Slough, south east england, United Kingdom
Company: JR UK
Client / Employer: Quintessentially
Job Reference: 222025691029097676837341
Posted: 24.05.2026
Job Summary
The Group Head of HR (Interim Maternity Cover) is a senior leadership role responsible for leading and delivering the Group people strategy during a significant period of organisational transformation, operational change, and business growth. Reporting directly to the Group CEO, the role will act as a trusted advisor to the Executive Leadership Team, partnering closely with senior stakeholders to drive organisational effectiveness, workforce planning, culture, governance, and employee engagement across the business. This position is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the HR function, including strategic HR leadership, employee relations, organisational design, talent management, reward and benefits, compliance, operational HR delivery, and HR transformation initiatives. The role will also lead the continued optimisation and embedding of the newly implemented HiBob HRIS platform, ensuring the business maximises efficiency, automation, reporting capability, and employee experience. The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting the business through a period of continued change, including organisational restructures, payroll transformation, systems implementation, process redesign, and wider people‑related projects.
Main Duties & Responsibilities
Strategic HR Leadership
* Act as a key advisor to the CEO, contributing to Executive Leadership team and senior stakeholders on all people related matters.
* Lead the HR function through a period of significant transformation and organisational change.
* Develop and deliver a commercially focused people strategy aligned to business objectives, operational performance, and organisational growth.
* Drive organisational effectiveness initiatives, including workforce planning, succession planning, talent mapping, and leadership capability development.
* Ensure HR aligns with financial and operational goals, supporting business growth and workforce optimisation.
* Partner with senior leadership to drive company‑wide engagement, productivity, and cultural development initiatives.
* Oversee the HR Business Partner, ensuring proactive employee recruitment support and leadership coaching.
HR Transformation & Projects
* Develop and implement people management frameworks to reduce ER case volume, probation failures, and staff turnover.
* Lead HR transformation initiatives focused on process optimisation, operational efficiency, automation, and continuous improvement.
* Oversee the continued implementation, optimisation, and embedding of the HiBob HRIS platform across the organisation.
* Develop scalable HR processes, workflows, reporting frameworks, and governance structures to maximise the effectiveness of the HR function.
* Lead payroll transformation activity, including payroll provider transition, payroll testing, parallel running, and decommissioning of legacy systems.
* Drive the implementation of new reward and benefits initiatives, including salary sacrifice schemes and wider employee benefits modernisation.
* Lead and support wider business transformation projects impacting people, culture, systems, and organisational design.
* Ensure HR is embedded within the business, rather than functioning as a standalone support service.
* Implement HR policies and procedures that align with UK employment law and best practices.
* Lead initiatives to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the organisation.
* Creation of, monitoring of and utilisation of HR Data, Analytics & Reporting.
* Present HR performance data to the CEO, ensuring HR decisions are guided by data‑driven insights.
* Present HR monthly & quarterly reports to the Board.
* Ensure robust HR governance, compliance, and operational standards are maintained across the business.
* Lead the review and modernisation of employment contracts, policies, and HR documentation in line with evolving employment legislation and future labour law changes.
* Work closely with the CFO to align payroll and HR budgets, ensuring cost efficiency while maintaining competitive employee benefits.
* Oversee the remuneration and compensation (RemCom) process, ensuring a structured, fair, and competitive pay strategy.
* Annual Bench marketing of Compensation, Payroll & Benefits Optimisation to ensure talent attractiveness and retention.
* Continue to develop and refine reward & benefits programs to attract and retain top talent.
* Optimise HR cost efficiencies, including renegotiating payroll contracts and salary sacrifice programs.
Employee Development & Performance Management
* Foster a high‑performing, commercially focused, and solutions‑oriented HR culture.
* Oversee the bi‑annual performance review process, ensuring it aligns with business objectives and encourages growth.
* Implement leadership development programs, ensuring managers are equipped with coaching, performance management, and conflict resolution skills.
* Ensure HR‑driven training initiatives enhance overall workforce capability and support career progression.
* Ensure the organisation is compliant with UK employment law and industry regulations.
* Oversee employee well‑being programs, working closely with the HR Business Partner to create a positive and high‑performance workplace culture.
* Manage visa sponsorships, right‑to‑work processes, and immigration matters in line with regulatory requirements.
Requirements
* Strategic mindset with experience leading HR transformations and business‑aligned HR strategies.
* Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with experience working with C‑suite executives.
* Demonstrated ability to drive HR cost efficiencies, including payroll management and workforce planning.
* Strong understanding of employment law, compliance, and HR best practices.
* Experience implementing and optimising HRIS platforms, preferably HiBob.
* Experience managing payroll transformation projects and operational process redesign.
* Analytical and data‑driven approach to HR, with expertise in HR systems and reporting tools.
* Experience managing HR budgets, payroll oversight, and compensation planning.
* High emotional intelligence (EQ) and the ability to build strong relationships across the business.
* Excellent problem‑solving and decision‑making skills, particularly in workforce planning and employee relations.
* Resilient, adaptable, and solutions‑focused, with a proactive approach to HR challenges.
Hours of Work
* Contractual hours are from 0900 to 1730 Monday to Friday. However, it may be the case that in order to fulfil the duties of the role, different or additional hours may be necessary. Requirement to be on call outside working hours in case of service‑related emergency.
Candidates ideally available to start immediately or on a short notice period.
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