People & Culture Manager

Howard Civil Engineering

Location: Leeds

Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience

Job Type: Full-time, Permanent

Howard Civil Engineering is looking for an experienced and proactive People & Culture Manager to take ownership of the people function across the business.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys hands-on HR whilst playing a key role in shaping people practices, supporting managers and creating a positive working environment.

We're looking for someone approachable, confident and comfortable working at all levels, from advising on employee relations matters to improving HR processes and building strong relationships across the business.

Company overview

Howard Civil Engineering is one of the North's leading civil engineering companies. Established in 2003, we are a successful, family-owned business with a strong reputation for delivering high-quality projects and building lasting client relationships.

Our family values are at the heart of everything we do, creating a supportive environment where people feel valued and part of the team.

Our values of Working Together, Supportive, Trusted to Deliver and Always Improving guide how we operate, and we're looking for someone who shares them.

Role overview

Reporting to the Finance Director, you will take responsibility for delivering effective HR support across the business, ensuring our people practices, policies and processes support both employees and business objectives.

This is a varied, hands-on role where you will work closely with managers, providing practical advice, improving employee engagement and promoting best practice across the full employee lifecycle.

You will also have the opportunity to improve existing processes, develop our HR systems and make a real difference to our workplace culture.

Key Responsibilities

People & Culture

• Develop initiatives to improve employee engagement, wellbeing and retention.
• Promote company values and encourage a positive, supportive working environment.
• Work with managers to support cultural and organisational change.
• Build strong relationships across the business, including regular site visits.
• Develop and improve HR policies, procedures and internal communications.
• Support employee reward and recognition programmes.

Employee Relations & Support

• Act as the main point of contact for HR queries, providing clear and practical advice.
• Support managers with disciplinaries, grievances, absence, capability and probation matters.
• Ensure compliance with UK employment law and HR best practice.
• Keep managers informed of employment law changes and their implications.
• Proactively resolve employee relations issues, seeking external advice where needed.

HR Operations & Administration

• Oversee HR processes across the full employee lifecycle, including onboarding and leavers.
• Maintain accurate employee records, contracts and HR documentation.
• Review and improve HR procedures to ensure efficiency and consistency.
• Support managers with job descriptions and HR documentation.

Training & Development

• Identify training needs and development opportunities across the business.
• Coordinate training programmes, including mandatory and compliance training.
• Support employee development, succession planning and career progression.
• Monitor training effectiveness and maintain accurate records.

HR Systems & Continuous Improvement

• Manage the ongoing development and effective use of HR systems.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes and improve efficiency.
• Develop HR reporting and KPIs to support business decisions.
• Support managers in using HR systems and maintaining accurate employee data.

Skills and experience

We are looking for an experienced HR professional with strong technical knowledge, practical experience and a genuine passion for people.

Ideally, you will have:

• Significant generalist HR experience, ideally at HR Manager, Senior HR Advisor or HR Business Partner level.
• Experience working within an SME environment, managing a broad range of HR responsibilities.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and hands-on employee relations experience.
• CIPD Level 5 qualification or equivalent demonstrable experience.
• Experience supporting organisational change and developing positive workplace cultures.
• Experience implementing or improving HR systems and processes.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build relationships at all levels.
• A proactive, organised and solutions-focused approach, with the confidence to work independently.
• Strong IT skills and the ability to use HR data to support decisions.

Experience within civil engineering, construction or a similar operational environment would be advantageous, particularly working with both site-based and office-based employees.

Experience using PeopleHR would also be beneficial, although not essential.

At Howard Civil Engineering, our people are central to our success. As a family-owned business, we offer a supportive and collaborative environment where your ideas and contribution are valued.

Interested? Apply now with your updated CV.