HR Adviser

The City of Liverpool College; West Kirby; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

Aviva pension scheme

Health Assured EAP

Medicash health plan

Life Assurance

Flexible working

Professional development

Staff discounts

Job summary

The City of Liverpool College is seeking an HR Adviser to join the Human Resources team in Liverpool. You will support HR Business Partners, handle employee relations queries, and work across HR to ensure best practice and compliant processes.

Key duties include advising on attendance management, contracts, pay, and providing training and guidance to staff and line managers. The role requires attendance at interviews commencing 9th November 2026 and contributes to the college’s mission and

Qualifications

• Certificate in HR Practice or appropriate equivalent qualification or experience.
• Up to date knowledge and experience of the practical applications of employment law and statutory requirements.
• Experience of working within a busy HR department.
• Experience in preparing formal cases for internal hearings.
• Practical experience in sickness absence management.
• Awareness of main trends in HR and ability to evaluate their practical worth for the College.
• Excellent computer literacy – ability to use current IT programs.
• Ability to organise and prioritise heavy workloads.
• Ability to establish good working relationships with all levels of staff and unions.
• Ability to deliver training as required.

Responsibilities

• Induct and train new employees on self service and online systems.
• Advise managers on HR processes for performance and absence management, probation, job evaluation, flexible working and parental leave.
• Maintain HR systems and provide managers with accurate information.
• Liaise with managers on performance concerns and escalate to HRBP as needed.
• Advise on and process leave requests (maternity, paternity, compassionate, dependants).
• Maintain exit interview documentation and escalate issues as required.
• Advise on conditions of service, pensions and entitlements.
• Support HRBPs in training staff on new processes or legislation changes.
• Act as a positive ambassador for the College with internal and external stakeholders.
• Participate in cross-college activities such as enrolment and invigilation.
• Comply with financial regulations and asset management standards.
• Ensure confidentiality and data protection compliance.

Skills

HR knowledge

Employment law

HR casework

Absence management

Data protection

IT literacy

Workload management

Stakeholder relations

Training delivery

Education

HR Practice Certificate

Job description

HR Adviser

Application Deadline: 1 November 2026

Department: Human Resources

Employment Type: Fixed Term Contract

Location: Liverpool

Reporting To: 26/27-115

Compensation: £34,298 - £36,376 / year

Description

Job Title: HR Advisor

Department: Human Resources

Salary: £34,298-£36,376 pr year Job Type: Permanent, 35 hours per week Interviews to take place week commencing 9th November 2026

The HR Adviser will support the HR Business Partners, providing a professional HR service to line managers and other staff, working across the HR function to ensure that best practice is followed and employee relation issues are managed effectively, as well as contributing to the College’s overall mission and values.

The HR Adviser role will deal with general queries around employee relations, specially around attendance management, contracts of employment and pay, liaising with finance and payroll services as necessary, in addition to providing appropriate support and guidance to staff and line managers on all HR policies and procedures. They will play a leading role in attendance management, ensuring that KPI’s are met, and produce management information to support the HR function as required.

Under the guidance of the HR Business Partners, the post holder will complete appropriate level casework, including absence review meetings and disciplinary/grievance matters.

Key Responsibilities

1. Take responsibility for ensuring that all new employees are inducted and trained in the use of self service and online systems.
2. Provide advice and guidance to managers and staff on the interpretation of HR processes and procedures in relation to people management, to cover performance and absence management, probation, job evaluation, flexible working, paternity and maternity leave.
3. In conjunction with the HR Data Protection and Information Coordinator, ensure all HR systems are maintained and provide managers with accurate information as required.
4. Liaise with managers on performance concerns and ensure issues are addressed, escalating as appropriate to the HRBP.
5. Advising on and processing requests for leave (maternity, paternity, compassionate, dependants and bereavement).
6. Maintain exit interview documentation and completing paperwork as required, escalating any issues as appropriate.
7. Provide advice to managers and staff on conditions of service, pension schemes, entitlements and pre-retirement arrangements.
8. When required, support HRBPs in the training of staff and managers on new processes or legislation changes.
9. Act as a positive ambassador for the College Group, maintaining a professional and positive image within the organisation and to external stakeholders.
10. Participating in cross-college activities such as enrolment, summer recruitment, exam invigilation etc as required.
11. Comply with the College’s financial regulations and other standards for procurement/asset management.
12. Ensure the accuracy and confidentiality of information held within the office and comply with data protection protocols and relevant policies as appropriate.

