with agency use limited to exceptional cases where it provides demonstrable value.
· The internal recruitment function consistently supplies capable employees who remain with the business and perform effectively.
· Recruitment savings, improved retention and reduced vacancy disruption continue to provide a measurable commercial return.
· Workforce needs and succession risks are identified early, while HR processes remain practical, accurate and compliant.
Personal Style and Approach
· Commercially minded and delivery-focused, with a clear understanding that successful recruitment must create measurable value.
· Proactive and resourceful, prepared to search directly and persist with difficult vacancies rather than immediately using an agency.
· Hands-on and approachable, comfortable working with directors, managers, office employees, factory teams and site personnel.
· Credible and balanced, able to support employees while protecting the standards and operational requirements of the business.
· Highly organised, discreet and accountable, with disciplined records, follow-through and clear reporting of results and risks.
Pay: £52,000.00-£57,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
