HR Advisor

West Coast Partnership Development; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A national transportation company is seeking an HR Advisor to provide expert guidance in employee relations and management. This role involves advising line managers, overseeing employee cases, and promoting a strong workplace culture, especially within a unionised context. The ideal candidate will have HR advisory experience and a solid understanding of UK employment law, along with excellent interpersonal skills. The position offers benefits including a pension scheme and free travel for employees and their families.

Benefits

Final Salary Pension Scheme

Free Travel on Avanti West Coast

75% Off Leisure Travel

30 Days Holiday

10 Free Journeys with First Group

Qualifications

• Proven HR advisory experience, ideally in a unionised environment.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and best practices.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to build credibility quickly.
• A proactive, hands-on approach to making a difference.
• Willingness to travel nationally.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert guidance and coaching to line managers on employee management.
• Oversee and advise on employee relations cases for compliance.
• Analyse and present people data for decision-making.
• Deliver HR support for organisational change initiatives.
• Identify and implement HR process improvements.

Skills

HR advisory experience

Knowledge of UK employment law

Interpersonal skills

Proactive approach

Job description

Are you a confident HR professional who thrives on building strong relationships and navigating complex, unionised environments? We’re looking for a HR Advisor to be a visible and trusted partner across our national operations, providing expert guidance to leaders and employees through a collaborative approach.

You’ll deliver professional, proactive HR support and be a trusted advisor to line managers. You’ll advise line managers on and oversee all aspects of employee relations, people and absence management issues while ensuring they understand how their actions impact on our people and performance.

You’ll play a key role in promoting a positive, compliant, and high-performing workplace culture, particularly within a unionised environment where strong relationships and sound judgement are vital.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Trusted Advisor: Provide expert guidance and coaching to line managers on a range of people management issues, including employee relations, absence, and performance management, building capability and ensuring consistent, fair outcomes.
• Case Management: Oversee and advise on all employee relations cases, including ACAS early conciliation and Employment Tribunal preparation, ensuring legal compliance and timely resolution.
• Data-Driven Insight: Analyse and present people data (e.g. absence trends, case volumes, KPIs) to identify risks, support decision-making, and drive continuous improvement.
• Change Support: Deliver HR support for organisational change initiatives, including restructures, redundancies, and ill health capability cases.
• Collaboration & Escalation: Work closely with Strategic HR Business Partners by escalating complex issues and supporting the delivery of people plans and business initiatives.
• Process Improvement: Identify and implement opportunities to enhance HR processes and ways of working within your business area
  
  

What You’ll Bring

• Proven HR advisory experience, ideally within a unionised and multi-site environment.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practices.
• Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to build credibility quickly.
• A proactive, hands-on approach and a passion for making a difference.
• Willingness to travel nationally and be present where it matters most.
  
  

Please review the role profile for more detail.

What’s In It for You?

• Final Salary Pension Scheme
• Free Travel on Avanti West Coast for you and your family
• 75% Off Leisure Travel with other train operators
• 30 Days Holiday, increasing to 37 with service (including bank holidays)
• 10 Free Journeys with other First Group train services
  
  

If you’re ready to lead with impact and help shape the future of rail, we’d love to hear from you.

Please note: We may close this advert early if we receive a strong response, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Be You. With Us.

At Avanti West Coast, we believe our strength comes from the unique perspectives, experiences and backgrounds of our people. We are proud to build a workplace where diversity is embraced, and everyone is supported to thrive.

We welcome individuals of all races, religions, ages, genders, gender identities, sexual orientations and abilities. Our goal is to reflect the communities we serve and create an environment where everyone feels valued and heard.

When you join Avanti West Coast, you become part of a close-knit team that encourages authenticity. We want you to bring your whole self to work. No need to change who you are to fit in. Your individuality is what makes us better.

We celebrate it, we respect it and we put it to great use.