People & Culture Manager

We're looking for a proactive and people-focused People & Culture Manager to join YMCA South Midlands and help us build a workplace where people can do their very best work.

This is a hands-on operational HR role where no two days are ever the same. One day you'll be supporting a manager through a complex employee relations issue, the next you'll be interviewing candidates, coaching managers through difficult conversations, leading an induction, organising a staff event or helping improve the way we recruit, develop and support our people.

You'll be the trusted HR partner for managers across the organisation, providing practical, commercially minded and legally compliant advice whilst delivering an exceptional employee experience from recruitment through to leaving.

We're looking for someone who enjoys working at pace, thrives on variety and genuinely wants to make a difference. You'll need to be confident, resilient and highly organised, with the ability to balance empathy with accountability. We're proud of our supportive culture, but we're equally ambitious about building a high-performing organisation where people take ownership, strive for excellence and are supported to succeed.

If you're someone who enjoys solving problems, making things happen and building great relationships, we'd love to hear from you.

About the Role

Reporting to the Director of People & Culture, you'll lead the day-to-day operational HR service across YMCA South Midlands, ensuring managers receive expert advice and employees are treated fairly, consistently and with respect.

You'll be the first point of contact for managers on a wide range of people matters, providing practical solutions and ensuring compliance with employment legislation and HR best practice.

This is a role for someone who enjoys being visible, building relationships and working closely with managers to help them lead their teams confidently and effectively.

The role is based across both our Milton Keynes and Northampton sites. You'll typically work three days each week in Milton Keynes and two days in Northampton, with some flexibility to work from home where appropriate.

Key Responsibilities

You'll play a key role across the entire employee lifecycle, including:

• Providing first-class HR advice and guidance on all people & HR matters.
• Leading the end-to-end recruitment process, helping us attract and appoint outstanding people.
• Managing onboarding, inductions and probation reviews to ensure every new colleague has a brilliant start.
• Managing a wide range of employee relations cases, including disciplinaries, grievances, capability, performance, absence management and investigations.
• Supporting with sickness absence, wellbeing action plans, reasonable adjustments and family-friendly matters.
• Managing leavers including holding exit interviews 
• Advising on UK employment law, HR policies and best practice.
• Supporting managers to build high-performing teams through coaching, challenge and practical advice.
• Organising staff engagement initiatives, recognition activities and social events that strengthen our culture.
• Identifying opportunities to improve HR systems, processes and ways of working.
• Supporting organisational change projects and wider People & Culture initiatives.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation to continually improve the employee experience.
   

About You

You'll be an experienced HR professional who enjoys being at the heart of the organisation. We are happy to consider people stepping into their first HR Manager, as well as more experienced professionals. 

You'll need to love variety, work well under pressure and be comfortable managing multiple priorities at the same time. You're someone who takes ownership, finds solutions and gets things done without needing close supervision. You'll also need to be tech savvy and comfortable working in the MK office & the Derngate office. 

It's important you are approachable, kind and supportive, but equally confident having honest conversations and holding people to high standards where needed. You understand that a great HR function isn't about saying "yes" to everything. It's about making fair, balanced decisions that are right for both our people and the organisation.

You'll ideally have:

• CIPD Level 5 qualification (or equivalent experience).
• Significant operational HR experience across the full employee lifecycle.
• Excellent working knowledge of UK employment law.
• Experience independently managing a broad range of employee relations cases.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• Confidence, resilience and sound judgement.
• A proactive, positive approach and a good sense of humour.
• The ability to work independently whilst contributing positively to a collaborative team.

It would be an advantage if you have experience using BambooHR.

Why Join Us?

This is an exciting opportunity to make a genuine impact within a growing organisation that's ambitious about both its people and the communities it serves.

You'll have the opportunity to:

• Make a real difference in a purpose-driven organisation.
• Help shape a positive, inclusive and high-performing culture.
• Build trusted relationships with managers across the organisation.
• Influence how we recruit, develop and support our people.
• Lead meaningful HR projects and continuously improve how we work.
• Join a supportive team where your ideas and expertise will be valued.
   

Everyone is Welcome Here

At YMCA South Midlands, we believe everyone should feel they belong.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and communities. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the people we serve and where everyone is treated with dignity, respect and fairness.

As a Christian charity, our faith inspires our values and our commitment to serving others. We welcome people of all faiths and none, and appointments are made on merit.

Reasonable Adjustments

We want every candidate to have the opportunity to perform at their best throughout our recruitment process.

If you have a disability, long-term health condition or are neurodivergent and would benefit from any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know when you apply or contact us at any stage. We'll be happy to discuss how we can support you.

Safer Recruitment

YMCA South Midlands is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all colleagues to share this commitment.

As part of our safer recruitment process, the successful candidate will be required to complete pre-employment checks, which will include a DBS check, verification of identity and right to work in the UK, employment references, qualification checks (where applicable) and other relevant pre-employment screening in line with our Safer Recruitment Policy.

Ready to Apply?

If you're passionate about people, thrive in a fast-paced environment and want to help build a culture where people are supported, challenged and inspired to achieve their best, we'd love to hear from you.