VP of People (Private-Equity Backed, Engineering Scale-up) - Paying up to £150k Bonus

VP of People

Salary: Up to £150k + Bonus

Location: Nationwide, with hubs in South England & HQ in Cambridge

Work Model: Hybrid, with regular travel between sites

Introduction:

Hawkwood is excited to partner with a pioneering, private equity-backed engineering company that’s redefining the technical services industry. This nationwide leader is at the forefront of innovation, using advanced technology to drive change and help businesses not only meet but exceed their ESG targets. Join a company that’s shaping the future of sustainability and operational excellence.

About the Role:

This newly created role, reporting directly to the CEO, oversees seven dynamic business units and their teams. As VP of People, you’ll be at the forefront of a fast-growing, highly acquisitive company with bold plans for expansion. Your mission will include crafting a cutting-edge attraction and retention strategy, launching an industry-leading apprenticeship and training program, and partnering with CEO & Managing Directors to drive business performance. With ambitious growth plans and a strong commitment to ESG at its core, this is a unique opportunity to shape the future of a company that’s redefining its industry.

Key Responsibilities:

• Redefine the People Function: Lead a comprehensive transformation across all seven brands, aligning the People function with the company’s growth strategy.
• Leadership Development: Design tailored programs for MDs and People teams, providing coaching to foster a high-performance culture.
• HRIS Implementation: Oversee the selection and implementation of a best-in-class HR Information System (HRIS).
• Retention Strategy: Develop a tailored company-wide retention strategy to reduce turnover and enhance employee engagement.
• Apprenticeship & Talent Attraction: Implement a top-tier apprenticeship and talent attraction program across all business units.
• Strategic Partnership with the CEO: Provide insights into workforce planning and support the CEO in shaping the company’s long-term vision.
• Mergers & Acquisitions Integration: Lead all People-related aspects of mergers and acquisitions, ensuring cultural alignment and smooth transitions.
• Commitment to ESG: Foster an inclusive culture aligned with the company’s ESG commitments.
• Compliance & Risk Management: Ensure compliance with relevant laws and develop systems for tracking compliance metrics.
• Workforce Planning: Use analytics to monitor trends and make informed decisions about talent acquisition and retention.
• Performance Management & Succession Planning: Oversee performance management systems and develop succession planning strategies.
• Employee Relations: Maintain harmonious workplace relations within each brand.

About You:

The ideal candidate will be a strategic and dynamic HR leader with the following key qualities and experiences:

• Location & Flexibility: Live near the head office in Cambridgeshire, & comfortable with regular, pre-planned travel across sites in the Home Counties, while primarily working remotely.
• Industry Experience: Background in organisations serving a blue-collar workforce, preferably in engineering or technical services.
• Mergers & Acquisitions Expertise: Proven track record in managing People aspects of M&A.
• Creative and Inquisitive Mindset: Innovative and continuously seeking new solutions to enhance employee experience and People practices.
• HR Leadership Experience: Significant experience leading HR functions in businesses with 500+ employees across nationwide, multi-site organisations.
• Passion for ESG: Strong commitment to driving ESG initiatives and embedding sustainability into People strategies.

If you are hands-on, adaptable, and excited to lead HR for a growing, innovative company, I'd love to hear from you. Please apply online!

We recognise how challenging this current job market is for candidates, and Hawkwood are therefore striving to provide the best candidate experience we can.

If you are interested in this opportunity, we kindly request that you apply via this LinkedIn advert, as opposed to sending us an email or LinkedIn direct message. We are eager to ensure that each candidate application is considered fairly, and receives a consistent experience. Unfortunately, we cannot ensure this standard if you enquire about a role via email or LinkedIn message, as it falls outside of our established process.