HR Advisor

South Staffordshire Plc; Bloxwich; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Family-Friendly Leave

Company Pension

Health & Wellbeing

Cycle to Work

Premier Benefits discounts

Training & development

Job summary

South Staffordshire Group is seeking an experienced HR Advisor to join our People Team and help deliver our people strategy across the Group. You will provide practical HR guidance across the full employee lifecycle, building leadership capability, driving engagement and creating a positive employee experience.

You'll work with People Partners and HR colleagues, influence decision‑making with people data, support organisational objectives and promote a high‑performing, inclusive culture across

Qualifications

• CIPD Level 5 qualified, or equivalent HR experience.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
• Proven experience coaching line managers on a wide range of people matters.
• Experience interpreting people data and HR metrics to identify trends.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert HR advice on employee relations, performance, absence, disciplinary and probation processes.
• Coach and support managers to build confidence and capability in managing people.
• Advise on employment law, policies and HR best practice to ensure compliant decisions.
• Support informal resolution of workplace issues, mediation and conflict resolution where appropriate.
• Collaborate with HR Coordinators to ensure effective case management and employee support.
• Assist with family-friendly leave, flexible working requests and lifecycle activities.
• Partner with leaders to identify development needs and implement solutions.
• Contribute to HR projects, policy development and continuous improvement across the Group.
• Support talent management, workforce planning, recruitment and onboarding activities.

Skills

HR generalist experience

UK employment law knowledge

Coaching managers

Data & metrics literacy

Communication skills

Relationship building

Project management

Education

CIPD Level 5

Job description

We're looking for an experienced and proactive HR Advisor to join our People Team and play a key role in delivering our people strategy across the South Staffordshire Group.

As a trusted advisor to managers and leaders, you'll provide practical, professional HR guidance across the full employee lifecycle, helping to build leadership capability, drive colleague engagement and create a positive employee experience. You'll work closely with People Partners, HR colleagues and stakeholders across a diverse range of businesses, supporting organisational objectives while promoting a high-performance, inclusive culture.

This role offers the opportunity to make a measurable impact on organisational performance by supporting leaders to improve employee engagement, strenthen retention, reduce absence and proactively manage employee relations matters. You'll use people insight, data and HR expertise to influence decision-making and help deliver positive business outcomes.

This is an excellent opportunity for an HR professional who enjoys building strong relationships, coaching managers and making a genuine difference across a complex and diverse organisation.

Why Join Us:

This is an opportunity to join a collaborative and forward-thinking People Team at a time of continued growth and transformation. You'll have the autonomy to influence outcomes, the support to continue your own professional development and the opportunity to make a real impact on colleagues and leaders across the Group.

Whether you're an experienced HR Advisor looking for broader exposure or seeking a pathway towards a future People Partner role, you'll have the opportunity to develop your skills while helping drive positive change across the business.

Key Responsibilities:

• Providing expert HR advice and guidance on employee relations matters, including performance management, absence, disciplinary, grievance and probation processes.
• Coaching and supporting managers to build confidence and capability in managing people effectively.
• Advising on employment law, company policies and HR best practice to ensure fair, consistent and compliant decision-making.
• Supporting the early and informal resolution of workplace issues, including mediation and conflict resolution where appropriate.
• Working closely with HR Coordinators and People Services colleagues to ensure effective case management and excellent employee support.
• Supporting family-friendly leave, flexible working requests and other employee lifecycle activities.
• Partnering with leaders to identify development needs and implement solutions that enhance management effectiveness and employee engagement.
• Contributing to HR projects, policy development and continuous improvement initiatives across the Group.
• Supporting talent management, workforce planning, recruitment and onboarding activities.
• Monitoring and analysing people metrics, identifying trends and supporting proactive interventions.
• Supporting employee engagement initiatives, wellbeing activities and internal people networks.
• Assisting with organisational change, consultation activity, and TUPE-related projects where required.
• Maintaining up-to-date knowledge of employment legislation and HR best practice.

Success Measures:

• Reducing employee relations case volumes through proactive people management, manager coaching and early intervention.
• Supporting colleague retention across the Group, contributing towards our target retention rate of over 85%.
• Driving reductions in unplanned absence and supporting a target of less than 3.5%.
• Increasing colleague engagement and participation in employee engagement surveys and initiatives.

Building leadership capability through effective coaching, guidance and development support

Contributing towards improved employee engagement scores and helping create a positive, inclusive and high-performing workplace culture.

We're looking for someone who can quickly build credibility and establish trusted relationships with managers at all levels.

You'll have:

• Proven experience in an HR Advisor or similar generalist HR role.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
• Experience supporting and coaching line managers on a wide range of people matters.
• Experience interpreting people data and HR metrics to identify trends, inform decision-making and drive continuous improvement.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to manage sensitive and complex situations with professionalism and discretion.
• Experience supporting organisational change, consultation activity, restructures, or TUPE-related projects would be advantageous.
• The ability to influence and challenge constructively while building trusted relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
• A proactive, pragmatic and solutions-focused approach.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• A collaborative and positive attitude with a commitment to continuous improvement.
• High levels of emotional intelligence, resilience and adaptability.
• A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel between sites.

Qualifications

• CIPD Level 5 qualified, or equivalent HR experience.

South Staffordshire Group is an integrated services group that operates across two regulated water supply businesses and offers a range of complementary services and products through its non-regulated divisions: waste, water and infrastructure, compliance, service and software, and water consumption supply and logistics.

Group companies include: South Staffs Water, Cambridge Water, Advanced Engineering Solutions, Hydrosave, G Stow, OnSite, Integrated Water Services, Omega Red, Echo Managed Services, Aptumo, Aqua Direct, and Office Water Coolers.

Benefits

• Family-Friendly Leave: Enhanced Maternity, Adoption, Paternity & Shared Parental Leave, Fertility Support, and up to 5 paid Carer's Days
• - Financial & Life Assurance: Company Pension Scheme with salary sacrifice options
• - Health & Wellbeing: Employee Assistance Programme and 24/7 Virtual GP access for you and your dependents
• - Lifestyle & Perks: Cycle to Work Scheme and My Premier Benefits discounts, cashback, and vouchers
• - Professional Development: Hands-on training and ongoing career development opportunities
• - Inclusion & Belonging: Active People Networks - Disability & Neurodiversity, Unity+, Women's Network, Parent & Carer Networking Group and more
• - Performance & Recognition: Annual salary review, Reward & Recognition Scheme, and Long Service Awards.

At South Staffordshire Group, inclusion matters. We have a wide range of employee networks which are employee-led communities that bring our people together, support different perspectives and create a strong sense of belonging. Our people are encouraged to get involved as members or allies.

We are committed to building a team that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.