Professional Practice and Values

1. To contribute fully to the mission and values statement of the College Group ensuring its effective implementation in all aspects of College life.
2. To take a proactive approach and responsibility for personal professional development, Health & Safety, and meeting other regulatory compliances (e.g. GDPR, Safeguarding), thereby enabling safe and professional working practices to be observed at all times.
3. To support cross college actives as required in particular the key enrolment and invigilation periods.
4. Carry out any other relevant and appropriate duties as determined by the needs of the service and as appropriate to the grade.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Essential Criteria

1. Certificate in HR Practice or appropriate equivalent qualification or experience
2. Up to date knowledge and experience of the practical applications of employment law and statutory requirements
3. Experience of working within a busy HR department
4. Experience in preparing formal cases for internal hearings
5. Practical experience in the area of sickness absence management
6. Awareness of the main trends in Human Resources and ability to evaluate their practical worth in the contect of the College
7. Excellent computer literacy – ability to use the current IT programs
8. Ability to effectively organise and prioritise heavy workloads
9. Ability to establish good working relationships with all levels of staff, management and trade unions
10. To deliver training as and when required

Desirable Criteria

1. Proven experience in assisting managers in the resolution of collective and individual grievances and disputes

Please Note This role may close earlier than the advertised deadline if we receive sufficient applications. Early submission is strongly encouraged.

Benefits

Why Join The City of Liverpool College?

As a valued member of our College community, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive range of benefits, dedicated wellbeing support, and meaningful opportunities for professional growth and development.

Here are some of the benefits available to you:

Generous holiday allowance

Up to 30 days annual holiday allowance, plus 1 wellbeing day. You’ll also benefit from 5 to 7 days statutory closure and 2 further days closure at Easter.

Pension Scheme

You'll be part of the Aviva pension scheme, with contributions of up to 10%.

Employee Benefits Platform

As part of your role, you’ll have access to the COLC Employee Benefits Platform, a one-stop hub for a wide range of perks designed to support your wellbeing, work-life balance, and everyday savings. You’ll be able to access discounts at major supermarkets, fashion and lifestyle retailers, tech stores, travel providers, and more. You’ll also benefit from the Cycle to Work Scheme, cinema and leisure discounts and tech and home appliance discounts, with the option of spreading the cost through salary sacrifice. The platform is part of our commitment to supporting you in every aspect of your working life - and beyond.

Health and Wellbeing

As part of our commitment to supporting your health and wellbeing, all employees have access to the Health Assured Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) – a completely confidential support service available 24/7, 365 days a year. Whether you’re facing personal challenges, looking for advice, or simply need someone to talk to, Health Assured is here to help. Through Health Assured, you can access a 24/7 confidential helpline, face to face, online or telephone counselling, as well as structured support for a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, relationships, bereavement, legal and financial concerns. You'll also have access to the online wellbeing portal, asecure, user-friendly platform offering a wide range of self-help resources, health assessments, articles, and guidance covering emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing, and to the Wisdom App, which offers mood trackers and wellbeing tools, meditation guides, fitness videos, and self-help modules as well as daily wellbeing tips.

Medicash Scheme

Access to Medicash health plans – supporting you and your family with enhanced access to treatment, wellbeing services, and expert care whenever you need it. We also offer free flu vaccinations to help keep you feeling your best all year round.

Life Assurance

We offer life assurance to give you and your family added peace of mind - with a benefit of up to three times your annual salary payable in the event of death in service.

Travel

We offer interest-free loans to help you buy annual travel passes from Merseytravel and Merseyrail. That means you can enjoy the savings of up to two months' free travel- without having to cover the full cost upfront. It’s all about making your commute more affordable and less stressful.

Flexible Working

We offer flexible working options depending on business need to support our employee's work-life balance.

Professional Development

We’re passionate about helping you thrive, offering a mix of formal and informal professional development opportunities—designed to sharpen your skills, expand your knowledge, and accelerate your career.

College Benefits

Our excellent sports and fitness facilities can be used free of charge by staff. You can also access a range of discounted hair and beauty treatments at our Academy and Graduate Hair & Beauty Salons, and a staff discount at our Academy Restaurant.