HR Advisor

Wales & West Utilities Limited; Newport; Hybrid; GBP 44,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Flexible working

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Pension with Aviva

Life Insurance

Flexible benefits scheme

Financial wellbeing programme

Enhanced parental leave

Retail discounts

Colleague recognition

Living Wage Accredited Employer

Salary review

Discretionary annual bonus

Employee Assistance Programme

Occupational Health Team

Job summary

Wales & West Utilities Limited is seeking a Human Resources (HR) Advisor on a 24-month contract. The role focuses on delivering proactive HR advisory support with emphasis on employee relations casework for Head Office in Newport.

You will collaborate with managers across all functions and ensure compliant, timely HR solutions. Requirements include strong employee relations experience, up-to-date employment legislation knowledge, and CIPD qualifications.

Qualifications

• Experience in employee relations casework and investigations.
• Strong knowledge of current employment legislation and HR best practice.
• Proven communication, coaching, and influencing abilities.

Responsibilities

• Act as main HR interface for business areas, translating needs into HR solutions.
• Support employee relations cases including disciplinary, grievance, performance, and sickness absence with compliant resolution.
• Conduct and support HR investigations with guidance to managers.
• Partner with managers to advise on HR policies and employment law.
• Support recruitment processes ensuring inclusive, candidate-friendly experience.

Skills

Employee relations

Investigations

Employment law

Communication

Coaching

Influencing

Education

CIPD Level 5 or working towards

CIPD Associate member

Tools

SuccessFactors

Job description

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Who are we?

We are a gas distribution business that services the gas infrastructure across Wales and the south-west of England. We serve our customers and communities with safe, reliable, and affordable energy services whilst investing to create a sustainable future to deliver our carbon-free vision for 2050.

What we’re looking for:

We are looking for a Human Resources (HR) Advisor on a 24-month contract to deliver a proactive and professional HR Advisory service, with a primary focus on employee relations case management. The role ensures that WWU's strategic objectives, business plans, and local customer needs are met through effective HR practices and partnership.

This role will act as the dedicated HR Advisor for Head Office, providing day-to-day HR support and guidance to managers and employees across all functions based at this location.

You’ll be relied on to:

• Act as the main HR interface for business areas, translating business needs into effective HR solutions.
• Support a wide range of employee relations cases, including disciplinary, grievance, performance, and sickness absence, ensuring timely and legally compliant resolution
• Conduct and support HR investigations, providing guidance to managers and ensuring fair and consistent processes
• Partner with managers to provide expert advice on HR policies, procedures, and employment legislation.
• Support and guide managers through recruitment processes, both internal and external, ensuring a robust, inclusive, and candidate-friendly experience.

You’ll need to have:

• Strong experience in employee relations casework, including investigations and resolution.
• Solid understanding of current employment legislation and HR best practice.
• Excellent communication, coaching, and influencing skills.
• Analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Experience using SuccessFactors or similar HR systems.
• Experience of working in an operational HR environment is desirable.
• CIPD qualified (Level 5 or working towards is desirable).
• A Member of the CIPD minimum Associate Level.

We would also love to hear about anything else you feel you could add or bring to the role!

As we are a safety critical organisation, all offers of employment are subject to pre-employment drug & alcohol screening.

What you’ll get in return:

• A competitive salary starting at £44,399 rising to £50,740
• Flexible working opportunities
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays which can be tailored to celebrations that reflect your beliefs
• Retirement Savings Plan (pension) with Aviva: 5% employee contribution, with WWU doubling your contribution at 10% - totalling 15%
• 14 x salary Life Insurance linked to membership of the Retirement Savings Plan
• "Choices" flexible benefit scheme options including corporate gym memberships, dental insurance, and health cash-plans
• Access to our Financial Wellbeing Programme - allowing you to manage your benefits flexibly to suit your financial needs
• Enhanced pay for parental leave
• Retail discounts and cashback scheme
• Friends & Family Discount for Three Mobile and Broadband
• Colleague recognition including Annual Celebrating Excellence Awards
• Living Wage Accredited Employer
• Award winning employer for 'Outstanding Contribution to Workplace Health and Wellbeing' and leading the industry in championing equality, diversity and inclusion
• Annual salary review
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Company Sick Pay
• In-house Occupational Health Team
• Employee Assistance Programme

The way we do things

Our Ambition, Priorities and Values inform everything we do as a business – from our strategic planning to the performance management of our colleagues. Our values underpin everything we do and we are committed to creating a working environment that supports and fosters diversity, inclusion and equity, where all of our colleagues feel valued and supported to contribute to their full potential.

We are focused on creating a culture where it doesn't matter about gender, race, sexuality or disability; it's about our colleagues' skills, the way we do things and how we live our values.