Senior People Advisor

Orange Recruitment; Pitlochry; Hybrid; GBP 34,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Pitlochry Festival Theatre is seeking a Senior People Advisor to support the Head of People and Culture with practical advice, policy guidance and capable leadership of HR operations.

You will manage employee relations, oversee recruitment, onboarding and HR data, and coach managers to handle issues early while ensuring legal compliance and a fair workplace.

Qualifications

• Strong generalist HR advisory experience and ability to coach managers.
• Experience managing employee relations casework end to end.
• Experience overseeing recruitment campaigns and onboarding processes.
• Good knowledge of UK employment law and GDPR principles.

Responsibilities

• Manage employee relations casework from start to finish with clear documentation.
• Coach managers to address issues early and apply policies consistently.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, probation and leavers processes.
• Ensure compliance with working time, annualised hours and visa checks.
• Line manage the People & Recruitment Administrator and oversee HR data.
• Produce regular HR reports and support policy development.

Skills

HR advisory

Recruitment

People management

Employment law

Education

CIPD Level 5

Tools

HRIS

Excel

Job description

Big ambition. Bold theatre. People who make it possible.

We make theatre in the hills with ambitions that reach far beyond them. With Alan Cumming as our Artistic Director, Pitlochry Festival Theatre is a place for imagination, daring ideas and creative possibility.

Now we’re looking for a brilliant Senior People Advisor to help us build the working culture behind that ambition.

The part you’ll play.

Working closely with our Head of People and Culture, you’ll bring sound judgement, practical advice and the confidence to move things forward.

You’ll manage routine employee relations casework, help managers navigate people challenges and turn policies into clear, useful guidance. You’ll know when to take the lead and when a complex or high-risk matter needs the Head of People and Culture’s involvement.

You’ll also supervise our People & Recruitment Administrator, oversee our HR system and help strengthen the processes that keep our People service accurate, responsive and dependable.

Help our leaders grow.

You’ll support the coaching and development of leaders and managers across Pitlochry Festival Theatre, helping them build confidence, handle difficult conversations and lead their teams well.

Working with the Head of People and Culture, you’ll help turn leadership development into practical habits that strengthen performance, trust and our working culture.

From supporting organisational change to turning employee feedback into action, your contribution will reach beyond individual cases. You’ll help shape how it feels to work here.

Know your stuff. Bring your spark.

You’ll be an experienced HR professional who can build trust, ask good questions and give clear advice – even when the conversation is difficult.

You’ll bring strong generalist experience, sound employment law knowledge and confidence managing employee relations independently. You’ll be comfortable with HR systems and data, able to supervise others and keen to improve how things work.

CIPD Level 5, or equivalent knowledge gained through relevant experience, is essential. Experience in theatre, the arts or charities would be welcome, but we’re equally interested in the perspective you could bring from elsewhere.

Above all, you’ll combine professional rigour with warmth, curiosity and a practical instinct for getting things done.

Help write our next chapter.

This is an opportunity to help develop a People service in an organisation where creativity is the day job. There is meaningful work to do, room to contribute your ideas and the chance to see your expertise make a difference.

If you care about helping people do their best work – and like the idea of supporting a theatre with an adventurous spirit – we’d love to hear from you.

The nuts and bolts

Job Title: Senior People Advisor

Department: People and Culture

Responsible To: Head of People and Culture

Salary: Up to £38,000, depending on experience.

Hours: Permanent, full time, 35 hours per week over five days, on an annualised hours basis.

Location: Primarily onsite at Pitlochry Festival Theatre, with some hybrid working by agreement and according to operational needs.

Purpose and Key Accountabilities

The Senior People Advisor delivers a professional, responsive and practical People service across the Theatre. The post-holder manages employee relations casework, advises and coaches managers, oversees recruitment and people operations, and supports the Head of People and Culture make sure the Theatre’s employment practices are fair, consistent and legally compliant.

Working closely with the Head of People and Culture, the post-holder supports the delivery of the People strategy, provides regular People data and reporting, and line manages the People and Recruitment Administrator, setting priorities and checking the quality of their work.

