HR Consultant

Nockolds Solicitors Limited; Bishop's Stortford; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Private Healthcare

Royal London Pension Scheme

Annual Discretionary Bonus Scheme

Hybrid Working Policy

Job summary

Nockolds Solicitors Limited is seeking a commercially minded HR Consultant to deliver pragmatic, client‑facing HR advisory services for the Employment Team. You will work with clients to diagnose needs, design HR programs, draft policies and support organisational change.

Join a friendly, inclusive firm with a hybrid working model and a strong commitment to staff development, equality and wellbeing. This role offers flexibility for part‑time patterns where appropriate.

Qualifications

• Commercially minded HR professional with generalist experience.
• CIPD Level 5 qualification or equivalent experience.
• Experience advising clients, diagnosing business needs and delivering practical HR solutions.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work across a varied client base.

Responsibilities

• Deliver professional, commercially focused HR consultancy to clients.
• Act as trusted advisor, understanding client priorities, culture and risks.
• Draft contracts, policies, and guidance tailored to client needs.
• Support investigations, employee relations, and change management projects.
• Manage client expectations, budgets and project deliverables.

Skills

HR Consultancy

Generalist HR

Client advisory

Microsoft 365

HR systems

Education

CIPD Level 5

Tools

Microsoft 365

Job description

Nockolds is an award-winning law firm driven by a genuine passion for providing exceptional service and delivering the highest quality legal advice while staying true to the values that have shaped us.

We pride ourselves on forming strong, lasting connections with our clients, built on trust, understanding and a commitment to supporting them whenever they need us. Many of our clients return to us time and again because of the personal relationships we’ve developed.

As a leading Legal 500 and Chambers Law firm with offices in Bishop’s Stortford, London, and Spain, we are proud of the reputation we’ve built. Our history spans more than 190 years, but we continue to grow and evolve cementing our reputation for delivering exceptional results across a wide range of practice areas. Joining Nockolds means being part of a dynamic, growing, and forward-thinking organisation dedicated to excellence in legal practice and client services.

Our culture is at the heart of everything we do, it’s enabled us to expand whilst remaining a friendly, supportive, and inclusive environment where you can grow, feel valued, and be encouraged to bring your best self to work every day. We are listed in the Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For and have held the “We Invest in People – Gold” accreditation since 2012 and recently attained the “We Invest in Wellbeing – Silver” award, reflecting our genuine commitment to our people.

We firmly believe our staff are our most important asset. Our philosophy is simple: when we look after our people, they look after our clients.

At Nockolds, our culture is driven through our values. These are an important part of the firm and were shaped by our people and lived by us all:

• We are Professional – we are excellent at what we do and committed to providing the highest standard of service.
• We are Approachable – we pride ourselves on the strong relationships we build with our clients.
• We are Dynamic – proud of our history but we are always moving forward.
• We have Integrity – quite simply, we believe in always doing the right thing.

We also care about the community around us. Through our charity initiatives and work with local schools and businesses, we aim to make a positive difference. Diversity is a core part of who we are, and we’re proud that over 40% of our partnership is made up of women.

About the Role

To deliver professional, commercially focused and pragmatic HR consultancy services to existing and prospective clients, helping clients manage people issues, strengthen organisational capability and achieve their business objectives. The HR Consultant will work closely with the Employment Team to provide a coordinated service while maintaining clear boundaries between HR consultancy and reserved or specialist legal advice.

You will be responsible for:

