People Advisor

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water; Chester; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 49,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

34 days annual leave (pro rata)

Pension contributions

Cycle to work scheme

Employee assistance programme

Gym/discounts programs

Job summary

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water is seeking an HR adviser to provide expert guidance on employee relations, performance management and policy compliance. You will be the first point of contact for managers, ensuring consistent HR policy application and fostering a positive workplace culture.

Role involves advising line managers, handling complex cases, maintaining HR data, supporting wellbeing and inclusion initiatives, and collaborating with HR colleagues to drive improvements across the organisation.

Qualifications

• Experience in an HR advisory or generalist role in a complex organisation.
• Experience in a high‑pressure environment with tight deadlines.
• Experience with HRIS systems and case management tools.
• Experience in a shared services or matrixed organisation.
• Experience working with Trade Unions.

Responsibilities

• Advise and coach line managers on HR policies and employment law.
• Support managers with employee relations cases and escalations as needed.
• Partner with HR and Service Centre to maintain data integrity in HR systems.
• Collaborate on wellbeing, diversity and inclusion initiatives.
• Support recruitment, onboarding and offboarding processes.
• Analyse HR metrics and identify trends for decision making.
• Assist with complex case management for tribunals preparation as required.
• Develop and manage colleague training interventions with Centres of Expertise.
• Lead or support HR projects such as policy reviews and system improvements.
• Support organisational design programmes and effective consultation practices.

Skills

HR advisory

Employment law

Influencing

Communication

Time management

Education

CIPD qualification or degree

Tools

HRIS systems

Case management tools

Job description

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City: Chester

Address: Chester, Wales, GB, CH4 7QR

Job Requisition Number 9148

Work Type Permanent

Job Function Human Resources & Comms

Salary Range £42,786.00-£48,912.00

Base Ashgrove

Closing Date 9th September

What you'll be responsible for

You will provide expert guidance and support on HR matters, including employee relations, performance management, and compliance. You act as the first point of contact for managers and employees, ensuring consistent application of HR policies and helping to foster a positive workplace culture.

• 1. Advise and coach line managers on HR policies, employment law, and best practices.
• 2. Support and coach managers with employee relations cases including disciplinary, grievance, absence management, capability concerns, flexible working requests etc. Escalates complex cases to the People Partner as required.
• 3. Partner with business area management and HR Service Centre colleagues to ensure data integrity and accurate records are maintained in HR systems.
• 4. Collaborate with HR colleagues and business area leads to support initiatives around wellbeing, diversity, and inclusion.
• 5. Partner with HR Service Centre to ensure the effective processes in relation to the recruitment, onboarding, and offboarding of colleagues.
• 6. Analyse, monitor and report on HR metrics, identifying trends to inform decision-making.
• 7. Support the People Partner with complex case management as required, including preparation for Tribunals.
• 8. Develop, conduct, and manage colleague training interventions (in conjunction with Centres of Expertise), including underpinning processes and guidelines as required.
• 9. Lead or support HR projects initiatives as required., eg Policy review and system improvements etc
• 10. Supporting the People Partner in the effective implementation of agreed organisational design strategies, ensuring effective consultation is in place, liaising with the HR service centre to ensure organisational structures are maintained accurately.

About you

The following are essential requirements for the recruitment of the role:

Qualifications

• CIPD qualified (or nearing completion of studying for qualification) and/or educated to degree level or equivalent

Experience

• Experience in an HR advisory or generalist role in a similar/complex organisation
• Experience of working in a high-pressure environment and working to tight deadlines
• Experience with HRIS systems and case management tools.
• Experience working in a shared services or matrixed organisation.
• Experience of working with Trade Unions

Knowledge & Skills

• Knowledge of employment law with the ability to implement that knowledge to resolve workplace issues
• Strong influencing and negotiation skills ideally gained within a unionised environment
• Ability to interpret and provide advice on HR policies, terms and conditions
• Effective time management and organisational skills
• Excellent customer service skills, with the ability to develop productive working relationships with a variety of stakeholders
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills
• Flexible and adaptable to changing needs and demands

As well as a market competitive salary, 34 days annual leave (pro rata, including public holidays), we offer a range of employee benefits and rewards including:

• Variable pay schemes (your salary will always stay the same, but depending on the performance of the company you could receive a yearly bonus)
• Enhanced employer pension contributions – Up to 11% employer contributions
• Enhanced family friendly policies
• Progression opportunities, including the ability to apply for funded training and coaching and mentoring programmes
• Reduction on gym memberships and high street shopping
• Cycle to work scheme
• Car-leasing scheme
• An employee assistance programme for employees and their immediate family

Whilst also working for a not-for profit company that truly cares about earning the trust of customers everyday, and about looking after our beautiful environment.

Who we are

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water keep 3 million people healthy each day with safe, reliable water, and take away wastewater to clean, before returning it safely to our beautiful rivers and seas.

To be able to deliver high quality, essential services which help to protect the health of our customers, colleagues and our environment, we need the right people to deliver on our vision. This is achieved by living our core values and demonstrating the core behaviours that underpin them. The security of our people, assets and information is key to us, so we are looking for people who understand and comply with the company’s required security objectives.

We know that the most successful teams are the most diverse teams. Equality, diversity and inclusion provide the very foundation to our culture at Welsh Water. We want every individual to feel confident, proud and able to bring their whole selves to work.

To ensure an improved representation in our workforce, applications are particularly welcome from minority groups including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, Females, LGBT+, Non-binary and people with disabilities. Together we continue to build a workplace that not only celebrates the diverse voices of our colleagues but also represents each customer we serve.

In essence, ours is a company based on trust, openness, respect, commitment and honesty. A company that our colleagues are proud to work for.

Dŵr Cymru Cyf, a limited company registered in Wales No. 2366777. Registered office: Linea, Fortran Road, St. Mellons, Cardiff CF3 0LT

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