HR Advisor (Confidential)

Senior HR Advisor – Engagement and Development Contract: Long-term fixed-term maternity cover Duration: Approximately 12–15 months Salary: Up to £50,000 Completion bonus: £3,000, subject to completing the contract Location: Southampton or London Working pattern: Full time, Monday to Friday Hybrid working: 60% office attendance and 40% home working We are partnering with a highly regarded professional services organisation to recruit a commercially astute Senior HR Advisor for a long-term maternity-cover contract. This is a broad and influential position encompassing employee relations, employment law, policy development, learning and development, employee engagement, inclusion and wellbeing. The successful candidate will join an experienced and collegiate HR team during an important period of organisational and cultural development. This is not a narrow employee-relations case-management role. The organisation is seeking a pragmatic HR professional who can balance legal compliance, employee needs and commercial priorities. The Role You will provide professional and commercially focused HR advice to senior stakeholders, managers and employees. Responsibilities will include: • Managing employee-relations matters from beginning to end • Advising on performance, capability and probation • Managing sickness absence and wellbeing-related cases • Supporting disciplinary and grievance processes • Advising on flexible-working applications • Preparing investigation reports and outcome documentation • Coaching managers through sensitive employee matters • Maintaining accurate case records • Encouraging early and effective resolution • Conducting exit interviews and identifying recurring themes • Advising managers on policies and people-management frameworks The ER workload is not exceptionally high volume, but matters can be sensitive, nuanced and commercially significant. Employment Law and Policy You will act as a key employment-law and policy specialist within the HR team. This will include: • Monitoring changes to UK employment legislation • Keeping abreast of relevant case-law developments • Briefing colleagues and senior stakeholders • Reviewing and updating existing HR policies • Drafting new policies and guidance • Assessing how legislative changes affect wider processes • Planning policy reviews around implementation dates • Translating legal requirements into practical business advice The successful person will be able to go beyond explaining what the law says. You will consider: • Commercial risk • Employee impact • Organisational culture • Operational practicality • Internal precedent • Longer-term consequences Learning and Development The role also includes meaningful responsibility for employee and professional development. You will: • Lead the new-starter induction experience • Manage trainee and professional qualification processes • Act as a point of contact for trainees • Liaise with managers, professional bodies and examination boards • Coordinate mandatory, compliance and professional training • Monitor qualification and examination timelines • Support career-development pathways • Contribute to the design and delivery of training Engagement, Inclusion and Wellbeing Working with the wider HR team and relevant senior sponsors, you will: • Support employee-engagement initiatives • Coordinate inclusion and awareness activity • Assist with wellbeing programmes • Support an internal Mental Health First Aider network • Promote positive employee initiatives • Contribute to wider HR and organisational-development projects About You The ideal candidate will have approximately five to six years’ broad HR experience and be able to demonstrate: • CIPD Level 5 or equivalent experience • Strong and current UK employment-law knowledge • End-to-end management of sensitive or complex ER matters • Experience advising senior stakeholders • Policy drafting and review experience • Confidence interpreting legislation • Excellent written communication • Strong influencing and relationship-building skills • Experience designing or delivering training • High levels of discretion and emotional intelligence • The ability to remain calm in challenging situations • Sound commercial judgement • Confidence challenging senior people appropriately • The ability to work autonomously while seeking input when required Experience within professional services, legal, accountancy, consultancy, financial services or another complex corporate environment would be advantageous. Candidates who have worked within partnership, matrix or regulated organisations are particularly encouraged to apply. The Right Approach The organisation is looking for someone who can listen to a stakeholder’s preferred course of action, assess the risks and return with a balanced recommendation. You will not simply follow an instruction because it came from a senior person, nor apply a process without considering the wider context. The successful candidate will be: • Pragmatic • Commercially minded • Thoughtful • Solutions-focused • Confident without being self-important • Comfortable challenging constructively • Patient during organisational change • Able to work effectively with differing views and priorities Location The preferred base is Southampton, with hybrid working available. London-based candidates may also be considered, provided they are comfortable working regularly from the London office and travelling to Southampton approximately once a week. Travel between UK offices will be required. Why Apply? • Broad and varied Senior HR Advisor remit • Meaningful exposure to senior stakeholders • Lead responsibility for employment law and policy • Interesting and sensitive ER work • Involvement in organisational and cultural change • Responsibility for learning and professional development • Exposure to engagement, inclusion and wellbeing • Supportive and experienced HR team • A substantial completion bonus • Potential for longer-term opportunity, although this cannot be guaranteed Applicants must be available to commit to the full fixed-term contract. Please apply with your CV for immediate consideration.