• Act as a trusted HR adviser to a portfolio of clients, building a detailed understanding of each client’s organisation, commercial priorities, culture and people risks.
• Provide practical HR guidance on disciplinary and grievance processes, performance and capability, sickness absence, family-related leave, flexible working, workplace relationships, conduct and day-to-day employee relations matters.
• Support clients with investigations, consultation meetings and other employee relations processes, including on-site or remote support where appropriate.
• Draft and review contracts of employment, staff handbooks, HR policies, procedures, letters, guidance notes and templates tailored to the client’s needs, subject to legal review where required.
• Explain options, risks and practical consequences clearly, record the client’s instructions and ensure that agreed actions and responsibilities are understood.
• Produce clear, accurate and commercially practical written guidance, meeting notes, action plans and project documentation.
• Respond promptly to client calls and emails in accordance with agreed service levels and maintain appropriate records of advice and actions.
• Design and deliver proportionate HR projects for clients, which may include organisational design, restructures, change management, workforce planning and people strategy.
• Support culture, engagement, retention, wellbeing, reward, recognition, leadership and management-development initiatives.
• Undertake HR audits and compliance reviews, identify gaps and prepare prioritised, practical recommendations.
• Develop performance-management frameworks, competency arrangements, appraisal processes and manager toolkits.
• Support HR systems implementation, process improvement, data quality, management information and appropriate HR reporting.
• Plan project scope, deliverables, milestones, dependencies, fees and client responsibilities, and elevate any deviation promptly.
• Nurture and develop relationships with retained and project clients, acting as an accessible and responsive point of contact.
• Lead regular client review meetings to assess service use, progress, emerging needs, deliverables and client satisfaction.
• Manage expectations and provide timely updates on progress, costs, risks and changes to scope.
• Identify opportunities to provide further relevant HR support or make an appropriate referral to the Employment Team or another part of the firm.
• Handle concerns constructively and elevate complaints, service issues or material risks in accordance with firm procedures.
• Contribute to a seamless client experience across HR consultancy and employment legal services.
• Administer and update the approved HR software portal for clients, including client onboarding, authorised system amendments and user support.
• Carry out agreed compliance checks, which may include right-to-work, driving-licence and role‑specific record checks, using approved processes and within the agreed scope.
• Maintain complete, accurate, secure and contemporaneous client and project records.
• Handle personal data in accordance with UK data protection law, client instructions, contractual obligations and firm policies.
• Apply equality, inclusion and fair‑treatment principles when advising clients and designing HR processes.
• Recognise potential safeguarding, health and safety, data, regulatory or reputational concerns and refer them promptly to the appropriate person.
• Prepare clear scopes of work, fee estimates and proposals within delegated authority, obtaining approval where required.
• Record time and activity accurately and promptly in accordance with team requirements.
• Manage work with regard to budgets, profitability, value, utilisation and the terms of the client engagement.
• Monitor scope and resource requirements and obtain approval before undertaking material additional work.
• Contribute to client retention, sustainable revenue growth and the effective management of the consultancy service.
• Develop relationships with prospective clients, understand their needs and recommend appropriate services.
• Network professionally to promote Nockolds HR, the Employment Team and the wider firm.
• Identify and progress appropriate new‑business, cross‑referral and service‑development opportunities.
• Work with the marketing team to produce articles, blogs, newsletters, website content, social media content and client campaigns.
• Contribute to seminars, webinars, training sessions, pitches and events, including presenting where appropriate.
• Represent the firm and Nockolds HR accurately, positively and in accordance with brand and social media policies.
• Work within personal competence, the agreed client scope and delegated authority, seeking support whenever an issue is novel, complex or high risk.
• Comply with the firm’s policies and procedures, applicable quality standards, information security requirements and client confidentiality obligations.
• Identify and elevate conflicts, complaints, data incidents, legal‑risk issues, errors, missed deadlines and other material concerns immediately.
• Ensure advice and materials are accurate, evidence‑based, inclusive and appropriately tailored rather than relying on generic templates.
• Use artificial intelligence and other emerging technology only where approved and in accordance with firm policies on confidentiality, data handling, verification, transparency and professional responsibility.
• Maintain professional knowledge through appropriate continuing professional development and awareness of changes affecting HR practice.

About You

You will be a commercially‑minded HR professional with strong generalist experience and a proven ability to manage complex employee relations matters. CIPD Level 5 qualified (or equivalent experience), you’ll be confident advising clients, diagnosing business needs and delivering practical, people‑focused solutions. You’ll be an excellent communicator with strong Microsoft 365 and HR systems skills, able to build trusted relationships, manage sensitive issues and work effectively across a varied client base. A client‑focused, organised and adaptable approach is essential, with experience in consultancy, training delivery, HR projects or commercial business development considered advantageous. The role requires flexibility to travel to client sites and attend occasional events as needed.

Benefits Package

• 25 days holiday (fte) plus Bank Holidays, rising to or 31 days
• Private Healthcare offered through Vitality or SimplyHealth
• Royal London Pension Scheme (4% employer/4% employee, rising to 6% after 10 years’ service)
• Annual Discretionary Bonus Scheme
• Salary Sacrifice (Pensions, Electric Car Scheme, Cycle to Work Scheme)
• Life Assurance – 4 x salary
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay
• Hybrid Working Policy

Nockolds has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. We welcome applications from people looking for flexible and part‑time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application.

Nockolds is committed to your development and we provide clear pathways for career progression supported by a comprehensive learning and development plan.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Nockolds Solicitors is committed to being an Equal Opportunity employer. We do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation.

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive firm that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.

The use of AI

At Nockolds we do not use artificial intelligence (AI) to screen, judge, reject, or approve any recruitment decisions, at any stage of our recruitment process. Our hiring managers and HR team are responsible for all recruitment decisions, ensuring a personal and thoughtful approach to each candidate.