Alex Begg crafts exquisite knitwear and accessories from the finest cashmere, silk and wool blend yarns at their mills in Ayr, on the West Coast of Scotland, and Hawick, situated in the Scottish Borders - two towns rooted in generations of textile expertise. Home to its house label, Begg x Co, the business also works with the world’s most prestigious fashion houses. With over 150 years of experience, Alex Begg is synonymous with quality, care, creativity and craftsmanship.
Founded by Alex Begg in 1866 in Paisley, then a focal point for the Scottish weaving industry and today best known for the iconic pattern of the same name, their story begins on the banks of the River Clyde. Hand-loomed by a small team of local weavers, the first Begg shawls were inspired by Scotland’s textural landscape, buoyed by the ebb and flow of its waters. Strikingly beautiful and finely crafted, the earliest surviving Alex Begg shawls date back to the 1860s and can be seen on display at the Paisley Museum.
At the turn of the century, in 1902, Alex Begg relocated 35 miles to the seaside town of Ayr on Scotland’s west coast, where the water was softer and rich in minerals. In Ayr, Begg invested in machinery and adopted new, exploratory weaving techniques for his mill. Today, Alex Begg Group has a workforce of approximately 200 colleagues between Ayr and Hawick and there is a real community feel among staff members. The business is proud to be a certified B Corp, putting its people and sustainability at the heart of everything it does ensuring its products are ethical and traceable at every step of the process.
Reporting to the Chief Finance Officer, Alex Begg is looking for a Head of HR to join its team and play a key role in setting the direction of our people agenda, ensuring alignment with business goals, sustainable growth and a positive people culture.
This leadership role is responsible for shaping and delivering the people strategy across its manufacturing operations in Ayr & Hawick in addition to its retail operations. As Head of HR, you will lead a high performing team and partner closely with site leadership to embed the company values, drive performance and ensure operational excellence through effective people practices.
Key Responsibilities
As a key leader within the organisation, this role requires someone who can shape and deliver a forward-thinking HR strategy aligned to company goals while supporting a positive people culture of growth, accountability, and trust. The responsibilities span strategic planning, policy development, leadership coaching, employee relations, and embedding values across the business, ensuring HR remains a true partner in driving performance and sustainability.
Key Responsibilities will include:
* Acting as a trusted advisor to the business leaders holding all managers to a high values standard
* Designing and implementing a company wide HR strategy for the business incorporating the 2 manufacturing sites and aligned with the company strategy and goals
* Revisiting and refreshing all HR policies on an annual basis ensuring close management of compliance
* Championing learning and development initiatives and help drive a high-performance mindset that focuses on career development, personal and business growth
* Being a natural coach and mentor with an ability to foster relationships at all levels of the business; relating well to others, listening effectively, and helping employees achieve their development goals
* Building trust and embedding the business values through delivery of an effective internal communication strategy
* Continuously developing & optimising key HR KPI metrics to inform future business decisions, sustainability and Value Creation Model reporting
* Creating and delivering a strategy that delivers sustainable recruitment, onboarding and employee experience that supports a pathway for talent, retention and succession
* Developing and implementing policies and programs that attract, retain and develop talent within the organisation
* Leading the staff survey process every year with the HR business partners translating feedback into actionable improvement plans
* Managing the 360-degree external feedback and coaching programme for Executives and senior leaders in the business supporting continuous development
* Proactively addressing behavioural and performance issues, ensuring alignment with company values and expectations
* Overseeing and managing employee relation case work; including attendance, performance, disciplinary & grievance cases aligned with the company policies
* Providing accessible and objective support for employees
* Ensuring HR policies remain current and compliant with evolving legislation and best practice
* Promoting and supporting safe working practices across all areas of the business
Key Requirements
The ideal candidate will bring proven HR leadership experience, with a strong focus on driving change and building capability within a manufacturing or multi-site environment. Strong communication skills, strategic influence, and the ability to mentor and inspire others are essential to succeed in this role.
The ideal candidate will have:
* Proven experience in a HR leadership role, preferably in manufacturing with multi-site environments
* Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire, motivate and mentor teams
* Effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate cross-functionally and build strong relationships
* Highly goal oriented possessing excellent interpersonal and communication skills
* Strong coaching and mentoring capabilities with experience influencing at executive level
Beyond technical expertise, this role calls for a people-focused leader who demonstrates integrity, adaptability and the ability to thrive under pressure. The preferred candidate will be confident in managing complex HR projects, balancing competing priorities and maintaining strong, collaborative relationships across all levels of the organisation.
Core Competencies:
* Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to maintain composure in difficult situations
* Ability to deal effectively with a wide variety of people
* Manage demands, priorities, costs and appropriate timelines to meet service requirements
* Must demonstrate a flexible approach to working
* Proven experience of managing HR case work
* Experience of successfully driving forward HR projects and/or change initiatives
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills
* Honesty, integrity and resilience
Qualifications
While qualifications are not essential, the following are highly desirable:
* Undergraduate degree in a related subject
* Membership of the CIPD with Chartered level Membership is desirable
If this position suits your experience and career ambitions, please apply at your earliest convenience.
For more information, please contact Rachel Sim at Livingston James; rachelsim@livingstonjames.com or see the full position profile https://docs.livingstonjames.com/ZDgLMp