ABOUT CEDAR GROUP
The Cedar Group is a global platform spanning strategy consulting, FinTech research and media, a FinTech accelerator, and venture capital, with a 70+ year combined track record in financial-services and technology research and consulting. Cedar, founded in 1985, is a global strategy consulting, research and analytics firm advising clients on strategy, process innovation, strategic human capital and business technology, with a strong focus on Financial Services, and a heritage that includes the creators of the Balanced Scorecard.
The Group's UK-headquartered research unit, IBS Intelligence, is a leading pure-play FinTech research, news-analysis and advisory firm; for over 30 years it has been the definitive source of independent analysis of global financial-technology markets, and its annual Sales League Table is the industry barometer of banking-technology suppliers worldwide. The Cedar-IBSi platform also runs Cedar-IBSi FinTech Labs, a BankTech / B2B FinTech accelerator home to 70+ FinTechs since 2017, and an independent venture capital fund, announced in 2023, backing founders building AI-first enterprise technology for Financial Services.
ROLE PURPOSE
The Manager – Human Resources leads HR operations across the Cedar Group, owning the employee lifecycle, engagement, performance, and HR governance for the consulting, research, and investment businesses. The role exists to build a positive, high-performance workplace — running effective onboarding, performance, L&D, and employee-relations processes — and to support leadership with HR insight and a compliant, well-run HR function across a lean, professional environment.
The Manager – HR owns core HR operations across the Group, including onboarding, performance management, engagement, learning and development, policy, and employee relations. Responsibilities span HR process ownership, HRIS and records, HR analytics and reporting, compliance, and support to managers on people matters. The role manages the HR team, partners with function heads across the Group, and supports culture and capability. It handles confidential information with discretion and applies current HR and people-analytics practice to strengthen the employee experience.
HR Operations & Lifecycle
– Own the employee lifecycle including onboarding, confirmation, transfers, and exits.
– Run performance-management, engagement, and learning-and-development processes.
– Maintain HR policies, HRIS, and records with accuracy and compliance.
People Partnering
– Advise and support managers on people matters and employee relations.
– Drive employee engagement, culture, and wellbeing initiatives.
– Provide HR analytics and reporting to inform decisions.
Team & Governance
– Manage and develop the HR team.
– Ensure HR compliance and process governance across the Group.
– Coordinate with function heads and support organisational capability.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related discipline. MBA or postgraduate HR qualification advantageous. Relevant disciplines: Human resources, business administration, or psychology.
Experience: A minimum of 8 years of HR experience across HR operations, employee relations, and performance, including team management, ideally within professional services or a comparable environment.
SKILLS, DOMAIN & COMPETENCIES
Functional & technical skills: HR operations and lifecycle management; Performance management; Employee relations; Learning and development; HRIS and HR analytics; HR policy and compliance; Team leadership; Stakeholder partnering.
Industry & domain knowledge: HR practice and employment norms; Professional-services people models; Engagement and performance frameworks; People analytics.
Behavioral competencies: Integrity, Confidentiality, Stakeholder management, Ownership, Empathy, Decision-making, People development.
Expectations: Lead HR operations and the HR team; Own HR process governance and compliance; Partner with function heads on people matters; Drive engagement, performance, and capability.
Internal: Group leadership, function heads, managers, employees, and the HR team.
External: HR service providers, learning partners, and statutory and compliance bodies.
CAREER PROGRESSION & SUCCESS
Progression: Subject to sustained performance, demonstrated capability, business requirements, and the availability of suitable opportunities, the role may progress towards a senior HR-leadership position.
Success (first 12–18 months): Engagement and retention are strong; HR processes run smoothly and compliantly; Managers are well supported on people matters; HR data and analytics are reliable; The HR team performs and develops.
