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Candidate Brief

Role: Human Resources Director - Europe

Renold are one the world's leading manufacturer of chains, gears and couplings for a range of applications. We innovate in delivering the highest precision engineered power transmission products to all industries worldwide. A heritage stretching back 130+ years, our market-leading products can be seen in diverse applications from cement making to chocolate manufacturing, subway trains to power stations, escalators to quarries; in fact, anywhere something needs to be lifted, moved, rotated or conveyed.

The role of Human Resources Director (Europe) will require the successful candidate to enable the leaders of the Chain business across the European Region to achieve their organisational objectives through the provision of comprehensive Human Resources support and advice encompassing (but not limited to), talent acquisition, organisational design and transformation, employee learning and development, employee and industrial relations, reward, HR legal / policy and process support.

Read more about the role and the organisation below.

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More about Renold PLC

Listed on the AIM London Stock Exchange, we employ a workforce of over 2,500 employees based across 25 countries around the world. We have manufacturing sites in nations including the UK, Germany, the USA, China, India, Australia, Malaysia, and South Africa, and a strategy to increase this footprint through further growth, merger and acquisition. For the year ending 31 March 2023, our revenue was £247.1m, up by 26.6% from £195.2m in 2022.

Our business is split into two main areas:

Renold Chain

A global leader in the design, manufacture and supply of heavy duty, high precision chain for countless industrial/highly specialised applications and environments.

Renold Torque Transmission

A global leader in the design, manufacture and supply of coupling and gearbox solutions – including worm gears, helical and bevel worm drives

At Renold, we never rest on our laurels. We’re constantly looking at ways of improving our technologies and seeking out new markets.

Building on our pride in our unique history and heritage, we continually challenge ourselves to be progressive, and to modernise and improve everything we do – from our products to our processes.

Our Values

Our values describe our company as we want it to be. Our decisions and actions will reflect our values. We believe that putting our values into practice will create long term benefits for employees, customers, shareholders and suppliers.

Operate with integrity

We will conduct ourselves with uncompromising integrity, honesty and fairness as individuals, as teams and as a company, holding ourselves accountable to the highest ethical and relevant legal standards and fulfilling our commitments as responsible citizens and employees

Value our people

Our success depends upon our people. We will employ the best people and invest in their education, training and development to ensure they are able to contribute to their full potential. We will create working environments that are safe, enjoyable, productive, encouraging full engagement and participation from all.’

Work together to achieve excellence

We will collaborate, build strong relationships, value everyone’s contribution, be supportive of each other and openly communicate to ensure that we achieve excellence in all that we do. Our focus will always be the outcome that best serves the business overall.

Accept accountability

We will accept our individual and team responsibilities and deliver on our commitments. We will constantly strive to be disciplined, consistent and reliable, establishing clear goals and standards and measuring our success against them, whilst using company resources wisely and carefully.

Be open-minded

Building upon pride in our unique history and heritage, we will remain competitive by continually challenging ourselves to be progressive, to modernise and improve everything from our products to our processes.

Position Description

Job Title: Human Resources Director – Europe

Location: Hybrid position with contracted base of employment at Group Head Office, Trident 2, Trident Business Park, Styal Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester M22 5XB. Weekly on-site presence expected.

Department | Business: Chain EU

Line Manager: President, Chain – Europe, India & China

Reward | Package: Attractive Compensation & Benefits Package - consisting of generous salary, car allowance and annual bonus

Working Hours: 36.5 hours/week

Summary of Job

Brief description of, and reason for, the role

To enable the leaders of the Chain business across the European Region to achieve their organisational objectives through the provision of comprehensive Human Resources support and advice encompassing (but not limited to), talent acquisition, organisational design and transformation, employee learning and development, employee and industrial relations, reward, HR legal / policy and process support.

The candidate needs to demonstrate a willingness to operate the full curve of HR activity from administrative tasks, to transactional management, to strategic leadership. The role will have breadth due to the complex HR environment with so many country specific requirements, but also requires depth in terms of driving completion of tasks often single-handedly. This is a ‘hands-on’ role with an emphasis on owning activities and getting things done.

The leader will need to have bandwidth and drive to lead projects and initiatives beyond the core HR remit. Specifically, this role will be expected to lead the coordination of Sustainability across the European business and may be asked to perform in a similar capacity in other areas.

Function & Scope of Responsibility

What are the key activities and responsibilities?

Safety - Support the organisation in providing a safe and healthy working environment including business practices and processes. Work to continually improve in this area.

Regulation - Ensure that the organisation has the appropriate HR policies and processes in place to enable the efficient and legal operation of the business and apply policies and procedures in support of the organisational goals across the European Region whilst ensuring these are standardised as far as possible within the Group. This includes whistleblowing, ABC, Modern Slavery etc.

Values - Help to embed the Renold values in all that is done and seek to build a positive and engaged workforce based on these values.

Structures & Recruitment - Assist and where necessary lead, business managers in planning optimal structures for the organisation and to recruit the right staff, in a timely fashion, with the right skills and experience at the right cost to populate the structure.

Onboarding Plan and conduct new employee orientation.

HR Administrative & Record Keeping - Provide and support the process and administration for and keep accurate records of personnel and other HR related matters such as pay, benefits, promotions, transfers, grading, terminations, performance management etc.

Employee & Industrial Relations - Advise and act to ensure good industrial relations with unions, works councils and employees are managed and maintained, including supporting line managers in negotiations, and wage agreements.

Performance, Grievance and Disciplinary Management - Support the business managers in grievance, disciplinary, absence management and performance investigations

Management Consulting - Offer guidance to managers on all HR issues and where necessary provide coaching and support to managers to ensure proper and effective resolution of all HR matters and enable them to fully realise the organisational goals.

