HR Adviser

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue; Reading; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

A public sector organization in Reading is seeking an experienced HR Adviser to manage employee relations cases and provide outstanding HR advisory services. The ideal candidate will possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, along with a strong background in HR and employment law. This role is full-time, offering benefits, including a comprehensive leave allowance and a Local Government Pension Scheme.

Benefits

Excellent annual leave allowance of 28 days

Flexible working hours

Onsite gym

Parking facilities

Local Government Pension Scheme

Qualifications

• Experience of supporting all aspects of HR activity.
• Generalist HR background with a good understanding of employment law.
• High level of experience in managing employee relations cases.

Responsibilities

• Manage a complex case portfolio of sickness, discipline, grievance, and performance management.
• Ensure appropriate maintenance of case files and logs in line with GDPR.
• Undertake project work in support of the HR Service Plan.
• Prepare legal documents related to case management.
• Coordinate Subject Access Requests.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Initiative

Ability to manage conflicting deadlines

Experience in HR

Understanding of employment law

Job description

Benefits

Salary: £39,862 - £45,091 per annum, Grade 5

Hours: Full time - 37 hours per week

Location – Service Headquarters, Calcot, Reading

Excellent annual leave allowance of 28 days (excluding Public Holidays), flexible working hours, onsite gym, parking facilities and a Local Government Pension Scheme are available

Other information about our benefits can be found here

At Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, our teams make working here a great experience. We are passionate about employee wellbeing, development, and training. In HR, we play a vital role in helping our teams succeed, by working in partnership with the Service, to create a welcoming and inclusive culture that supports our People Strategy.

The HR Adviser will play a key role in the effective management of employee relations cases and work alongside the wider team to support the delivery of an outstanding HR advisory service to the organisation.

We are seeking a proactive and motivated individual who is able to take initiative and manage conflicting deadlines. You will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills and will be able to apply these to all levels of the organisation. You will have a high level of experience of supporting all aspects of HR activity.

The key focus of this role is:

• To manage a complex case portfolio of sickness, discipline, grievance and performance management issues ensuring robust and timely advice is provided.
• Ensure case files and case logs are maintained appropriately in line with GDPR guidance and internal requirements.
• Undertake project work and participate in working groups in support of the HR Service Plan
• Support in the preparation of legal documents for any case related issues
• Lead on the co-ordination of case related Subject Access Requests.

The key role requirements are detailed in the Job Profile. We are seeking a highly experienced individual who has a generalist HR background and a good understanding of employment law and best practice.

Application and selection process

If you are interested in applying for this position, please indicate your interest. The process includes details in the Job Profile and Personal Specification.

Applicants will be expected to detail their knowledge, skills, and experience against the relevant Personal Specification contained within the Job Profile.

Eligible candidates wishing to apply for this role should apply through the portal, submitting a supporting statement (restricted to 1000 words) detailing how they meet the ‘person specification’ for the role as detailed at the end of the job profile.

Following shortlisting, applicants will be assessed for suitability by means of a role-based task and behavioural / competency-based interview.

Appointment is conditional upon undertaking a Standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

For further details about the role or to simply discuss any adaptations or adjustments we can make to assist you in your application or with our recruitment process please contact Lucy Greenway, Senior HR Adviser Organisational Development by emailing [e-mail] to arrange an informal discussion.

Please note we do not accept applications via Agencies or CVs without an accompanying application form.

Closing date for applications is 0900 Monday 6th October 2025.

It is anticipated that the selection assessment process will run week commencing 20th October 2025.