Main Responsibilities:

• To manage employee relations casework from start to finish, giving clear advice to managers and making sure processes are fair, well documented and in line with the Theatre’s policies and the ACAS Code of Practice.
• To provide practical advice to managers and employees on employment law, the Theatre’s policies and good practice, and to coach managers to deal with issues early.
• To oversee recruitment, onboarding, probation, contractual changes and leavers, including the Theatre’s seasonal recruitment campaigns, so that roles are filled fairly and in good time.
• To make sure the Theatre meets its employment compliance obligations, including working time, annualised hours, right to work and visa requirements.
• To line manage, supervise and develop the People and Recruitment Administrator, and to oversee the HR system and People data.
• To produce regular HR reports and data, and to support the Head of People and Culture with policy development, the People strategy, organisational change and employee engagement.

Delegated Authority:

The Head of People and Culture retains responsibility for strategic direction, policy approval and decisions involving significant risk. The post-holder works within agreed delegated authority and refers matters requiring senior or specialist advice to the Head of People and Culture.

Key Tasks:

Employee Relations

• To manage employee relations casework, including absence, grievance, disciplinary, performance, capability, whistleblowing, flexible working and family leave matters, advising managers at each stage and attending formal meetings where required.
• To make sure casework follows the Theatre’s policies, the ACAS Code of Practice and agreed timescales, and that clear and accurate records are kept.
• To identify complex, high-risk or sensitive cases early and refer them to the Head of People and Culture, including where specialist legal advice may be needed.
• To prepare case papers, investigation terms of reference, outcome letters and appeal documentation, and to support or carry out investigations where appropriate.

Advice and Manager Support

• To provide practical advice to managers and employees on employment law, the Theatre’s policies and procedures and good practice.
• To coach managers to address issues early, manage their teams effectively and apply the Theatre’s policies consistently.
• To design and deliver manager briefings and training on People policies and processes, working with the Head of People and Culture.

Absence, Wellbeing and Occupational Health

• To advise managers on managing complex short and long-term absence and reasonable adjustments.
• To prepare and manage Occupational Health referrals, and to support return to work plans, reasonable adjustments and the implementation of recommendations.
• To support stress risk assessments with employees and managers, using the Theatre’s agreed approach.
• To promote the Theatre’s wellbeing support, including the Employee Assistance Programme and any other available resources.

Recruitment and Resourcing

• To oversee the Theatre’s recruitment process, including the seasonal recruitment campaigns, making sure vacancies are authorised, selection is fair and inclusive, and the required checks and approvals are completed before anyone starts work.
• To help managers prepare job descriptions and person specifications using the Theatre’s template, checking them for accuracy and consistency and referring any queries to the Head of People and Culture.
• To draft job adverts in line with the Theatre’s house style and employer brand, and to post roles on the Theatre’s website, job boards, sector platforms and social media, choosing channels that will reach a diverse range of candidates.
• To advise managers on fair selection, including shortlisting, interview questions, assessment tasks and reasonable adjustments for candidates, and to sit on interview panels where required.
• To track recruitment activity and produce regular reports on vacancies, time to hire, advertising costs and outcomes for the Head of People and Culture.
• To review recruitment practice regularly and suggest improvements to the process, candidate experience and the Theatre’s employer brand, including representing the Theatre at careers fairs, college and university events where appropriate.
• To oversee onboarding and probation, making sure new starters are well inducted and that probation reviews and outcomes are completed on time.

Compliance and Contracts

• To identify and reduce employment compliance risks, referring significant risks to the Head of People and Culture.
• To oversee compliance with working time requirements, annualised hours arrangements, right to work checks and visa or sponsorship obligations.
• To oversee contractual changes and leaver processes, making sure the correct approvals, documentation and deadlines are in place.
• To keep up to date with changes in employment law, including the Employment Rights Act 2025 reforms, and to advise on their impact on the Theatre’s policies and practice.

Pay and Payroll

• To support the annual pay review, including preparing data and drafting approved pay letters.
• To review and check payroll change information prepared by the People and Recruitment Administrator before it is submitted to Finance and the payroll provider, making sure financial authorisation follows the Theatre’s approval arrangements.

