HR Consultant

Juniper Education Group; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

An educational consultancy in Chelmsford is seeking an HR Consultant who is passionate about education. The role involves delivering HR advice, supporting schools and academies, and providing strategic partnership to senior leaders. The ideal candidate will have a CIPD qualification and experience in complex HR casework. This is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the education sector while enjoying a range of employee benefits.

Benefits

Company sick pay from day one

Enhanced annual leave entitlement

Access to 24/7 GP & prescription services

Cycle to work scheme

Enhanced maternity & adoption pay

Funded development opportunities

Qualifications

• Significant experience advising on complex HR casework.
• Experience supporting senior leaders in educational settings.
• Mediation training or experience is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Deliver proactive HR advice to schools and trusts.
• Lead on complex employee relations cases.
• Act as a strategic partner to school leaders.
• Design and deliver training for clients.
• Drive service improvements and identify new business opportunities.

Skills

Excellent communication

Coaching skills

Influencing skills

Time management

Independent work under pressure

Education

CIPD qualification or equivalent experience

Job description

The Role | HR Consultant

Welcome to Juniper Education, where our mission is to champion educators, empowering them to shape future generations. We're more than just a support system; we're the driving force that propels schools and Academy Trusts to new heights. With our proven school education management systems and services, we address a spectrum of needs, ensuring excellence in education. In the education and tech industry, your work directly influences the lives of students and educators. Whether you're developing cutting‑edge educational technology, supporting school leadership teams directly or designing solutions to enhance the learning experience, you could make a lasting and positive impact on the future.

Our mission statement says it all: We look after you, so that you can look after our children.

Dedicated to our core values, we are committed to:

• Empowerment: Equipping everyone with the tools, intelligence, connections, and freedom to make informed decisions, recognised and respected by all.
• Purpose: Supporting everyone to reach their highest potential, thereby enabling all children to achieve theirs.
• Passion: Because we love what you do, you’re at the heart of everything we do.
• Innovation: Delivering meaningful solutions with expertise and creative thinking to influence the ever‑changing world of education.
• Collaboration: The cornerstone of our success as it enables us to collectively harness diverse perspectives and strengths, ensuring that together, we achieve more than we could ever do alone. Every voice counts!

Are you a confident HR professional with a passion for education and a knack for solving complex people challenges? Join Juniper Education as a HR Consultant and make a meaningful impact across schools and academies in the South East.

We’re looking for a driven, CIPD qualified professional who thrives in a fast paced, client focused environment, and is ready to be a trusted partner to education leaders.

The Role

• Deliver proactive and robust HR advice to schools, academies, and trusts
• Lead on complex employee relations cases, including safeguarding, TUPE, restructuring, and reorganisations
• Act as a strategic partner to senior leaders in schools and local authorities, advising on risk, compliance, and workforce planning
• Coach, mentor and upskill school and trust leaders to build long term HR capability
• Collaborate on high level negotiations with trade unions
• Design and deliver training to clients and internal teams – both live and eLearning
• Represent Juniper in tribunals and legal matters, working closely with Legal Services
• Drive service improvements, identify new business opportunities, and contribute to service development

About You

• CIPD qualification or equivalent experience
• Significant experience advising on complex HR casework and projectsli>
• Excellent communication, coaching, and influencing skills
• Strong time management and the ability to work independently under pressure
• Experience supporting senior leaders in schools, academies, or local authorities
• Mediation training or experience (desirable)

Interview process

Interview with Presentation

We are committed to a fair and comfortable recruitment process, so if you require any reasonable adjustments during your application or interview process, please reach out to a member of the team at [e-mail].

Juniper Education Benefits

• Day 1 right to company sick pay
• Enhanced annual leave entitlement
• Opportunity to purchase additional leave
• Entitlement to carry over leave to next entitlement year
• Day 1 access to 24/7 GP & prescription services
• Day 1 access to rewards platform
• Cycle to work scheme
• Enhanced maternity & adoption pay
• Day 1 access to employee assistance platform
• Funded development/Qualification opportunities
• Voluntary health care cash plan
• Voluntary private medical insurance
• Plus more!

Please note: We are unable to provide visa sponsorship at this time.