HR Director - Northern Ireland

HR Director Jobs

In large companies, human resources is now too important a role to leave to line managers and general directors. Legal issues from employment rights to anti-discrimination policy can cause unprepared companies problems, and compliance within certain sectors requires a high degree of specialist knowledge. That is why there needs to be HR representation at board level in large companies, hence the requirement for HR directors.

And of course, HR is not just about compliance – it’s about ensuring the best possible people are located, assessed and given appropriate packages to attract them away from other roles and to remain contented in their current role. This has to be done at a strategic level, in concert with the rest of the board. Dedicated HR board members ensure that staffing is seen to be an important aspect of the company.

Growing companies too find the need for HR directors can arise at a certain point in their development. Becoming a company’s first HR director can be challenging but hugely rewarding.

The skills required

A thorough understanding of human resources is clearly a must at HR director level, but they will also need to be an exceptional people manager, as they might not be involved in the day-to-day business of HR, but will instead be overseeing an HR team, supervising training of new recruits and personal development of staff. Ultimately, they will be tasked with ensuring maximum employee engagement.

The HR director needs to see the bigger picture, and will have access to the internal workings of the business at executive level, including financial aspects, and to be able to make decisions based on financial, as well as operational factors.

HR Director Jobs in Northern Ireland

The smallest country in the UK, Northern Ireland has traditionally been associated with industries like shipping, rope making and textile manufacture. In fact, during the American Civil War, the supply of cotton from the States was cut and Belfast gained the nickname Linenopolis, as Irish linen helped to alleviate problems caused by the shortage.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, Belfast was home to many of the world's top shipbuilders, including Harland and Wolff, the firm that went on to build the RMS Titanic, her sisters the Britannic and Olympic and other vessels like the HMS Belfast during the early 20th century.

Northern Ireland has also seen its share of violence and civil unrest, during a period known as the Troubles, which lasted from the late 1960s until the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Since then, the country has grown more stable and a number of redevelopment projects have helped to turn Northern Ireland into a thriving place with an economy based mainly in the service sector - although many of the older business are still in operation. What's more, there are plenty of opportunities for those seeking HR Director vacancies.

Just some of the companies with regional headquarters or other facilities in the region include DuPont and Caterpillar. In addition, Short Brothers, one of the first companies in the world to produce aircraft, moved to Northern Ireland in 1948 - today it owned by Bombardier Aerospace and produces flight control systems and other components.

Popular locations

Find HR Director Jobs with Cast UK

Cast UK is one of the UK’s most forward-thinking specialist recruiters, and we take great pride in the way we develop and nurture our advisors. Businesses and employees come back to us as they meet their own staffing and career needs, respectively, and we have great long-standing relationships with some of the UK’s most exciting employers.

As our portfolio of specialisms grows, so do the opportunities to help match up people with positions, and we have placed some impressive HR directors in equally impressive roles.

Call us today on 0333 121 3345 to find your perfect executive level position.

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