HR Manager

At The Stage Media Company, we are the trusted, independent voice at the heart of the theatre and publishing industries through The Stage and The Bookseller. With over 300 years of combined heritage, we inform, connect and empower our communities through authoritative journalism, meaningful experiences and industry-leading services.

The HR Manager plays a critical role in shaping and sustaining our high-performing, values-led organisation. You will be the custodian of our culture - ensuring that our people experience reflects our commitment to excellence, independence, passion and long-term stewardship.

This role is central to building an engaged, collaborative and accountable workforce of around 50 staff that enables our company to deliver on its mission: to inform, connect and strengthen the industries we serve.

As a standalone role, the HR Manager collaborates with the Senior Leadership Team on strategy and is responsible for the delivery of initiatives, documentation and reports.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic HR Leadership & Delivery

• Develop and implement HR strategies aligned with company objectives and our mission to inform and connect our industries.

• Act as a trusted advisor to the Senior Leadership Team on all people-related matters.

• Ensure alignment between people strategy and key company priorities

• Lead and deliver initiatives that strengthen engagement, collaboration, wellbeing and organisational health.

Culture & Organisational Health

• Champion and embed our Humble, Hungry, Smart culture across the organisation.

• Translate core values into clear behaviours, processes and expectations.

• Address cultural risks proactively and constructively.

• Manage the Office Coordinator and create a high-quality, values-led in-office experience.

Employee Relations

• Lead and manage employee relations matters, including disciplinary processes, grievances and conflict resolution.

• Promote a culture of open, honest communication and constructive challenge.

• Champion employee wellbeing, including mental health and sustainable work practices.

• Deliver all admin required for employee matters.

Recruitment, Performance & Development

• Manage end-to-end recruitment in partnership with hiring managers, ensuring strong cultural and values alignment.

• Embed structured hiring, onboarding and interview practices aligned to our playbook.

• Deliver required paperwork for contracts, promotions and disciplinaries

• Develop and implement talent development, retention and succession planning strategies.

• Partner with department heads to plan workforce requirements in line with budget and operational needs.

• Own and continuously improve performance management processes aligned with excellence, accountability and growth.

• Support managers in delivering clear feedback, coaching and development conversations.

• Ensure clarity of roles, expectations and accountability across teams.

Compensation, Benefits & Operations

• Oversee payroll (with external providers), benefits and reward structures, ensuring competitiveness and fairness.

• Recommend and implement improvements to compensation frameworks aligned with market and company strategy.

• Ensure all processes reflect our values of integrity, transparency and fairness.

Policy, Compliance & Governance

• Maintain and evolve HR policies in line with UK employment law and best practice.

• Ensure full compliance with legal, regulatory and GDPR requirements.

• Act as a guardian of professional integrity and ethical standards across people practices.

HR Systems & Technology

• Implement and optimise HR systems to support recruitment, performance, employee data and reporting.

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date HR records and use data and insight to improve decision-making and organisational effectiveness.

• Ensure systems support efficiency, transparency and scalability as the business evolves.

Skills and Experience Required:

• Proven experience in an HR leadership or people-focused role, ideally within media or a creative environment

• Strong understanding of UK employment law, HR best practices, and HR technology. Human Resource degree or CIPD qualification (Level 5 or above) or equivalent is preferred.

• Strong track record of building high-performing, values-led cultures.

• Experience working in a standalone role or within a small to medium-sized company.

• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution.

• Excellent communication and coaching skills.

• High emotional intelligence and sound judgement.

• Alignment with our core values: Excellence, Passion, Independence and Stewardship.

• Embodiment of our cultural behaviours: Humble, Hungry and Smart.

£50,000 pro rata