People Advisor

Welsh Rugby Union (WRU); Cardiff; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary Sacrifice Pension

Life assurance

Ticket allocation

Birthday leave

Employee assistance programme

Hybrid working

Gym access

Staff discounts

Eye care voucher

Cycle to work

Job summary

The Welsh Rugby Union Group is seeking an experienced People Advisor to support managers across the organisation with practical, compliant people guidance. You’ll advise on employment matters, support investigations and help implement policy changes while working with a collaborative People Team.

You’ll use HR systems and data to inform decisions, assist with recruitment and onboarding, and contribute to continuous improvement projects in a fast-paced sporting environment.

Qualifications

• Experience as a People/HR Advisor providing practical advice.
• Up-to-date knowledge of UK employment law.
• Experience supporting investigations, performance and attendance.
• Ability to review contracts and policies.
• Strong organisation and prioritisation under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Provide clear, accurate and practical people advice to managers.
• Coach and influence managers; constructive challenge when needed.
• Support disciplinary, grievance, investigations, performance and attendance processes.
• Manage employee relations cases; escalate complex matters.
• Review and amend contracts, policies and employee documentation.
• Translate employment law changes into practical updates for the team.
• Deliver manager training, briefings and guidance.
• Support recruitment, onboarding and offboarding.
• Utilise people data to support better decisions.
• Contribute to People Team projects and continuous improvement.

Skills

HR advisory

stakeholder management

employment law

coaching managers

data-informed decisions

Education

CIPD Level 5 qualification

Tools

BambooHR

iHasco

Culture Amp

Job description

We’re looking for an experienced People Advisor to join our team at The Welsh Rugby Union Group.

This is a broad, fast moving role where you’ll work closely with managers across the organisation, helping them make fair, confident and informed people decisions.

No two days look the same at the Union. You could be advising a manager on a people issue, supporting an investigation, reviewing a contract or policy following an employment law change, delivering a manager briefing, supporting organisational change or using people data to identify what we need to do differently.

You’ll be joining a supportive People Team with a broad mix of skills and experience. We work closely together, share knowledge and support each other to deliver excellence, within an organisation with a strong sense of connection and community.

What you’ll be doing

• provide clear, accurate and practical people advice to managers
• coach and influence managers, including constructively challenging where needed
• support formal and informal people processes, including disciplinary, grievance, investigations, performance and attendance
• manage a range of employee relations cases, escalating higher-risk or more complex matters where appropriate
• review and amend contracts, policies, letters and other people documentation
• keep up to date with employment law and help translate changes into practical action
• support and deliver manager training, briefings and guidance
• work across recruitment, onboarding and offboarding
• use people systems and data to support better decision-making; and
• contribute to People Team projects and continuous improvement

This is a very busy role. You’ll often be managing several priorities at the same time, balancing planned work with urgent requests and working at pace while maintaining accuracy, sound judgement and clear communication.

What we’re looking for

You’ll have previous experience in a People Advisor, HR Advisor or similar role, providing practical advice with a good level of independence.

You’ll bring strong and up-to-date knowledge of UK employment law, confidence advising, coaching and influencing managers, and experience supporting formal people processes.

You’ll be comfortable taking ownership of your work, using sound judgement and knowing when a matter needs further support or escalation.

You’ll need strong organisation and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities at pace while maintaining quality and attention to detail.

You’ll be confident using HR systems, technology and data, with the ability to learn new systems quickly and use them effectively. Experience using BambooHR, iHasco and Culture Amp, or similar people systems, would be an advantage.

You’ll also be proficient in IT, particularly Microsoft packages, with excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to build strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

A CIPD Level 5 qualification, working towards this, or equivalent relevant experience is required.

Strong knowledge of, or experience working in, professional sport, events or another complex, high-profile and fast-moving environment would be advantageous.

The ability to communicate through the medium of Welsh is desirable.

Why join us?

You’ll have the opportunity to broaden your experience across a wide range of people activity and work with colleagues across a unique organisation.

You’ll be joining a People team that is focused on continuous improvement, using systems, data and insight to support managers and enhance the employee experience. Our approach is underpinned by our values of Care, Connect and Lead.

