HR Advisory Lead

Safran; West Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

Safran Actuation Systems UK in Wolverhampton is seeking an experienced HR Advisory Lead to provide Tier 2 HR support, advise managers, handle complex employee relations, and ensure compliance with employment law. The role also involves leading the HR Advisory team and delivering a high-quality, customer-focused service in a hybrid environment.

You will collaborate with HR Business Partners, Centres of Excellence, and Shared Services to maintain service standards, governance, and continuous

Qualifications

• Significant experience within an HR Advisory, Employee Relations, HR Shared Services, or HR Operations environment.
• Strong knowledge of employee relations processes and employment legislation.
• Experience managing complex HR queries and casework.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to interpret and apply HR policies consistently and pragmatically.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Proficient in HR systems and case management tools.

Responsibilities

• Act as the lead contact for Tier 2 HR enquiries and escalations received through the Shared Services function.
• Provide advisory support on employee relations matters including disciplinary, grievance, absence management, performance management, flexible working requests, and workplace conduct issues.
• Support managers throughout the employee relations process, ensuring fair and consistent application of policies.
• Assist with investigations, hearings, documentation, and case management activities.
• Escalate high-risk or complex cases to senior HR colleagues where appropriate.
• Maintain accurate and confidential case records and documentation.

Skills

HR advisory experience

Employee relations

Shared services

HR operations

Education

CIPD Level 5

Tools

HR systems

Job description

HR Advisory Lead

Location: Wolverhampton

Working Pattern: Hybrid

Your Role

The HR Advisory Lead oversees Tier 2 HR support, providing expert advice to employees and managers, handling complex HR queries and employee relations cases, and ensuring compliance with company policies, employment law, and best practice. The role serves as the key escalation point while delivering a high-quality, consistent, and customer-focused HR service.

At Safran, excellence is a journey - and we'd love you to be a part of it. As a trusted global leader in aerospace, defence, and space, we are proud to be a company where diversity, innovation, and opportunity come together to shape a sustainable future where we can all succeed together through a shared vision.

Safran Actuation Systems UK is a world class centre for the design, manufacture and support of actuation and flight control solutions used across commercial, military and rotary platforms. With major sites in Wolverhampton and Banbury, our teams play a critical role in delivering innovative, reliable and safe systems that keep aircraft performing at their best.

Our UK Actuation business brings together engineering excellence, advanced manufacturing capability and a proud heritage within the aerospace sector. Whether supporting major global programmes or developing the next generation of actuation technologies, our people are at the heart of everything we do.

Key Responsibilities

HR Advisory and Escalations

• Act as the lead contact for Tier 2 HR enquiries and escalations received through the Shared Services function.
• Provide expert guidance and advice to employees and managers on HR policies, procedures, and employment practices.
• Resolve complex HR queries within agreed service levels, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and compliance.
• Identify trends in employee enquiries and recommend improvements to processes, policies, and knowledge resources.
• Support the development and maintenance of HR knowledge articles, guidance documents, and standard operating procedures.

Employee Relations Support

• Provide advisory support on employee relations matters including disciplinary, grievance, absence management, performance management, flexible working requests, and workplace conduct issues.
• Support managers throughout the employee relations process, ensuring fair and consistent application of policies.
• Assist with investigations, hearings, documentation, and case management activities.
• Escalate high-risk or complex cases to senior HR colleagues where appropriate.
• Maintain accurate and confidential case records and documentation.

Service Delivery and Governance

• Ensure HR advisory services are delivered in line with agreed service standards, KPIs, and compliance requirements.
• Monitor case volumes, resolution times, and service performance metrics.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and support implementation of service enhancements.
• Ensure adherence to employment legislation, organisational policies, and data protection requirements.
• Support audit and governance activities relating to HR service delivery.

Stakeholder Management

• Build effective working relationships with managers, employees, HR Business Partners, Centres of Excellence, and Shared Services teams.
• Provide coaching and guidance to managers to enhance people management capability.
• Act as a trusted advisor on routine and moderately complex people matters.
• Collaborate with wider HR teams to ensure seamless employee support and issue resolution.

Team Leadership and Development

• Provide day-to-day guidance and support to HR Advisors and team members where applicable.
• Share best practice and promote consistency across advisory services.
• Support onboarding, training, and capability development within the HR Advisory team.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and customer service excellence.

Key Skills and Experience

Essential

• Significant experience within an HR Advisory, Employee Relations, HR Shared Services, or HR Operations environment.
• Strong knowledge of employee relations processes and employment legislation.
• Experience managing complex HR queries and casework.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to interpret and apply HR policies consistently and pragmatically.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Experience working within a service delivery or shared services environment.
• Proficient in HR systems and case management tools.

Desirable

• CIPD Level 5 qualification or equivalent experience.
• Experience leading or mentoring HR advisory teams.
• Experience within a large, multi-site, or matrix organisation.

Key Competencies

• Customer Focus
• Employee Relations Expertise
• Decision Making and Judgement
• Influencing and Stakeholder Management
• Problem Solving
• Resilience and Adaptability
• Continuous Improvement
• Attention to Detail
• Collaboration and Teamwork

If you're ready to take your career to new heights and be part of a company that's crafting the future of flight,