HR & Talent Manager at Blue Array
Shape how we hire, grow and look after our people 🚀
Are you an experienced HR generalist who loves recruitment and wants a role where you can make a real difference? At Blue Array, we're looking for a Talent & HR Manager to own the full employee lifecycle, lead our hiring and be the go-to person for people questions across the business.
It's an exciting time to join us. We're growing, and this role puts you at the heart of building the team that gets us there.
Hours and salary
We’re open to full-time or part-time. For part-time, we’re looking for 25 to 30 hours a week, ideally spread across five days (for example, 9.30 am to 2.30 pm), but we’re flexible on the pattern. Tell us what works for you.
£35,000 to £50,000 FTE depending on experience, pro rata for part-time.
About the role
Our people are driven, passionate and ambitious, and they care about doing great work for our clients. This role is about helping them do their best work, and taking the pressure of people challenges off our Heads of Department and Team Leads so they can focus on leading their teams.
This is a hands-on, all-round generalist role for someone who likes to get stuck in. Recruitment is a big part of it, and you'll also cover everything from onboarding to policy, compliance, and employee wellbeing.
What you'll do
You'll lead recruitment day-to-day, support our people and managers, and make sure our HR practices are compliant, consistent and people-first. Your role will include:
- Talent acquisition: Manage all recruitment activity, from advertising roles on our website and external job boards to screening applicants and arranging interviews with internal teams. You'll build and manage a strong pipeline of candidates at every level, from junior to senior, to support our growth.
- Onboarding and the employee lifecycle: Make sure everyone joining us has a fantastic experience before and after their first day. You'll be on hand for ongoing support, handle contract amendments, and run exit interviews and offboarding for leavers.
- Advising managers and leaders: Be the first port of call for line managers and the senior leadership team on HR matters. You'll coach and train managers to handle difficult conversations with confidence, and step in to help with people challenges when needed.
- Absence and wellbeing: Manage sickness absence and return to work, and review how and when absence triggers are applied. You'll monitor employee satisfaction and recommend improvements to the right people.
- Performance and development: Coordinate our biannual reviews and calibration sessions, making sure they run smoothly and fairly.
- Policy and compliance: Create and update our policies and employee handbook in line with current employment law. You'll own legal compliance, working closely with our external HR consultancy.
- HR systems and reporting: Manage our HRIS, keep it up to date and train the team to use it. You'll look after confidential and sensitive documentation in line with privacy legislation, and develop our HR reporting, looking for smart ways to automate it.
- Payroll support: Support payroll processes as needed.
Who you are
We know that great candidates don't always tick every box. If you're excited about this role and our mission, we'd love to hear from you, even if you don't meet every single requirement.
Some qualities and experience that will help you succeed:
- A CIPD Level 3 qualification as a minimum, ideally Level 5.
- Strong, proven recruitment experience. This is a must.
- A solid generalist HR background across the full employee lifecycle.
- Up-to-date knowledge of UK employment law.
- A clear, direct communicator who gives honest feedback with care.
- Confidence in handling tough conversations and training others to do the same.
- Mental Health First Aid trained, or happy to become so.
- A people-first approach, with a good understanding of the commercial side of an agency.
- The ability to work at pace, adapt quickly and tackle challenges proactively.
- Desirable: experience in customer service or operations.
- Desirable: experience using an HRIS. BambooHR is a bonus.
If you're ready to make a real difference to how a growing agency hires, develops and looks after its people, we'd love to talk to you!
Please note: We can only consider applicants who have the right to work in the UK and are currently based in the UK, as we are unable to offer sponsorship at this time.
Who we are
Blue Array is the UK's most popular and largest specialist SEO agency.
We pride ourselves on doing things differently from others in our industry, providing open, honest and actionable SEO consultancy to our clients. Regular communication and insights are core to our service, and exceptional client satisfaction is the main reason we continue to grow so quickly.
We work with some of the world’s most exciting brands, such as RAC, Cannaray, Crew, Ben Sherman, WatchFinder, Penfold, Pepper Money, Help for Heroes and many more.
We’re incredibly proud to have been named European SEO Agency of the Year and UK SEO Agency of the Year in 2026. We were also named SEO Agency of the Year at the UK Digital Growth Awards 2024. In 2025, we won Best SEO Campaign with Pepper Money and Best Local Campaign with RAC at the UK Agency Awards.
We're a certified B Corp and an accredited Living Wage Employer, and we won Best Employee Development Programme at the Company Culture Awards.
We believe in People, Planet and Profit, in that order.
Our perks and benefits
- A competitive salary based on experience, with biannual bonus opportunities and a pension.
- 36 days' holiday a year (pro rata), inclusive of public holidays, plus your birthday off.
- Flexible working, with time at our Reading HQ.
- The option to work overseas for up to a month each year.*
- A Work.Life membership allowance, so you can work from any Work.Life space across the UK.
- An open-plan, dog-friendly office in Reading.
- Plenty of socials throughout the year, including our summer and winter parties.
- 3 charity days a year to support causes that matter to you.
- Cycle-to-work and electric vehicle schemes.*
- A range of parental leave and benefits policies, including enhanced family leave and paid dependants leave.
Health and wellbeing
- Private medical insurance.*
- Free gym membership.*
- An employee assistance programme to support you whenever you need it.
- Sickness pay beyond the statutory allowance.
Personal development
- Plenty of internal training and development opportunities to help you grow your career.
- Free access to the Blue Array Academy.
- A personal development budget.
- Regular BA Sessions and knowledge-sharing workshops, so you can learn from the people around you.
*After passing probation
Be you, with us!
At Blue Array, we are all different, and that's what makes us great! We hire talented people with different backgrounds, stories and perspectives, because it's the right thing to do and because it makes us stronger.
We're actively working to increase diversity in our teams and management positions. Our ambition is to create an inclusive environment where we can all be ourselves together.
Application process
Our recruitment process is designed to help us get to know you and for you to get to know us:
- First stage interview: a short call with our People team to learn more about you and your experience, and to tell you more about the role.
- Second stage interview: an in-person interview, including a more in-depth presentation task.
- Final stage interview: a short call with our CEO and Founder, Simon.
What's next?
If this sounds like you, you're on your way to joining a forward-thinking industry leader and a team of talented, like-minded people. Simply send us your CV, and we'll be in touch.
To find out how we use your data for recruitment, please visit https://www.bluearray.co.uk/recruitment-privacy/.
We have a strict no-recruitment-agencies policy.