Team Management and HR Systems

• To line manage, supervise and develop the People and Recruitment Administrator, setting priorities, checking the quality of work and supporting their development.
• To oversee the HR system, including data accuracy, workflows, reporting and improvements, and to support the implementation of any new HR system.
• To make sure People records are accurate, secure and handled in line with UK GDPR.

Reporting and People Data

• To produce regular HR reports and data for the Head of People and Culture and the Senior Management Team, including headcount, turnover, absence and recruitment information.
• To use People data and feedback to identify risks, trends and areas for improvement in the People service.

Policy, Strategy and Improvement

• To support policy and process development, keeping guidance, templates and standard letters current and consistent.
• To support delivery of the People strategy, organisational change, employee engagement, HR projects and People communications.
• To support and develop equality, diversity and inclusion good practice across the Theatre, including the Theatre’s EDI Plan and its commitment to Fair Work First.
• Health, Safety and Environment
• To comply with health and safety and other licensing legislation as directed and set out in the Theatre’s Health and Safety Policy.
• To support the Chief Executive in their legislative duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
• To support the Chief Executive and the nominated Green Champion in meeting the Theatre’s aims and ambitions for its environmental impact.

Other

• To handle all information with the highest level of confidentiality and discretion.
• To champion and promote the Theatre’s values and behaviours, and act as an ambassador for the Theatre.
• To always act in the best interests of the Theatre and in line with all company policies.
• To attend training as required to keep knowledge and skills up to date, and to maintain own continuing professional development.
• To assist the department with work experience placements, offering work shadowing, training and mentoring as required.
• Any other duties or projects reasonably required by the Head of People and Culture or the Chief Executive to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the People and Culture function and the organisation.

Person Specification

Our purpose and our values

We exist to improve lives by sharing Pitlochry with the world and the world with Pitlochry.

We do this:

• By creating theatre that excites, engages, and challenges.
• By inspiring imaginations, senses of adventure, and new levels of understanding that change worlds.
• By nurturing environments to encourage wellbeing, growth, connection, and a sense of belonging.
• By exploring new ways of seeing and collaborating.

In everything we do we are creative and respectful, and in every situation we are collaborative and empowering.

Personal behaviours and style

We are looking for people who share our core values and can demonstrate their commitment to:

• Commitment to Excellence
• Teamwork
• Creativity
• Inspirational sense of belonging
• A nurturing environment

The successful candidate will need to be able to demonstrate the following skills, experience and attributes in both the written application and the interview process:

Qualifications and Knowledge

Essential

• CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in People Management, or equivalent knowledge gained through relevant experience
• Sound working knowledge of UK employment law and HR good practice, and how to apply it in practice
• Knowledge of right to work requirements and pre-employment checks
• Working knowledge of UK GDPR as it applies to HR records

Desirable

• Knowledge of visa and sponsorship requirements
• Knowledge of the PVG Scheme and Disclosure Scotland checks
• Knowledge of inclusive recruitment practice and Fair Work First

Experience

Essential

• Strong generalist HR advisory experience, including independently managing employee relations casework
• Experience of managing or overseeing end-to-end recruitment
• Experience of improving policies, processes or compliance arrangements
• Experience of supervising others and delivering a high-quality service

Desirable

• Experience in the arts, charities or organisations with varied contracts and seasonal working patterns
• Experience of high-volume or seasonal recruitment
• Experience of organisational change
• Experience of designing or delivering manager training
• Experience of HR system implementation

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Confident use of HR systems, Excel and People data, with the ability to produce clear reports
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including drafting clear letters, reports and job adverts
• Able to coach and influence managers, and to challenge constructively
• Able to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines
• A high level of accuracy and attention to detail

Desirable

• Experience of using social media and sector platforms to promote roles and the employer brand
• Confidence presenting to groups, such as at careers fairs or manager briefings

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Discretion, integrity and sound professional judgement when handling sensitive and confidential matters
• An approachable, collaborative style
• A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and to treating people fairly
• An interest in the arts and the vision of Pitlochry Festival Theatre

Closing date:

5pm on Thursday 5 November 2026. We may close the advert early if we receive a high number of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as you can.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. Please let us know if you need any adjustments to take part in the recruitment process.