HR Advisor

NHS Trust; Manchester; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) is recruiting a HR Advisor (Band 5) in Manchester. You will support Employee Relations work including sickness absence, disciplinary and grievances, while contributing to engagement, communications and wellbeing initiatives.

The role requires adaptability, strong relationship-building, and the ability to prioritise conflicting demands across medical and non-medical staff.

Qualifications

• Has HR operational experience across all aspects of employment relations practice.
• Experience handling sickness absence, disciplinary, and grievance cases.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality HR service to Divisions and Directorates.
• Support HR Director and HR Business Partners in employment relations matters.
• Ensure compliance with policies and employment legislation.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Verbal and written communication

Prioritisation

Negotiation

Partnership working

Education

Postgraduate CIPD qualification

CIPD student membership

Degree qualification

Job description

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Main area Human Resources Grade NHS AfC: Band 5 Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Flexible working

37.5 hours per week (5 days per week, Monday - Friday) Job ref 349-MRI-8278925-RL4

Site Manchester Royal Infirmary Town Manchester Salary £32,073 - £39,043 per annum / pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 08/11/2026 23:59

Job overview

The MRI HR & OD team are recruiting to a HR Advisor (Band 5) role. Working within our friendly team, the postholder will undertake Employee Relations work (Sickness Absence / Disciplinary / Grievance etc) alongside elements of our engagement, comms and well-being agenda, to ensure a varied role with opportunities to broaden experience.

The ability to adapt, build relationships and quickly gain the confidence of managers, clinicians and staff across the service will be key. You must be able to demonstrate HR operational experience of dealing with HR issues across all aspects of employment relations practice. As an effective team member you will also be used to working with others to achieve results, and have the ability to prioritise conflicting demands.

Main duties of the job

You will support the Director of HR & OD and HR Business Partners with the provision of a high quality, professional, proactive and efficient HR service to Divisions and Directorates, through consistent application of the Trust’s policies and procedures, employment legislation and flexible approaches to employment, appropriate to the needs of MRI.

You will support the Director of HR & OD and HR Business Partners in ensuring the comprehensive management of employment relations matters, for both medical and non-medical staff providing a professional service that meets all legislative and policy

Working for our organisation

Join Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), the largest provider of specialist services, and our Oxford Road Campus in Manchester, the largest health academic campus in Europe – a great place to shape your career.
With a workforce of over 30,000 colleagues, we work together to deliver exceptional care to more than 1 million people every year.
Behind every patient cared for are people like you - keeping services running smoothly, supporting clinical teams, and helping create safe, welcoming environments for patients and our people alike.
At MFT, we believe in the power of teamwork, respect, and inclusion. Our People Plan reflects our commitment to making MFT a place where everyone feels they belong, where your ideas are heard, and your contribution is truly valued. Join us and work smarter with our digital technology and thrive in a collaborative culture that empowers you to deliver your best to ensure that your work behind the scenes creates seamless, high-quality care and exceptional patient outcomes.
Whether you're just starting out or looking to grow, we offer clear pathways for development and a culture that supports your wellbeing, ambition, and success. Everything you do makes a real difference to the lives of others.
At MFT, your role matters, your impact is real, and you’re part of something bigger from day one.

Explore ‘Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place’

To help you feel confident, prepared and fully informed before you apply, we invite you to explore Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place. This welcoming one‑stop hub gives you a real sense of who we are, what we stand for, how we reward and support you, and the many ways we care for you as you care for others. You’ll also find practical hints and tips for submitting a great application, along with the essential information you need to know before you apply.

We welcome applications from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.
To help us manage applications fairly and give each one the time it deserves, our adverts may close early if we receive a high level of interest. Early applications are therefore encouraged.

Diversity Matters
MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application

Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, we’re proud to be ALL HERE FOR YOU, for our patients, our communities, and each other.
As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your application, especially personal statements and responses to role specific questions is written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

As part of our commitment to safeguarding patients and staff, many roles at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. This is a standard process across the NHS and helps us ensure a safe environment for everyone.

What is a DBS Check?

A DBS check is a background check that reveals any criminal convictions, cautions, reprimands, or warnings. The level of check required depends on the role:

Standard DBS : Checks for spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands, and final warnings.

Enhanced DBS : Includes the above, plus any additional information held by local police that’s considered relevant to the role.

Enhanced with Barred Lists: Includes all of the above, plus checks against the children’s and/or adults’ barred lists.

Who Needs a DBS Check

Most roles involving direct patient contact, working with children or vulnerable adults, or access to sensitive information will require a DBS check. The job advert and recruitment team will let you know if this applies to your role.

The Costs for a DBS

At Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), roles that require a DBS check are subject to a cost recovery policy. This means that the cost of submitting and processing a DBS application if you are successful and join us, will be deducted from your salary within the first three months of employment. If, however, you withdraw from a conditional offer after the DBS process has begun, you will still be liable for the cost incurred.

Candidates are also expected to register with the DBS Update Service which must be completed within 30 days of the certificate being issued. This helps streamline future employment checks and supports safer recruitment practices. For more information, please visit the DBS Update Service.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Successfully completed first year CIPD qualification (Postgraduate Diploma in HRM) or equivalent relevant professional qualification
• Student Membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
• High level of general education: Degree qualified or equivalent.

Knowledge

• An understanding of the national NHS agenda and the Human Resource contribution.
• A knowledge and understanding of employment legislation and employment issues.
• An understanding of the principles of change management and contribution of the HR function to transformational change.
• Knowledge of Medical Staffing employment issues

Further Training

• Demonstrate through CPD, employment law updates and various other training courses an up to date knowledge of HR/Personnel practices & Change Management
• Agenda for Change Job Evaluation training

Experience

• Has gained HR operational experience of dealing with HR issues across all aspects of employment relations practice including disciplinary, grievances, bullying and harassment complaints, sickness absence and performance capability
• Developing and maintaining positive partnerships with trade union representatives and senior managers.
• NHS experience
• Supervisory experience

Personal Attributes

• Effective interpersonal skills.
• Effective communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Self-motivated.
• Ability to prioritise conflicting demands and delegate as appropriate
• Developed negotiation and influencing skills.
• Commitment to partnership working

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.