Senior HR Manager - London in London, England at VARLEY CLOTHING LIMITED

About Varley Clothing

Varley is a contemporary fashion brand for the modern woman. Founded in 2015 by husband-and-wife Lara and Ben Mead, we are an international, family-run business headquartered between London, Los Angeles, and New York.

We create year-round collections designed to build an elevated wardrobe for how women live and move. From knitwear and outerwear to everyday staples and active pieces, our collections blend style, function, and versatility.

Varley exists to instil quiet confidence through meaningful connections that enhance everything women already are. As women’s lives evolve, so do we.

Our international family-run team is 85% female, making us proud to be a brand for women, by women. We are guided by two core beliefs: the pursuit of quality in everything we do and looking after one another.

Job Title: Senior HR Manager

Location: London Head Office (with regular UK travel)
Reports to: HR Director / People Director
Direct Reports: HR Manager (Chesterfield)

Job Specification

We are seeking an experienced, commercially minded and people-focused Senior HR Manager to lead all UK HR operations across Varley. Based in our London Head Office, this role will be responsible for overseeing the full employee lifecycle for both Retail and Head Office teams, ensuring an exceptional colleague experience while supporting the achievement of business objectives.

The Senior HR Manager will act as a trusted partner to senior leaders, providing strategic and operational HR expertise across employee relations, talent management, organisational development, engagement and employment law compliance. This role will also lead and develop the HR Manager based in our Chesterfield office and HR Coordinator in the London office ensuring consistent delivery of HR support across the UK business.

The ideal candidate will have at least 10 years' HR experience, ideally within a fast-paced retail, fashion or consumer-focused environment, and will genuinely enjoy supporting both retail colleagues and Head Office employees.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic HR Leadership

• Partner with senior leaders to develop and implement HR strategies that support business growth and organisational objectives.

• Provide expert coaching and guidance to stakeholders on people-related matters.

• Support organisational design, workforce planning and change programmes.

• Use people data and insights to drive informed decision-making and continuous improvement.

Employee Relations

• Lead and manage complex employee relations cases across the UK business.

• Provide expert guidance on disciplinaries, grievances, performance management, absence management and investigations.

• Ensure all HR practices comply with UK employment legislation and company policies.

• Mitigate business risk through sound employment law advice and proactive people management.

Leadership & Team Management

• Line manage, coach and develop the HR Manager based in Chesterfield and HR Coordinator based in London.

• Foster a high-performing and customer-focused HR function.

• Ensure consistency in HR processes, policies and service delivery across all locations.

• Support the development of HR capability across the wider team.

Retail & Head Office Support

• Act as the lead HR Business Partner for both Retail and Head Office populations.

• Build strong relationships with Regional Managers, Store Managers and Head Office leaders
• Support managers in driving performance, engagement and talent development.

• Ensure HR practices are aligned across all business areas while recognising the differing needs of retail and corporate functions.

Talent Management & Development

• Lead succession planning and talent development initiatives.

• Support recruitment and selection processes for key and senior-level positions.

• Identify learning and development opportunities across the business.

• Champion leadership development and career progression programmes.

Employee Engagement & Culture

• Drive initiatives that promote employee engagement, wellbeing and inclusion.

• Support the development and embedding of company values and culture.

• Lead engagement surveys and action planning activities.

• Champion initiatives that strengthen employee retention and employer brand.

HR Operations & Compliance

• Oversee HR policies, procedures and documentation.

• Ensure accurate HR records and data management.

• Support annual reward and remuneration processes.

• Monitor and report on key people metrics and trends.

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Minimum 10 years' HR experience in a generalist HR role.

• Proven experience operating at Senior HR Manager level or equivalent.

• Strong experience supporting both Retail and Head Office employee populations.

• Extensive knowledge of UK employment law and employee relations.

• Experience managing and developing HR professionals.

• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.

• Commercially aware with the ability to balance people and business priorities.

• Excellent communication, coaching and relationship-building abilities.

Desirable

• Experience within fashion, retail, lifestyle or consumer brands.

• CIPD Level 7 qualification or equivalent experience or qualification

• Multi-site retail experience.

• Experience supporting organisational change and business transformation projects.

Personal Attributes

• Passionate about people and creating a positive employee experience.

• Enjoys building strong relationships across all levels of the organisation.

• Supportive, approachable and highly collaborative.

• Confident managing complex and sensitive people matters.

• Resilient, adaptable and solutions-focused.

• Commercially minded whilst maintaining a people-first approach.

• Enthusiastic about supporting both retail teams and Head Office colleagues.

Why Join Us?

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in shaping the people strategy of a growing fashion brand. You'll work closely with senior leaders, support colleagues across our UK retail and Head Office population, and lead the HR agenda to create an engaging, high-performing and inclusive workplace

What Success Looks Like

• Strong employee engagement and retention across Retail and Head Office.

• High-quality, commercially focused HR support trusted by leaders.

• Effective management and development of the Chesterfield-based HR Manager and London based HR Coordinator

• Consistent application of HR policies and employment law compliance.

• Successful delivery of people initiatives that support business growth and culture.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to shape the people agenda of a growing fashion brand while making a meaningful impact on the employee experience across the UK business.