People Advisor

THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON; Stratford-upon-Avon; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits

Job summary

The Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon seeks a People Advisor to deliver high‑quality employee relations advice and case management. Working within the People Experience team, you will support managers with fair, policy‑driven decisions and positive outcomes across the organisation.

This is a full‑time, permanent role with a hybrid pattern (3 days on site, 2 days remote) and a 35‑hour week. The salary is £38,000 per annum plus benefits, with closing date 4 October 2026.

Qualifications

• Experience in an HR advisory or employee relations role.
• Good working knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
• Experience handling absence, performance, conduct, disciplinary issues and workplace conflict.
• Strong communication, organisational and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage a varied caseload of employee relations matters with practical, timely, compliant advice.
• Support managers to handle issues confidently, enabling early resolution.
• Apply People policies fairly and contribute to policy development and improvement.
• Maintain accurate case records and use themes for reporting and learning.
• Support engagement with unions and employee networks to reflect employee voice.

Skills

HR advisory

Employee relations

Policy guidance

UK employment law

Stakeholder management

Communication

Organisation

Judgement

Inclusion & fairness

Job description

Job description

Job description

People Advisor (1852)

Are you an HR or employee relations professional who enjoys combining sound judgement, practical advice and positive people outcomes? Are you motivated by helping managers resolve issues early, build confidence and handle people matters with clarity and care? Would you like to use your employee relations experience in a creative, values-led organisation where your work can make a visible difference to the way people are supported?

We are looking for a People Advisor to deliver high-quality employee relations advice and case management across the RSC. Working as part of the People Experience team, and reporting to the People Advisory Manager, you will play an important role in ensuring people matters are handled fairly, consistently and in line with policy, employment law and our values.

This is an opportunity to support a developing People Advisory service at the heart of a complex and creative organisation. You will help managers address issues early and effectively, build confidence and capability, and contribute insight from casework, employee voice and operational experience to improve how we work.

You will work with colleagues across the RSC, supporting the people who help bring world-class theatre to life. Through practical advice, proportionate challenge and thoughtful case management, you will help us strengthen proactive, preventative and constructive approaches to employee relations.

Key areas of responsibility include:

• Manage a varied caseload of employee relations matters, providing practical, timely and legally compliant advice and support.
• Support managers to handle people issues confidently and consistently, encouraging early resolution and proportionate decision‑making.
• Apply People policies and procedures fairly and consistently, providing clear guidance and contributing insight to policy development and continuous improvement.
• Maintain accurate case records and use themes from casework to support reporting, organisational learning and improved people practice.
• Support engagement with trade unions, employee networks and representative groups, helping to ensure employee voice is heard and reflected in day‑to‑day practice.

To be suitable for this role, it is essential that you have:

• Experience in an HR advisory, employee relations or similar role, including managing a range of people issues and casework.
• Good working knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice, with the ability to apply this in a practical and proportionate way.
• Experience supporting matters such as absence, performance, conduct, disciplinary, grievance, bullying, harassment and workplace conflict.
• Strong communication, organisational and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships and manage a varied workload.
• Professional judgement, attention to detail and the ability to recognise when to seek advice, elevate risk or involve specialist support.
• A commitment to inclusion, fairness, continuous improvement and values‑led people practice.

This is a full-time, permanent position based in Stratford‑upon‑Avon, with hybrid working of 3 days on site and 2 days remote. You will work 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday, although occasional evening and weekend working may be required to support operational needs.

As part of the People Experience team, you will have the opportunity to work across all areas of the organisation, supporting colleagues in a unique and ambitious cultural environment. This role offers the chance to make a meaningful contribution to how we manage employee relations at the RSC — helping to build confident managers, fair outcomes and a proactive people culture where our people can thrive.

About the RSC

The RSC strives for excellence, and values creativity, inclusivity, sustainability, collaboration and accountability.

We can offer great benefits and aim to create a welcoming, supportive environment which is happy, healthy and safe. We place great importance upon developing a diverse, highly motivated and energised workforce to help achieve our priorities. We put our values at the heart of everything we do.

We are committed to building a diverse workforce and welcome applications from all individuals.

We believe that safeguarding children and adults is everyone's responsibility, and everybody working at the RSC has a duty to place safeguarding at the heart of their work. We welcome candidates who will support and advocate the RSC's environmental objectives, continuing to improve our sustainability work and actions both on and off stage.

The Royal Shakespeare Company (no. 212481) is a registered charity.

• Artistic/Executive:Executive
• Position Type:Permanent (Full Time)
• Closing Date:4 October 2026
• Salary:£38,000 per annum, plus benefits