HR Manager - England

HR Manager 
First Milk – Lake District, Aspatria, Cumbria 
Permanent | Part-time over 4 days or 5 (30 hours per week) | On-site 
 

We’re proud to be retained by First Milk, a Certified B Corp, to support the appointment of an HR Manager at their Lake District site, part of their cheese business unit and play a central role in shaping people practices at the heart of an operational manufacturing site. 

First Milk’s commitment to using business as a force for good - balancing commercial success with responsibility to people, communities and the environment- makes this a particularly meaningful opportunity for an HR professional seeking purpose as well as impact. 

About the Role 
This is a site-embedded HR generalist role where you will be the sole HR lead, working closely with the Site Director and operating as a trusted advisor at the leadership table. You will be responsible for ensuring strong people processes, coaching managers, supporting recruitment and retention, and strengthening engagement rhythms across the site. 

You will report into First Milk’s central HR team, but your day-to-day world will be on site, close to the people and environment you support. 

This role offers genuine autonomy, leadership exposure, and the opportunity to make a visible contribution to culture, capability and operational excellence. 

Where You’ll Be Working 
The LDC site in Aspatria is a close-knit, pragmatic production environment focused on making high-quality cheddar, whey and biogas. With colleagues across production, engineering, shift management and health and safety, it’s a place where people take pride in what they do and value straightforward, practical support from HR. 

What You’ll Do 
In this hands-on generalist role, you will be the right hand to the Site Director: 

• Leading end-to-end recruitment and onboarding, helping improve early-career retention 

• Coaching and supporting managers in employee relations, absence and performance conversations 

• Driving improvements in HR processes and documentation, ensuring consistency and fairness 

• Partnering with managers to build capability, confidence and ownership 

• Supporting engagement activities and feedback-informed action planning 

• Maintaining strong administrative discipline and work collaboratively with central HR 

This role is about practical impact: working with leaders to solve real-world people challenges, coaching rather than rescuing, and embedding great fundamentals in day-to-day operations. 

About You 
You will be someone who: 

• Has strong, well-rounded generalist HR experience and is confident operating independently as the on-site HR lead, without the need for close supervision 

• Is known as the go-to person for people matters, bringing sound judgement, accountability and credible HR knowledge across employee relations, recruitment, engagement and the full employee lifecycle 

• Is comfortable being hands-on - sleeves rolled up in the day-to-day detail - with excellent administrative discipline and attention to accuracy 

• Thrives in a visible, autonomous role where you are embedded in operations and close to the action 

• Builds trust and credibility quickly with managers and colleagues at all levels 

• Can balance empathy with clarity, structure and accountability 

• Enjoys coaching and enabling managers to take ownership, rather than completing tasks for them 

• Values strong foundations: engagement, process, consistency and doing the basics well 

This role is located at the heart of the site. It’s hands-on, people-facing HR where you’re part of the operation, not removed from it. You have a seat at the leadership table, your voice carries weight, and you’re not hidden behind corporate barriers. 

What's on offer

• A meaningful role with real decision-making influence 

• A strong and supportive central HR team 

• A proud culture with a clear purpose 

• A seat at the leadership table and autonomy to make things happen 

• Competitive benefits including pension, holiday allowance, bonus and healthcare 

• Easy parking and a supportive local environment 

• The chance to be part of a Certified B Corp and contribute to long-term regeneration 
   

This is a role where your work matters, your voice is heard, and the impact you make will be felt across the business. 
 

If you’re looking for a role with purpose, ownership and people at its centre, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now, or drop Kelsie an email to chat more: Kelsie.patterson@symedrummond.co.uk 

As this is an exclusive, retained mandate, all applications will be handled by Kelsie Patterson @ Syme Drummond. Any unsolicited CVs will be redirected.