People Adviser

AQA; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 33,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

AQA is seeking a People Adviser to deliver high-quality HR support across the organization. This permanent role involves advising on HR best practices while collaborating with various teams, ensuring compliance and a positive colleague experience. The role offers hybrid working conditions and a supportive environment for professional growth.

Benefits

25 days annual leave

Generous pension contributions up to 18.5%

Flexible hybrid working

Qualifications

• Proven experience in advising on employee relations and lifecycle matters.
• Strong interpersonal skills with a proactive approach.
• Experience in managing policies and procedures.

Responsibilities

• Provide HR advice on employee lifecycle matters including absence and performance management.
• Lead on strategy implementation for HR practices.
• Collaborate with People Group teams for effective service delivery.

Skills

Clear written and verbal communication

Interpersonal skills

Organisational skills

Proficient use of HR systems

Education

CIPD qualified or equivalent – Level 5

Tools

Microsoft Office applications

Job description

At AQA, we’re committed to advancing education and we’re committed to our people. As the largest provider of academic qualifications in the UK , we mark over 10 million exam papers each year and it’s our people who make this happen.

People Adviser

Permanent
Manchester: £33,950 - £38,267
Smart Hybrid Working – 2 days a week in the office

Would you like to work for a charitable organisation that helps teachers and students reach their potential—while being supported and learning from a collaborative team of HR professionals? Then this could be the role for you if you’re keen to make a difference.

Within AQA, you’ll be known as a People Adviser, and you’ll play a crucial role in supporting the operations side of our business—the beating heart of AQA. You’ll work closely with teams across Manchester, Guildford, London, and Milton Keynes, occasionally travelling to these locations. You’ll collaborate with colleagues across People Group—including Recruitment and Talent, Learning and Development, People Partnering, and People Services.

You’ll provide clear, informed, and confident HR advice to managers and employees on all aspects of the employee lifecycle, including absence management, conduct, performance, grievances, probation, and change management. Proactivity, autonomy, and confidence will serve you well, as will a mindset focused on continuous improvement.

A Level 5 CIPD qualification is preferred, but relevant experience is just as valuable.

You’ll enjoy:

• 25 days annual leave (plus Christmas closure)
• Generous pension contributions of up to 18.5% (up to 7% from you, 11.5% from AQA)
• Flexible hybrid working in a newly refurbished city-centre office

How do I apply?
Read the full job description and upload your most recent CV by following the link provided. Please apply by Sunday 15th June.

First stage interviews will be held by MS Teams on Monday 23rd June. Second stage interviews will be F2F at our Manchester office on Tuesday 1st July.

AQA is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone—regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, age, disability, sexual orientation, or background—is valued, respected, and supported to thrive.

Recruitment Agencies

We have a preferred supplier list (PSL) in place.

Unsolicited CVs will be treated as a gift. We will not be subject to or liable under your terms and conditions for agency fees.

Full Job Description

Summary

To provide the highest quality HR service through coaching, guiding, supporting and advising managers and colleagues on all aspects of the employee lifecycle, ensuring compliance with policies, employment law and regulations with consideration to risk and commercial management and ensuring a positive colleague experience. Having a hands-on approach and taking ownership of specific business area delivering proactive interventions in response to identified business and colleague needs.Landscape: The People Adviser role is a key member of a team of three advisers, providing high quality HR advice to managers and colleagues across the business. The team sits within People Partnering and Employee Relations department (22 colleagues). The department provides a range of services including: business area strategic support, diagnosis, consultancy and delivery of people-related services and projects; subject matter expertise in diversity and inclusion and employee relations; HR policy development and associated training development; operational support with people queries; and joiners, movers and leavers administration and checks.

Activities:

Proactively participate, facilitate, support and advise managers about employee lifecycle matters for example from the point of recruitment to the leaver process, policies, variations to contract, secondments, leavers, organisational development, and respond to colleague queries as appropriate.
Proactively participate, facilitate, support and advise managers about employee relations matters such as absence management, performance management, grievance, disciplinary, capability, probationary, change management and TUPE, ensuring compliance with employment law and company policy, with consideration to risk and commercial management, and respond to colleague queries as appropriate.
Lead on the development and implementation of projects including restructures, policy implementation and people plans in conjunction with the Senior People Partner/People Partner, ensuring deadlines are met in line with business plans and employment legislation.
Conduct benchmarking and evaluations of job roles utilising external data and systems. Proactively participate in regular job evaluation meetings.
Coaching and developing managers in order to improve their capability and empower them to make decisions, challenging and escalating where necessary.
Manage collaborative relationships across People Group teams, other key teams and managers.
Interpret data into relevant reports, identifying themes and trends, ensure agreed follow up action is taken to enable implementation of decisions.
Ensure systems are maintained and that high standards of service and performance and continuous improvement are demonstrated at all times.
Results driven approach to managing complex employee relations cases that escalate to higher stages in the process in conjunction with Employee Relations Team, Senior People Partner/People Partner, business managers and Trade Unions/Employee Forum.
Responsible for maintaining the relationship with recognised Trade Unions/Employee Forum in support of employee relations cases, as and when required.
To comply with all AQA’s policies and other legislative requirements, including but not limited to Health, Safety and the Environment, Diversity and Inclusion and Information Security Management System.
Take responsibility for your own continuous professional development to meet existing and future business needs.
Travel to other AQA sites, sometimes necessitating overnight stays, as the need arises.


To be successful in this role, you will need to know:

CIPD qualified or equivalent – Level 5, or equivalent levels of experience.
Proven experience of advising, guiding and supporting managers on a range of employee relations and employee lifecycle matters, at various stages and complexities and managing the application of policies, procedures and processes.
Clear written and verbal communication skills, strong proven interpersonal skills, adaptable to a range of circumstances with an approach to achieving consistently high standards of work.
Experience of challenging stakeholders at different levels where appropriate.
Strong organisational skills, ability to prioritise and plan ahead.
Proficient use of HR systems and Microsoft Office applications.