Opportunity Brief:Head of HR

Ford & Stanley Executive Search (Part of the Ford & Stanley Group) are a leading Executive search firm to the UK, North American and European Engineering, Technology, Sustainability & Heavy Manufacturing industries.

Our search directors, search consultants and research teams specialise in all horizontal functions of our clients' organisations with expertise spanning engineering, commercial, procurement, HR, IT, finance, HSQE, sales, projects, operations and c-suite.

We are trusted by over 100 leading organisations when they seek to make a leadership appointment, be that a permanent appointment or an interim solution.

We have been retained and appointed by Buckland Rail on a retained search for a Head of HR, a hands-on HR professional who can ensure that all HR processes and Procedures are fit for purpose to match growth ambitions.

Below you will find an ‘opportunity brief’ developed from notes taken during the scoping meeting (Situational Discovery) held between the Business Manager and Managing Consultant of Ford & Stanley Executive Search and the newly appointed CEO of Buckland Rail. This brief is designed to give candidates a deeper insight into the opportunity inherent within the role, the challenges the role presents and provide access to the detail that sits behind the job specification.

Client Opportunity Statements:

“Since the combining of three successful independent Rail businesses to form Buckland Rail 2024 but are now at the point where we need to unify and consolidate the HR functions across the businesses to have synergy and be able to benefit from the closer integration and combined capabilities of the Group.

We need an experienced professional who can guide the business and implement best-in-practice processes and procedures to meet not only our current needs but also our aspirations in the future as we look at further opportunities to develop our offering to our clients.

“The successful candidate will need to be relentless in building relationships across the business, not only supporting and offering guidance to our 3 Managing Directors and Group CEO but also working across the group from shopfloor to management.”

Company Overview: Buckland Rail

Buckland Rail is part of Buckland Group, and consists of three businesses: Davis Wagons Services, WH Davis and Yellow Rail. Through those strategic acquisitions, the joint service offering has increased into the rail freight and passenger sectors, with a focus on technology and innovation.

WH Davis has been in existence since 1908 and are the last independent UK rail wagon manufacturer, with workshops located just off the M1 near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. Their highly skilled and experienced team are able to offer a complete rail wagon service from design, manufacture, and approval through to a finished product.
Davis Wagon Services Ltd are a leading maintainer of rail freight wagons within the UK. They are a modern forward-thinking freight wagon maintenance and repair company. Their aim is to form strategic partnerships with wagon owners, leasing companies, Freight Operating Companies, and wagon hirers with the ultimate aim of providing cost-effective and compliant maintenance for rail wagon fleets.
Yellow Rail is an innovative engineering service company based in Pride Park, Derby. The company provides remote field services for the passenger and freight sectors, bogie overhaul and repair, material supply services, RaiLatheTM wheel lathe products and services and engineering services to the UK rail sector.

Challenges expected within the first 12 months include:

Streamlining the group's HR function and ensuring that there is synergy across the businesses whilst building an understanding of different methodologies in place across the group.
Developing the onboarding process across the group to ensure new and existing staff are aware of benefits on offer in addition to making necessary changes to contracts.
Building an understanding that whilst there are limited ‘systems’ and processes across the group, they are currently working well and some changes may take time.

Key deliverables within the first 12 months include:

Development and implementation of processes and procedures to enhance company performance and culture.
Complete an exercise identifying strengths and weaknesses across the group and ensuring any critical risks are sorted quickly and efficiently.
Demonstrate that you have built strong relationships across the business that enable the HR Function to be an effective ‘advisory’ function to the business.

Essential Hard Skills (Skills & Experience)

§ Experienced HR professional with circa 10 years’ experience working within a HR function alongside being ambitious to continue their development

§ Strong experience in business partnering with managers and senior stakeholders, advising on HR Issues and optimising business performance.

§ Experience working in an SME environment where it is a requirement to ‘roll your sleeves up’ and work in a hands on fashion.

§ Track record of working within an engineering business that has a ‘Blue Collar’ workforce

§ *Desirable: Experience working in the Rail industry.

Essential Soft Skills (Attributes & Behaviours)

§ Engaging both externally and internally, strong communications skills, able to communicate from boardroom to shop floor.

§ Detail-orientated and process-driven – always looking at how to make marginal gains and continuous improvements

§ Confidence in ability and able to make recommendations. Noting that it’s important to not be too confident. Personality and engagement are key.

§ Hands-on in approach and capable of bringing others on a journey.

§ Good sense of humour

§ Resilient with an understanding that change won't be delivered immediately.

Working Arrangements & Location:

We expect candidates to spend 3 days in Yellow Rail’s Derby facility, 1 day at W.H Davis in Shirebrook and 1 day at Davis Wagons in Immingham.

Buckland Rail Interview Process:

1st Stage interview: Face to face interview at Yellow Rail HQ in Derby, conducted by at least two of the following: Managing Director of Yellow Rail (Paul Cunningham), Managing Director of WH Davis (Andy Houghton) and Managing Director of Davis Wagons (John Hall)
2nd Final Stage interview: Face to face interview Yellow Rail HQ in Derby, conducted by Buckland Rail CEO (Noel Traves) and the Buckland Group HR Consultant.

