Senior HR Adviser - £39,649 - £42,301 in Bristol

Location: Bristol, South Gloucestershire

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full Time, Part Time, Term Time

Salary: £40,958 - £43,697

Start Date: As Soon As Possible

The role will be offered on a hybrid working basis, to include home, office and academy-based working. The successful candidate/s will hold a valid driving licence and have access to their own transport in order to travel to and from other sites, as required. You will need to be based locally within the Southwest, in order to be able to travel to any site on any given day, sometimes at short notice, as the service requires.

Your opportunity to lead employee relations across a diverse education community. Are you an experienced HR professional with a passion for employee relations and a drive to make a real difference?

In this role, you will:

• Lead and manage a varied and complex employee relations caseload, offering expert advice on matters such as performance, conduct, attendance, and policy.
• Build strong, collaborative relationships with Principals and leadership teams across multiple schools.
• Provide high-quality guidance that supports fair, consistent, and legally sound decision-making.
• Contribute to wider HR initiatives, process improvements, and projects that enhance the effectiveness and impact of the HR service.
• Play a key role in shaping and supporting a positive people culture across the Federation.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an HR professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys problem-solving, and wants to have a genuine, lasting impact on staff experience and organisational outcomes.

You will have:

• A strong working knowledge of HR policies, employment law, and best practice, with the ability to apply this across a wide range of employee relations activities.
• Experience in managing complex employee relations cases, including investigations, formal meetings, and organisational change processes.
• The ability to provide high-quality, pragmatic advice to Principals, Headteachers, Managers, and safeguarding leads, navigating sensitive issues with professionalism and emotional intelligence.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to build trust and credibility at all levels and work collaboratively with union representatives and external stakeholders.
• Confidence in coaching and mentoring colleagues, and in advising senior leaders on complex HR matters.
• High emotional intelligence, resilience, and a proactive, problem-solving approach in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities.
• CIPD membership (or working towards with indicative completion in the short term) and a commitment to ongoing professional development.
• A valid driving licence and access to transport, with the flexibility to travel to CLF sites across the South West, sometimes at short notice.

Applicants are advised to refer to the full requirements of the role in the attached job description and person specification, prior to submitting an application.

What we can offer you:

• Access to a generous pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Generous annual leave.
• A comprehensive induction and ongoing commitment to wellbeing and career progression, through a range of training, apprenticeships and in-role/wider-trust development opportunities.
• Well-being support through an Employee Assistance Programme.
• Health benefits, including wellness sessions, gym discounts, and flu jabs.
• A range of generous family leave options, including above industry average occupational maternity pay.
• Additional benefits like cycle to work scheme, on-site parking plus many more!

Recruitment timeline: For an informal discussion about the role/to find out more, please email.

Blue Arrow is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to helping find great work opportunities for great people.