People Advisor

The Methodist Church in Britain; Norwich; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Space to think

Influence on staff support

Job summary

Norwich City College of Further and Higher Education is seeking a People Advisor to join its People Services team. You will provide first-line employee relations advice to managers and staff on policies, procedures and terms and conditions, while handling probation reviews, attendance management and performance concerns.

You will support formal investigations and hearings, coach managers, assist with absence management and wellbeing initiatives, and help identify trends to elevate risks.

Qualifications

• CIPD Level 3 or above.
• Solid hands-on HR experience.
• Experience in an HR or People Services environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide first-line employee relations advice to managers and employees on policies and terms and conditions.
• Manage a range of employee relations cases including probation reviews, attendance management, performance concerns, flexible working requests, disciplinary matters and grievances.
• Support formal investigations and hearings through note-taking and administrative support.
• Coach and support managers to handle people matters confidently and consistently.
• Assist with absence management, Occupational Health referrals and wellbeing initiatives.
• Identify trends in employee relations and attendance data and elevate risks.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, induction and probation activities.
• Maintain accurate employee records and case information in line with GDPR and information governance.
• Develop and update manager guidance, toolkits and people resources.
• Contribute to People Services projects and organisational change.
• Build working relationships with managers and colleagues across the college.
• Work with People Partners, People Services Administrators and Payroll to deliver the people service.

Skills

Relationship building

Communication

Proactive service

Education

CIPD Level 3 or above

Job description

This People Advisor post sits within the People Services team at Norwich City College of Further and Higher Education, handling first-line employee relations advice for managers and staff. The work centres on lower-level cases such as attendance, probation, performance and grievances, with support for formal investigations and hearings. It bridges administrative HR and strategic partnering, referring complex or high-risk matters to the People Partner team. Candidates need CIPD Level 3 or above and an enhanced DBS check, and visa sponsorship is not available.

What the job involves

• Provide first-line employee relations advice to managers and employees on policies, procedures and terms and conditions
• Manage a range of employee relations cases, including probation reviews, attendance management, performance concerns, flexible working requests, disciplinary matters and grievances
• Support formal investigations and hearings through note-taking and administrative support
• Coach and support managers to handle people matters confidently and consistently
• Assist with absence management, Occupational Health referrals and employee wellbeing initiatives
• Identify trends in employee relations and attendance data and elevate risks
• Support recruitment, onboarding, induction and probation activities
• Maintain accurate employee records and case information in line with GDPR and information governance
• Develop and update manager guidance, toolkits and people resources
• Contribute to People Services projects, continuous improvement and organisational change
• Build working relationships with managers and colleagues across the college
• Work with People Partners, People Services Administrators and Payroll to deliver the people service

What’s required

Qualifications

• CIPD Level 3 or above

Experience

• Solid, hands-on HR experience
• Experience in an HR or People Services environment

Skills & knowledge

• Building relationships and influencing at all levels
• Communicating the right information to the right audience at the right time
• Taking proactive responsibility to deliver an outstanding service

Checks & eligibility

• Enhanced Adult and Child Workforce DBS check
• Registration with the DBS Update Service, or a new DBS application if the certificate was issued before 28 November 2020

Other

• Wanting real impact rather than advising from the sidelines

Nice to have

• Willingness to work towards CIPD Level 5

What’s offered

• Space to think and backing to challenge constructively
• Opportunity to influence how the college supports its people now and in future