Role Summary

As a People Advisor, you will support managers and colleagues across the WRU on a broad range of people matters, building trusted relationships and providing accurate, practical advice.

Your work will include a range of employee lifecycle activity including, recruitment, onboarding, supporting performance, attendance and investigations, employee engagement, organisational change, and offboarding.

This is a busy and varied role. You will manage several priorities at the same time, balance planned work with urgent requests and work at pace while maintaining accuracy and clear communication.

You will also use people systems and data to identify trends and improve how we work, while contributing to wider People Team projects and priorities.

We are looking for someone with strong employment law knowledge who can use sound judgement, influence managers, take ownership and know when to seek further support or elevate an issue.

Key Relationships

Head of People Services

People Team

Payroll

Managers and colleagues across the WRU Group

Key Responsibilities

Build trusted relationships with managers and colleagues, providing clear, accurate and practical people advice.

Coach and influence managers to handle people matters confidently, fairly and consistently, constructively challenging where needed.

Support formal and informal people processes, including disciplinary, grievance, investigations, performance, attendance and organisational change.

Manage a range of employee relations cases, providing advice to managers, and escalating higher risk or complex matters where appropriate.

Manage recruitment, onboarding and offboarding activity, helping to create a positive and inclusive experience throughout the employee lifecycle.

Prepare and amend employment contracts, letters, policies and other people documentation, and translate employment law changes into practical updates.

Manage a busy workload with multiple and changing priorities, working at pace and under pressure while maintaining accuracy, judgement and clear communication.

Move confidently between detailed operational work and wider organisational priorities, understanding the impact of both.

Use people systems and data to provide accurate information, identify trends and support decision making.

Support the design and delivery of manager guidance, briefings and training on people related topics.

Support core People Services delivery, including payroll inputs, references, DBS activity, audit requirements and other essential administration.

Contribute to People Team projects and continuous improvement, identifying practical ways to simplify processes and improve systems and ways of working.

Work collaboratively across the People Team and wider organisation, taking ownership of actions and following through on agreed priorities.

Promote fair, inclusive and consistent people practices across all areas of work

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

Previous experience in a People Advisor, HR Advisor or similar role, providing practical advice with a good level of independence.

Strong and up to date knowledge of UK employment law and HR good practice, with the ability to apply this confidently to day to day and more complex people matters.

Experience supporting formal people processes, including investigations, performance, attendance and organisational change.

Experience reviewing and amending employment contracts, policies, letters or other people documentation.

Confidence coaching and influencing managers, including having honest and constructive conversations and challenging approaches where there may be people, legal or organisational risk.

Experience supporting or delivering training, briefings or guidance to managers on people related topics.

Confidence using people systems and data to produce accurate information, identify trends and support decision making.

Strong relationship building and collaboration skills, with the ability to share information openly and work effectively with others.

Ability to take ownership of work, follow through on commitments and use sound judgement when standards, fairness or risk need to be addressed.

Strong organisation and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities at pace while maintaining quality, accuracy and attention to detail.

CIPD Level 5 qualification, working towards this, or equivalent relevant experience.

Desirable

Strong knowledge of, or experience working in, professional sport, events or another complex, high profile and fast moving environment.

Understanding of the different roles, working patterns and contractual arrangements that can exist within a sporting environment.

Experience of BambooHR, iHasco and Culture Amp or similar people systems.

Experience supporting workforce planning or wider organisational change activity.

Other

Attendance at other WRU locations may be required

Ability to communicate in Welsh would be an advantage

The Perks

As a member of the WRU Group, you will have access to a range of employee benefits, including:

• Salary Sacrifice Pension (5% employee contribution, matched by WRU)
• Life assurance scheme
• WRU Group Ticket Allocation (in line with ticketing policy)
• One additional paid day off (birthday leave)
• Employee assistance programme
• Team Tactics (hybrid working arrangements)
• Free stadium parking and gym
• WRU Group store and tour discounts
• WRU Group partnership offers
• Eye Care Voucher Scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Employee discounts at selected Celtic Collection hotels, subject to availability and applicable terms