Senior HR Advisor

Hoople Ltd; Hereford; Hybrid; GBP 36,000 - 41,000; Full time

Job summary

A public sector support organization is hiring a Senior HR Advisor in Hereford to provide critical HR service to schools. This role involves managing complex HR casework and directly advising school leadership, requiring strong knowledge in employment law. Based primarily in schools, the position offers flexibility and involves regular travel to various sites. A competitive benefits package and a commitment to professional development are also included.

Benefits

26 days annual leave rising to 31

Aviva pension scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Access to a rewards platform with discounts

Qualifications

• Significant experience managing complex HR casework end to end.
• Strong working knowledge of employment law and practical application.
• Experience in unionised environments and handling consultations.

Responsibilities

• Provide a high-quality HR advisory service across the full employee lifecycle.
• Manage complex HR casework including disciplinary and grievance.
• Advise and support headteachers and senior leaders on-site.

Skills

Managing complex HR casework

Strong knowledge of employment law

Advising senior stakeholders

Excellent communication skills

Education

CIPD qualified or equivalent experience

Job description

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About The Role

Job Title: Senior HR Advisor
Hours: 37 per week
Location: Hereford (school settings/office/remote working)
Salary: Hoople Band E £36,759 - £40,161 based on 37 hours per week
Contract: Permanent

Closing Date: 8th February 2026

Some HR roles sit behind a desk - this one is where decisions get made, conversations matter, and schools need you in the room!

We are keen to hear from candidates who can demonstrate the capability to apply their HR expertise in this setting.

We are looking for an experienced Senior HR professional to deliver high-impact, solution-focused HR support to schools, academies and education settings across Herefordshire. This is a hands-on, visible role for an HR professional who is confident handling complex employee relations casework and building trusted relationships with headteachers, governors and senior leaders.

What makes this role different

This is not a purely remote advisory role and it is not predictable week to week. You will be out in schools regularly, sometimes at short notice, responding to live issues where your judgement, credibility and calm approach really count.

There is an expectation you will be based in the office or on school sites around 2-3 days per week on average. Some weeks will require daily presence in schools or the office to meet customer demand. Other weeks will allow for some home working, the wider HR and payroll teams are always in the office on a Wednesday which enables collaborative working.

If you enjoy being visible, trusted and relied upon, this is a role for you.

The role

You will provide a high-quality HR advisory service across the full employee lifecycle, with a particular emphasis on complex and sensitive casework. This includes acting as the lead HR advisor in formal processes and supporting leaders to make sound, lawful and pragmatic decisions.

Your work will include:

• Managing complex HR casework including disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence, redundancy and TUPE
• Advising and supporting headteachers, governors and senior leaders in high-pressure situations, often on site
• Acting as investigating officer where required, including report writing and recommendations
• Advising on education-specific terms and conditions, policies and statutory frameworks
• Supporting organisational change and consultation processes, including trade union engagement
• Leading the development and review of school HR policies and procedures
• Designing and delivering HR training to schools and other clients
• Building strong, credible relationships that support both excellent service delivery and future business opportunities

You will work largely autonomously, using your professional judgement while being supported by an experienced HR management team.

About you

You are an experienced HR professional who is comfortable operating at pace, under pressure, and in complex environments.

You will bring:

• Significant experience of managing complex HR casework end to end
• Strong working knowledge of employment law and its practical application
• Confidence advising senior stakeholders and influencing decisions
• Experience working in unionised environments and handling consultations
• The ability to remain calm, professional and decisive in challenging situations
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A flexible, solutions-focused approach to work

Experience working with schools or education settings and knowledge of education-specific frameworks (such as Burgundy Book, Green Book, STPCD, School Staffing Regulations) is highly desirable, but we are also keen to hear from candidates who can demonstrate the capability to apply their HR expertise in this setting.

You will be fully CIPD qualified or able to demonstrate equivalent experience and ongoing professional development.

Travel and flexibility

This role requires regular travel to school sites across Herefordshire, sometimes at short notice. You must be able to travel independently for business purposes. Occasional evening work may be required to support customers.

What we offer

In return, we offer:

• A varied, role with real impact on schools and communities
• A supportive HR team environment
• Flexible working arrangements that balance business need and home working
• A competitive benefits package including 26 days annual leave rising to 31 after 5 years' service, plus bank holidays (including the option to buy or sell holidays) Aviva pension scheme, cycle to work scheme and access to a rewards platform offering various discounts with retailers and restaurants

We welcome applicants whatever their personal characteristics or social identity. All requests for flexible working arrangements and reasonable adjustments will be considered.

The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for:

• Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the "Disability Confident" scheme;
• Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant.
• Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.

Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for more details of this role.

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants must apply online for this vacancy.

About Us

Our vision

To provide excellent business support services to the public sector and those who work with them.

Our mission

Creating and building trusted and sustainable relationships in order to deliver business critical services for our key customers.

Our values

• Passion for improvement - Continuous improvement to develop more effective ways of delivering services for our customers
• Customer focus - Satisfying our customers and helping them to support themselves
• Professional integrity - Bringing the best of our shared technical expertise and professional values to our work
• Mutual support - Whether one-to-one or in teams, we encourage and support each other to strive for excellent performance in all that we do