Operational head of hr

Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience, plus benefits and bonus scheme

Hours: Full-time (flexible working considered)

Location: Home-based, with travel to client sites as required

Centric HR is a professional, high-quality human resources consultancy providing outsourced operational support to SMEs, strategic consultancy, and workforce transformation for larger organisations across multiple sectors. Our strapline is “Happy People – Healthy Business,” and we live by this ethos for both our clients and our own team.

We are proud of our reputation for delivering pragmatic, commercially focused and legally robust advice, building long-standing relationships with our clients and supporting them through complex and often challenging people issues. As a business, we are ambitious, fast-paced and committed to excellence in everything we do.

If you are looking for a quiet, predictable role where no two days challenge you, this job is not for you. If you do not thrive in a fast-paced, highly professional and legalistic consultancy environment, juggling multiple client demands and priorities, this job is not for you. If you are not prepared to lead from the front, set high standards and hold both yourself and others to account, this job is not for you.

Have we put you off yet? If not – keep on reading.

We are seeking an experienced and credible Operational Head of HR to play a key leadership role within our consultancy. You will be responsible for overseeing operational delivery across a varied and demanding client portfolio, ensuring that all work is delivered to an exceptional standard and in line with both legal requirements and commercial expectations.

You will bring a proven track record of working within a fast-paced, legally complex SME consultancy environment, where competing priorities are the norm rather than the exception. You will be highly organised, resilient and solutions-focused, with the ability to manage multiple projects and tasks concurrently without compromising quality.

A critical element of this role is leadership. You will be expected to develop, coach, mentor and manage more junior members of the team, embedding a culture of high performance, accountability and continuous improvement. You will lead by example, demonstrating a consistently high-quality work ethic and setting the benchmark for professional standards across the team.

You will operate with confidence and gravitas, supporting clients with complex employee relations matters, organisational change and strategic HR challenges, whilst also ensuring that operational delivery is efficient, consistent and commercially sound.

You will take ownership of the operational HR function within the consultancy, ensuring seamless delivery of services across a diverse client base and maintaining the highest standards of quality and compliance.

You will manage and oversee a varied caseload of complex HR and employee relations matters, providing clear, risk-assessed and commercially pragmatic advice to clients.

You will lead, coach and develop junior team members, reviewing work, providing constructive feedback and supporting their professional growth and progression.

You will ensure effective allocation of work across the team, balancing workloads and deadlines while maintaining service excellence.

You will contribute to the growth of the business, supporting client retention, business development and wider strategic initiatives.

You will have significant experience operating at a senior HR level, ideally within a consultancy environment supporting SMEs across multiple sectors.

You will be able to demonstrate a strong track record of delivering within fast-paced, challenging and legally complex environments, where competing priorities and high expectations are the norm.

You will have proven experience of managing, coaching and developing others, with a genuine passion for building capability within a team.

You will be highly organised, commercially aware and able to juggle multiple projects and priorities simultaneously without compromising quality or attention to detail.

You will demonstrate a consistently high work ethic, professionalism and resilience, with the ability to instil confidence in both clients and colleagues.

A CIPD Level 7 qualification and equivalent experience is expected, alongside strong employment law knowledge and its practical application.

A unique and exciting leadership opportunity within a growing and ambitious HR consultancy.

A high-performance environment where you will have genuine influence over operational delivery and team development.

Flexible home-based working with autonomy over your diary.

A supportive and collaborative culture, with ongoing investment in professional development.

Competitive salary and benefits package.

Interested? Reach out by sending your CV to and we can schedule a call.