Job Description

Job Title: HR Manager

Location:

Hybrid (Kent - Appledore / Hunton)

Reports to:

Chief Financial Officer / Chief Operating Officer

Direct Reports:

None

About Us

We're Gusbourne - an award-winning English fine wine producer based in the heart of Kent. Our vision is simple: to craft the finest wines in the world.

As a luxury brand, excellence is at the core of everything we do. We create vintage-only wines that reflect the character of each growing season, and we take pride in our meticulous attention to detail across the vineyard, winery and beyond.

Our people are the foundation of our success. We work collaboratively, embrace tradition while challenging convention, and remain committed to building a sustainable future.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an HR Manager to join Gusbourne in a standalone capacity--driving our people strategy, supporting our teams, and enhancing the employee experience across all sites.

Role Purpose

The HR Manager will lead and deliver the full spectrum of HR operations and strategy at Gusbourne. Operating independently, you will provide expert guidance to leaders, support our people through every stage of their employment, and ensure that our HR frameworks evolve in line with the needs of a dynamic, multi-site business.

This role combines hands-on HR management with strategic influence, shaping culture, developing people capability, and ensuring that HR practices are compliant, modern, and aligned with our values.

Key Accountabilities

People Operations & Compliance

Manage the full employee lifecycle--from recruitment and onboarding to offboarding and exit processes. Ensure all HR practices comply with UK employment law, GDPR, and internal policy. Maintain and optimise HR systems (e.g. Evalu-8), ensuring reliable data, documentation, and reporting. Oversee absence and leave management, including return-to-work and long-term absence support. Work closely with payroll and finance teams to ensure accurate and timely information flow.

Employee Relations & Advisory

Provide credible, pragmatic advice to leaders and managers on employee relations, performance and conduct. Lead and resolve ER matters, ensuring fairness, consistency, and positive outcomes. Coach managers to develop their people leadership capability.

Talent, Learning & Development

Lead recruitment for all roles, ensuring a positive candidate and hiring manager experience. Design and deliver onboarding processes that set new starters up for success. Identify training needs and coordinate development opportunities, including leadership and compliance training. Support succession planning, performance review cycles and objective-setting across the company.

Culture, Engagement & Wellbeing

Champion our culture, values, and ways of working across all teams. Develop and deliver engagement initiatives that promote collaboration, inclusion and wellbeing. Support organisational development and change projects, ensuring effective communication and stakeholder engagement.

Key Relationships

Executive and Senior Leadership Team Line Managers across Vineyard, Winery, Production, Hospitality and Commercial functions All employees across multi-site operations Payroll and finance teams External legal, training and benefits partners

Role Requirements

Proven experience operating in an HR generalist or standalone role Strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice Demonstrable experience managing employee relations cases end-to-end Confident advising and influencing managers and senior stakeholders Excellent communication, interpersonal and relationship-building skills Highly organised, with strong attention to detail and the ability to prioritise effectively Comfortable working independently across hybrid and multi-site environments Experience using HR systems and producing accurate reporting CIPD Level 7 qualification (or working towards) Strong understanding of talent development, succession planning and employee engagement

Behaviours & Competencies

Ethical Practice:

Acts with integrity, fairness and professionalism.

Values-Led Leadership:

Role models Gusbourne's core values.

Collaborative Partner:

Builds trust and influence with colleagues at all levels.

Strategic Thinker:

Aligns HR activity with long-term business goals.

Communication Excellence:

Clear, confident and adaptable communicator.

Resilience & Adaptability:

Remains composed and effective during change and challenge.

Continuous Improvement:

Identifies and leads opportunities for enhancement.

Commercial Awareness:

Balances people priorities with operational realities.

Inclusive Mindset:

Champions diversity, equality and inclusion.

Coaching & Development:

Supports and upskills managers through guidance and training.

Rewards & Benefits

A fulfilling and influential role in a premium, growing industry 25 days holiday + bank holidays Additional holiday for long service 5% employer pension contribution Healthcare Staff wine allowance and birthday gift Training and development support Cycle to Work Scheme Invitations to staff events, including summer socials and Christmas celebrations

Working Pattern & Salary

Full-time, 35 hours per week (flexible working requests are welcomed and will be considered in line with business requirements). Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm Competitive salary, dependent on experience Hybrid working with regular travel across both Kent sites

How to Apply

Please send your CV and covering letter to recruitment@gusbourne.com by Friday 9 January 2026.
(No agencies, please.)

At Gusbourne, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and will provide reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

Job Type: Full-time

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Ashford TN26 2BE