Job Description: HR Manager & People Partner
Company: HyKit
Location: Bicester, Oxfordshire
About Hykit:
HyKit is a bold new venture set to revolutionise the hydrogen landscape for off-road heavy machinery. Launching in 2025 and headquartered in Oxfordshire, UK, HyKit is a joint initiative by HYCAP, HydraB Group, and JCB—three leaders united by a shared vision of accelerating hydrogen adoption in construction and transportation. Were now at a pivotal stage where our people are our greatest asset, and we need a foundational HR leader to help us build a world-class culture.
The Mission:
As the founding member of our people function, you will be the cornerstone of everything people-related at Hykit. This is a true "builders" role, split between rolling up your sleeves to manage essential HR administration and stepping up to provide strategic partnership to our leadership team. You will have a direct voice in shaping our culture, coaching our managers, and implementing the processes that will scale with our ambitious growth.
We are not looking for a traditional, policy-heavy HR person. We need a perceptive and smart business partner who isnt scared to have an opinion and is ambitious enough to grow this function from the ground up.
Key Responsibilities:
Hands-On HR Operations (The Foundation):
* Own the entire employee lifecycle from onboarding to offboarding with precision and care.
* Manage our HRIS maintain impeccable employee records, and process contractual changes.
* Serve as the first point of contact for all employee queries on policies, benefits, and basic employment law.
* Manage payroll preparation in partnership with finance and external providers.
* Coordinate with our retained third-party HR advisors and legal counsel on complex ER cases and to ensure compliance.
Manager Coaching & People Development (The Growth):
* Act as a trusted coach and confidante to our managers, helping them navigate people challenges, from performance conversations to team motivation.
* Support managers in creating effective development plans for their teams.
* Facilitate training sessions on essential people management skills.
Strategic People Partnership (The Future):
* You will "have a seat at the table," contributing to leadership discussions on organisational design, talent strategy, and culture.
* Use your perceptive nature to identify people trends, engagement opportunities, and potential risks before they become issues.
* Lead projects to develop and embed our core values, improve employee engagement, and build our employer brand.
* Analyse people data to provide insights that drive better business decisions.
Who You Are:
* A Pragmatic Builder: You are happy in the weeds of admin one moment and discussing high-level strategy the next. You understand that flawless execution of the basics is what allows strategic influence to flourish.
* Ambitiously Confident: You have a voice and you know how to use it. You communicate your ideas with clarity and conviction, earning the respect of senior leaders through your insight and credibility.
* Perceptive & Smart: You have high emotional intelligence. You can "read the room," understand underlying dynamics, and anticipate people-related needs.
* Proactive & Resourceful: You dont wait to be told what to do. You see a gap and you fill it. You know when to leverage external experts and how to get the best from them.
* A True Partner: You build trust effortlessly. Managers and employees see you as a go-to resource who is both supportive and challenging in the right measures.
Experience & Qualifications:
* Proven experience as an HR Advisor, HR Business Partner, or a junior HR Manager in a fast-paced environment.
* Solid, hands-on experience with HR administration, payroll processes, and UK employment law fundamentals.
* Demonstrable experience coaching managers and handling employee relations cases.
* Experience working with external HR or legal advisors is highly desirable.
* CIPD Level 5 qualification or equivalent experience is preferred.