Learning & Development - Identify individual and organisational training needs and provide support to allow these needs to be met.

Reward - Continually monitor reward policies including pay and benefits, and recommend any actions to senior management to enable cost effective operation of the business. Lead the salary review process in the region and ensure timely submission.

Support & Engage with HRD - Keep the Group HR Director informed of local developments, activities and issues in a timely manner.

Reporting - Provide the President, Chain – Europe, India & China, with required reports and data. Do same as required for other areas of the business e.g. HRD, CEO, Board, Payroll.

Projects - As a leader within the Chain EU Team, take the lead on projects outside of HR scope, as required from time to time.

Mergers & Acquisitions - When required provide support on the process of due diligence and proper integration of acquisitions.

Cars - Facilitate fleet management across the European Region.

Authority & Decision Making

Level of authority and type/level/value/impact of key decisions taken in role

Responsible for day-to-day operational running of HR within Europe and will have the ability to use data and experience to make decisions to enable this.

Larger business decisions proposed in conjunction with relevant business leader and submitted for approval at senior management level. Expected to take the lead on HR issues in Europe and on larger or more critical matters agree course of action with the Group HR Director.

Expected to ensure that activity within area of responsibility is aligned with Renold values and strategic intent and that it is legal. The role holder will be expected to escalate issues which fall outside this if unable to influence managers to take the right actions in the first place.

Leadership, Managerial & Supervisory Responsibility

Description of regional/office/site/functional responsibility – matter and type of direct reports

One direct report in Einbeck/Gronau.

Part of the Regional Senior Management Team.

Is expected to work with and influence peer group managers across a number of management teams in the European Region.

Key Relationships

Important relationships to be established/maintained and the purpose of them

Group HR Director Dotted line reporting. Agreeing business priorities for HR.

President, Chain – Europe, China & India Line manager, setting direction, agreeing plans, escalating issues, setting day-to-day actions, making decisions, sounding-board for President to confide in and get advice from and test thinking.

Other HR staff Coordinating activity (particularly with Head Office/Corporate), participating in group wide activity.

Senior line and functional managers within Americas Providing HR support and advice to them and their staff, enabling them to achieve their business goals.

Other Requirements & Comments

Extent and frequency of travel etc.

Travel frequently within Europe. Mainly Germany and Spain (six to eight trips per annum). Ability and confidence to travel independently including driving overseas critical and an awareness that when travelling they are representing the senior leadership and must demonstrably project the appropriate culture (along with the President and VP Finance, this role is seen as one of the Core Senior Leadership).

Renold is an organisation in transformation, getting the job done can mean the need to commit to working outside normal working hours at times.

About You

Skills, Knowledge, Experience Required

Will have operated in a HR role providing HR support in a manufacturing organisation in Europe (with experience in one or more of the relevant countries).

Able to operate independently without frequent day-to-day direction.

Able to demonstrate collaborative and supportive behaviour as a member of diverse teams.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills absolutely critical.

Must project sufficient professionalism and gravitas as a manager and HR professional to earn respect and successfully influence those around them without ‘line’ authority.

Must have an extremely high level of integrity and confidentiality.

Must be energetic and committed to hard work, focused on delivering real world results/outcomes.

Must have courage, confidence and conviction to say no and do what is right for the organisation and those working in it. Be able to speak up if necessary, challenge or influence and persuade others in their point of view if others do not agree.

Willingness to challenge the status quo, set challenging and ambitious targets and deliver on them.

Must be resilient, capable of coping with ambiguity and prioritising the important elements in a very challenging environment.

Capable of identifying continuous improvement opportunities, seeking to fix problems rather than patch them over, remove waste, reduce cost and improve efficiencies and operational effectiveness.

Capable of standing their ground in the face of opposition if activity, practice and process is believed to not be in the best interests of the business goals or not compliant with legal requirements or organisational policies. Can resolve such conflicts in a professional manner referring to more senior management only when absolutely necessary.

Desire to learn and develop in a challenging environment.

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Education or Professional Qualifications

Significant intellectual ‘horse power’ – likely to be degree (or equivalent) qualified.

Will likely be a member of a professional HR organisation.

Search Process

Application and initial approach

Each resume is reviewed and assessed against the job description criteria. Candidates who look to have the capability and experience for the position will be screened by telephone to determine interest and suitability.

Interview and assesment with Lincoln Cornhill Executive

Candidates with the strongest match to the client’s needs will be contacted to arrange a further meeting. This will be led by the consultant leading this search, who will carry out a competency based assessment against the core functional and behavioural requirements of the position.

Shortlisting

Based on the interviews, each candidate’s interest, experience and skill sets match to the job description, candidates will be presented to the client. The client will select from this list, who they wish to invite to a formal interview.

Meeting our client

Renold will initially hold a virtual chemistry meeting with all candidates on the shortlist. This will provide the opportunity to gain a thorough insight into the role, company culture, and their expectations of you. Further stages will involve undertaking ability and psychometric testing; an in-depth, competency based interview; a scenario exercise / discussion; and finally a meeting with the CEO.

Offer an acceptance

Following the interviews with the client, and selection of a candidate, Lincoln Cornhill Executive will present and discuss the details of an offer. Once all terms and conditions of the offer have been accepted in principal by both parties, the client will prepare and make a formal written offer to the candidate.

Inclusion & Diversity

We aim to ensure that each and every stage of the search process is as inclusive as possible and we work to support Renold in its own commitment to inclusivity. If there is any part of the process you feel could be more inclusive, please feed this back to us.

Confidentiality

Lincoln Cornhill Executive respects the privacy and confidentiality of personal information provided by candidates in our search assignments. We guarantee that any approach we make to you and any discussions we have will be in the strictest confidence.