Ford & Stanley Interview Process:

1^st Stage: Candidate Discovery: An open, conversational and consultative discussion where interested candidates are assessed on their suitability for the role in the context of the above and challenged on how the opportunity lines up with their career aspirations, motivations, financial expectations and personal circumstances.
2^nd Stage: The ‘shortlist’: Candidates are asked to reflect on the candidate discovery discussion, take time to reflect on the opportunity and undertake subsequent research on the client business reporting back on their thoughts, questions and providing additional specific information on their suitability (if applicable). Final checks of role, package and logistical alignments made.

Good to know:

Buckland Rail is part of the Buckland Group and is made up of three businesses, Yellow Rail, W.H Davis and Davis Wagons
Group turnover is ~ £45m and has circa 200-250 members of staff.
The Head of HR within Buckland Rail will report directly to the CEO of the Group. As a group, Buckland is profitable, has a good mix of people and receives consistent investment for growth.
Yellow Rail is a specialist engineering business with strong capability in bogie overhaul and repair. The business is made up of varied project values and sizes from £50k-£2m.
WH Davis is the last independent UK Rail Wagon Manufacturer, they are especially dependent on the demand in the market and their performance tends to fluctuate within a 3-year cycle.

Davis Wagons Services are a leading maintainer of rail freight wagons, with a predictable stable performance, they tend to grow in line with the investment provided into them. They have so far outperformed expectations and are on a stable trajectory.

All though this is a group-focused position, we expect the majority of HR work to be focused on Yellow Rail, as they haven’t had a standalone HR function, previously this was looked after by the FD. It is expected that the time split will be 10% Buckland Rail, 40% Yellow Rail, 25% WH Davis and 25% Davis Wagons.
This role is a newly created position within the structure aimed at supporting the business with its current needs but also ensuring the HR function is developed to support future growth ambitions.
It’s important to note that the HR Function is being developed as a strong advisory function to the business and as such will have a strong emphasis towards HR Business Partnering.
Currently, plenty of the HR responsibilities are absorbed within the businesses in the form of responsibilities being picked up by other members of staff and it will fall to the Head of HR to mentor these individual to ensure adherence to required standards.
We are expecting the incoming Head of HR to be welcomed by the three businesses within the group as they recognise the value that this support can provide to their growth plans.
The role will work very closely with the Group CEO and MDs of each business, advising on HR issues and ensuring the HR function is there to support business needs.
Due to the role being majority based on Yellow Rail’s site it is important to empower and develop staff on the other sites in your absence.
Future plans include; the implementation of an HR system across the group and the implementation of a proper apprenticeship scheme to help with future growth.
The incoming Head of HR will need to be aware that currently there is little in the way of structured process and procedure within the HR Function. Although the long term plan is to develop all of this capability there is a step by step process to follow and it will be important not to ‘run before we can walk’.
We are expecting the incoming Head of HR to be visible to staff to demonstrate the investment in culture and build relationships with the teams.
Emotional intelligence will be key to the success of this role with the incumbent being required to build strong relationships and understand when to negotiate, compromise and stand their ground. Important to note that they will have the full support of the CEO as changes are rolled out across the business.
Key responsibilities include:
- Developing, implementing, monitoring and maintaining HR policies and procedures, ensuring they are up-to-date and compliant with current employment legislation
- Advising managers on HR policies and procedures, ensuring they are adhered to and effectively communicated across the organisation.
- Providing HR generalist and best practice employment law expertise on the full range of employment issues, including absence management, disciplinaries, grievances, performance management and appraisal and restructuring
- Overseeing recruitment, selection and the induction and onboarding process
- Identifying and developing training and development initiatives
- Working closely with the senior team to develop staff skills including highlighting needs and recommendations made through the staff appraisal process
- Monitoring staff turnover and ensuring that exit interviews are carried out, analysing and reporting on findings.
- Attending and contributing to management meetings
- Managing all HR administration
- Monitoring employee attendance and sick leave and ensuring managers are actively addressing issues when they arise
- Ensuring mandatory records and contracts of employment are maintained and up-to-date and kept in line with the requirements of current legislation

Budget:

Low: £50,000 / Mid: £57,500 / High: £70,000

Supporting benefits

Pension employer contribution: 7%
Private Medical: Yourself + Family
Life assurance: x 3 Annual Salary
Holiday: 25 days + 8 Statutory Bank Holidays
Bonus: up to 20% of base

Executive Search Delivery Team:

Tom Norton – Head of Executive Search (Client Recommendations/Advisory, Offer Negotiations, Headhunting, Networking)
Oliver Nunn – Research Manager (Shortlisting, Offer Negotiations, Headhunting, Networking, Research, Search, Longlisting, Interviews, Data & Market Intel)
Ralitsa Kuzeva – Executive Assistant (Diary Management, Coordination, Candidate Experience)

About Ford & Stanley Executive Search:

Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group are in the business of people and performance. Our mission is to create one million better workdays through facilitating great recruitment, leadership and occupational mental fitness. We support our clients in their most challenging business areas - recruiting, developing and retaining the best talent from shop floor to boardroom.

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Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group Ltd is a Disability Confident employer that is committed to a policy of equal opportunities for all opportunity seekers. We shall adhere to such a policy at all times and will review on an on-going basis all aspects of recruitment to avoid unlawful or undesirable discrimination. We will treat everyone equally irrespective sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, age, disability, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief or political beliefs and we place an obligation upon all staff to respect and act in accordance with the policy.

Services advertised by Ford & Stanley are that of an employment consultancy business.

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