HR Advisor

South Staffs Water; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Family-friendly leave

Pension scheme

Health & wellbeing

Cycle to Work

Professional development

Inclusion networks

Annual salary review

Job summary

South Staffordshire Limited is seeking an experienced HR Advisor to join our People Team in Edmonton, Greater London. You will provide practical HR guidance across the full employee lifecycle, support leaders, manage employee relations, and promote an inclusive, high-performance culture.

This hybrid role requires travel to Bristol and partners closely with People Partners. You'll coach managers, handle case management, stay compliant with UK employment law, and contribute to people projects

Qualifications

• 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 people matters.

Responsibilities

• Providing expert HR advice on employee relations, performance, absence, disciplinary, grievance and probation processes.
• Coaching managers to build capability and confidence in people management.
• Advising on employment law, policies and best practice to ensure compliant decisions.
• Supporting early resolution of workplace issues, including mediation where appropriate.
• Partnering with HR colleagues to ensure effective case management and employee support.
• Managing family-friendly leave, flexible working requests and other lifecycle activities.
• Contributing to HR projects, policy development and continuous improvement across the Group.
• Supporting talent management, workforce planning, recruitment and onboarding.
• Monitoring people metrics and promoting engagement initiatives.
• Assisting with TUPE-related activity when required.

Skills

HR advisory

Employment law

Coaching managers

Stakeholder management

Education

CIPD Level 5

Job description

HR Advisor

Salary: £40,000 - £45,000 per annum (Inclusive of London Weighting) Company Benefits Car Allowance

Location: Edmonton, GreaterLondon (Regular Travel to Bristol Required) Hybrid

Contract: Full Time Permanent 37 hours per week

About Us:

South Staffordshire Limited 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.

The Role:

We're looking for an experienced and proactive HR Advisor to join our People Team and play a key role in delivering our people agenda 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 ensure a positive employee experience. You'll work closely with People Partners, HR colleagues and stakeholders across the business to support organisational objectives while promoting a high-performance, inclusive culture.

This is an excellent opportunity for an HR professional who enjoys building relationships, coaching managers and making a real impact across a diverse 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 and TUPE-related activity where required.
• Maintaining up-to-date knowledge of employment legislation and HR best practice.

Success Measures:

In this role, you'll play a key part in supporting leaders, strengthening people management capability and delivering positive workforce outcomes across your business area. Success will be measured through your contribution towards:

• Reducing the number and complexity of employee relations cases through proactive people management and early intervention.
• Improving colleague retention, supporting the Group's target of maintaining an annual retention rate.
• Driving reductions in unplanned absence, helping achieve a target of less than 3.5%.
• Supporting high levels of colleague participation in employee engagement surveys and initiatives.
• Contributing to improved employee engagement scores, helping create a positive and high-performing workplace culture.

What You'll Need:

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.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to manage sensitive and complex situations with professionalism and discretion.
• 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.

What You’ll Get:

• 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 Limited, 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.

We warmly welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, including all genders, ethnicity, sexual orientations, and physical and neurodiverse abilities.

We are happy to discuss reasonable adjustments and encourage you to let us know how we can best support you throughout the recruitment process.