Senior HR Adviser

Job role

• Administration, HR, data and finance

Visa sponsorship

Visas cannot be sponsored

Working pattern

Full time, part time

Contract type

Permanent

Full time equivalent salary

£40,958 - £43,697

Senior HR Adviser job summary

Job Title: Senior HR Adviser 

Salary: £40,958 - £43,697 per annum (Grade F) 

Contract Type: Permanent 

Hours: 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday, all year round 

• We recognise that talented HR professionals are looking for flexibility as well as challenge. That's why we're open to discussing a range of working patterns, including a four-day week and flexibility around school holiday working.  
• Core working hours are typically 9am to 5pm. There will be occasions when attendance at meetings outside of standard school hours is required; however, the role offers flexibility to manage your working time accordingly. 

Working Pattern: Hybrid, including home, office and academy-based working 

Location & Travel: You will need a full driving licence and access to your own transport as regular travel between CLF academies and offices across the South West is required, sometimes at short notice. Candidates should be based locally within the region. 

Provisional Start Date: September 2026 (subject to pre-employment checks) 

Your opportunity to lead employee relations across a diverse education community 

Are you an experienced HR professional who enjoys managing complex employee relations cases, influencing senior leaders and finding practical solutions to challenging people issues? 

If you're looking for a role where your expertise can have a real impact across a large and diverse organisation, we'd love to hear from you. 

Join the Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) as a Senior HR Adviser and become part of our Central HR Team. Supporting one of the South West's largest multi-academy trusts, you'll work across primary, secondary, special, alternative and all-through settings, partnering with leaders on some of the Trust's most complex employee relations matters. 

Supporting 37 academies and more than 18,000 learners aged 2 to 19, the CLF is committed to equity, excellence and opportunity for all. We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive organisation and welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences. 

Why this role? 

This is an opportunity to make a real impact across one of the South West's largest and most diverse multi-academy trusts. You'll lead a varied and challenging employee relations caseload, partnering with leaders to resolve complex people matters while helping to create positive workplace cultures where colleagues and students can thrive. 

Working closely with Principals, Headteachers, Executive Leaders and trade union representatives, you'll provide trusted advice, navigate challenging situations and support fair, informed decision-making. Alongside your casework responsibilities, you'll contribute to organisational change activity, wider HR projects and the development of management capability across the Trust. 

In this role, you will: 

• Lead a varied and complex employee relations caseload, providing expert advice on performance, conduct, attendance, capability and other people matters across a diverse range of educational settings. 
• Partner with Principals, Headteachers, Executive Leaders and managers to deliver strategic and operational HR support. 
• Influence decision-making by providing trusted advice, coaching and constructive challenge to leaders at all levels. 
• Build productive relationships with trade union representatives and key stakeholders, supporting consultation, organisational change and workforce planning activity. 
• Support leaders in navigating sensitive and complex situations, balancing organisational risk with practical, people-focused solutions. 
• Enable fair, consistent and legally compliant decision-making through trusted relationships and expert guidance. 
• Contribute to trust-wide HR projects, policy development, service improvements and wider people initiatives across the Federation. 
• Act as a senior member of the HR team, sharing expertise with colleagues and supporting the development of management capability across the Trust. 
• Develop your own career within a collaborative and forward-thinking HR function. 

About you 

You will be an experienced HR professional with strong employee relations expertise and the confidence to support and influence leaders at all levels. 

You will have: 

• Up-to-date knowledge of employment law, HR best practice and employee relations processes. 
• Significant experience managing complex employee relations cases, including investigations, formal hearings, organisational change and consultation processes. 
• The ability to provide pragmatic, solutions-focused advice on sensitive and challenging people matters, balancing organisational risk with positive people outcomes. 
• Experience of coaching, influencing and constructively challenging senior leaders, while building productive relationships with trade union representatives and other stakeholders. 
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to establish credibility quickly and manage difficult conversations effectively. 
• The ability to work autonomously, apply sound judgement and confidently manage sensitive situations. 
• High levels of resilience, emotional intelligence and organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities effectively. 
• CIPD membership, or be working towards professional membership. 
• A full driving licence and access to your own vehicle, with flexibility to travel across the South West as required. 

Desirable: 

• Experience of working within a unionised environment. 
• Experience supporting organisational change, restructures and workforce planning activities. 
• Experience of coaching or mentoring colleagues on employee relations matters. 
• Experience of working across multiple sites and/or within the education sector. 

Applicants are advised to refer to the full job description and person specification before submitting an application. 

What we can offer you 

• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). 
• Generous annual leave entitlement. 
• Comprehensive induction and ongoing career development opportunities. 
• Employee Assistance Programme. 
• Health and wellbeing benefits, including wellness sessions, gym discounts and flu jabs. 
• Enhanced family leave benefits. 
• Cycle to work scheme, on-site parking and a range of additional staff benefits. 

Ready to make an impact? 

If you're looking for a rewarding HR role where you'll lead complex employee relations work and influence decision-making across a large organisation, we'd love to hear from you. 

Your Supporting Statement 

Your supporting statement is an opportunity to demonstrate how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements of the role. We encourage you to focus on relevant examples that showcase your employee relations expertise, ability to influence and support leaders, application of employment law and HR best practice and experience delivering positive people outcomes. 

The supporting statement section is limited to 8,000 characters; however, there is no expectation to use the full allocation.  

Recruitment Timeline 

Closing Date: 9 August 2026 at 11.59pm 

*Interviews: During the advertising period or from w/c 10 August 2026 

*Applications may be reviewed as they are received and we reserve the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.  

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact CLF's Recruitment Team using the details provided on the CLF website. 

Additional Information 

As part of our commitment to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), we do not accept CVs and a full education and employment history must be provided through our application form. 

Please note that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. 

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we are dedicated to equity and inclusion and commit to interviewing applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria. If you are disabled, neurodivergent, or require adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know how we can support you. 

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.Visas cannot be sponsored.If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

The Cabot Learning Federation are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The successful applicant will, in accordance with statutory guidance, be subject to a comprehensive pre-employment checking process including references from current and previous employers, health, right to work in the UK and a child disqualification check. The checks will also include an enhanced DBS check and a further check against the appropriate barred list.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

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