Senior People Partner – HR Advisory

Burgess Hodgson; Canterbury; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Burgess Hodgson is seeking a Senior People Partner to lead high-risk HR advisory work and trusted client relationships. You will advise a varied client base across retained, PAYG, project and broader advisory engagements, balancing HR expertise with practical judgement and commercial awareness.

The role encompasses complex ER, TUPE, organisational change, people planning and mentoring, with on-site client visits as required and a Monday–Friday, 9:00–5:30 schedule.

Qualifications

• CIPD Level 5 minimum, with CIPD Level 7 or equivalent senior HR experience highly desirable.
• Minimum of eight years’ generalist HR experience, including complex ER casework, senior stakeholder advice and practical UK employment law awareness.
• At least three years’ HR consultancy, outsourced HR, professional services or multi-client advisory experience.
• Confidence advising on complex grievances, discrimination risk, whistleblowing, long-term absence, reasonable adjustments, senior exits, settlement discussions, TUPE, redundancy and organisational change.

Responsibilities

• Leading higher-risk retained client matters including grievances, absence, capability, conduct, investigations, discrimination risk, whistleblowing, senior exits, settlement discussions, TUPE, redundancy and organisational change.
• Acting as lead adviser for selected clients and building trusted relationships with business owners, Boards, Directors, and senior leadership teams.
• Diagnosing client issues before recommending solutions, using data, stakeholder conversations, case history and commercial context to identify risk, root cause and practical priorities.
• Creating people plans, advisory roadmaps and clear next-step recommendations that balance immediate risk management with longer-term manager capability and client value.
• Explaining risk, options and recommendations clearly and commercially, including where a client wishes to proceed against advice or where input is required.
• Attending client sites for onboarding, relationship management, fact-finding, HR audits, training delivery, employee relations support, project work and updates.
• Preparing client management updates, advisory reports, risk summaries, action plans and progress reports showing progress, recommendations and value delivered.
• Owning agreed HR project work for clients, including HR audits, policy reviews, people plans, manager capability programmes, training delivery, change support and other advisory projects.

Education

CIPD Level 5

CIPD Level 7 or equivalent

Job description

Take the lead on complex HR advisory work, build trusted senior client relationships and help shape the continued growth of a developing HR service.

• Salary £65,000–£78,000, depending on experience
• Full Time, Permanent
• Onsite, with client visits as required
• Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.30pm

As our client’s HR Advisory service continues to grow, they are looking for a Senior People Partner to lead complex advisory work, build trusted retained client relationships and support the continued development of the service.

You will advise a varied client base across retained, PAYG, project and wider advisory work, balancing technical HR expertise with practical judgement, commercial awareness and clear client communication. The role will suit someone who is confident advising business owners, Boards, Directors and senior leaders, and able to help clients manage complex people matters safely, proportionately and commercially.

About the role

You will lead higher-risk advisory work and selected retained client relationships, helping clients diagnose people issues, prioritise risk and agree practical actions. The role includes complex ER, senior exits, settlement strategy, TUPE, organisational change, people planning, client relationship leadership, quality assurance and mentoring.

You will also support People Partners and HR Support colleagues by providing technical guidance, case coaching, escalation support and quality assurance of advice, documentation, case notes and client communications. Alongside client delivery, you will contribute to service development, including templates, guidance, client onboarding, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.

What you will be doing

• Leading complex and higher-risk retained client matters, including grievances, absence, capability, conduct, investigations, discrimination risk, whistleblowing, senior exits, settlement discussions, TUPE, redundancy and organisational change.
• Acting as lead adviser for selected clients and building trusted relationships with business owners, Boards, Directors and senior leadership teams.
• Diagnosing client issues before recommending solutions, using data, stakeholder conversations, case history and commercial context to identify risk, root cause and practical priorities.
• Creating people plans, advisory roadmaps and clear next-step recommendations that balance immediate risk management with longer-term manager capability and client value.
• Explaining risk, options and recommendations clearly and commercially, including where a client wishes to proceed against advice or where legal, insurer, Director or specialist input is required.
• Attending client sites where required for onboarding, relationship management, fact-finding, HR audits, training delivery, employee relations support, project work and management update meetings.
• Preparing client management updates, advisory reports, risk summaries, action plans and progress reports that show progress, recommendations, responsibilities and value delivered.
• Taking ownership of agreed HR project work for clients, including HR audits, policy reviews, people plans, manager capability programmes, training delivery, organisational change support and wider advisory projects.
• Mentoring People Partners and HR Support colleagues, supporting quality assurance of advice, documentation, case notes and client communications.
• Identifying appropriate additional advisory, project, training, audit, handbook review or manager development opportunities where these would solve a genuine client need.
• Contributing to service development, including templates, guidance, client onboarding, knowledge sharing, service standards and continuous improvement.

What our client is looking for

• CIPD Level 5 minimum, with CIPD Level 7 or equivalent senior HR experience highly desirable.
• Minimum of eight years’ generalist HR experience, including complex ER casework, senior stakeholder advice and practical UK employment law awareness.
• At least three years’ HR consultancy, outsourced HR, professional services or multi-client advisory experience.
• Confidence advising on complex grievances, discrimination risk, whistleblowing, long-term absence, reasonable adjustments, senior exits, settlement discussions, TUPE, redundancy and organisational change.
• Strong judgement in prioritising legal, reputational, commercial and people risks, and translating complex issues into practical advice.
• Credibility advising business owners, Boards, Directors and senior leaders in a clear, balanced and commercially aware way.
• Experience supporting, mentoring or coaching other HR colleagues and contributing to consistent standards of advice and documentation.
• Commercial awareness, scope discipline and the confidence to identify where additional work would add value for the client.
• Experience designing and delivering practical HR, employee relations or manager capability training to clients or senior manager groups.
• Strong confidentiality awareness and ability to handle sensitive client and employee information appropriately.
• Experience supporting SMEs, professional services clients or clients across more than one sector.
• Experience developing and delivering people plans, HR audits, policy reviews, manager capability programmes, client training or wider advisory projects.
• Experience using HR software, HRIS platforms, case management systems, shared mailboxes, Microsoft 365, SharePoint, workflow trackers or document libraries.

In addition to salary, the successful candidate will receive access to our client’s employee benefits package. This may include pension provision, professional development support, wellbeing-related benefits and other benefits, with full details confirmed as part of the recruitment process.

Applicants must be authorised to work in the UK. No agencies, please.

Other suitable skills and experience may include: Senior HR Business Partner, Senior HR Consultant, HR Advisory Manager, People Advisory Manager, Employee Relations Lead, Lead People Partner, Outsourced HR Consultant, Complex Employee Relations, UK Employment Law and Senior Stakeholder Management.