HR Advisor in London

Canterbury Cathedral is the cathedral of the archbishop of Canterbury, the leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Located in Canterbury, Kent, it is one of the oldest Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site.

We are seeking an experienced and confident HR Advisor (CIPD Level 5) to join our Cathedral team, providing high-quality, professional HR advice and leading on Safer Recruitment compliance across all appointments. This is a key operational role within a values-led organisation, offering the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the wellbeing, governance, and effectiveness of our workforce.

Working closely with the HR Manager, you will support managers across the Cathedral in all aspects of people management, ensuring HR practice is legally compliant, proportionate, and aligned with Church of England Safer Recruitment requirements and the Cathedrals mission and values. This is a hands-on role suited to an experienced HR professional who enjoys combining operational delivery with advisory work, who is comfortable handling sensitive matters, and who brings sound judgement, attention to detail, and the confidence to appropriately challenge when required.

As HR Advisor, you will act as a trusted point of contact for managers and staff, providing clear, pragmatic HR advice across a broad range of matters including employee relations, recruitment, absence management, and policy application. You will lead on Safer Recruitment compliance for all Cathedral recruitment, acting as the internal expert and ensuring robust, consistent processes are followed at every stage.

As HR Advisor you will play an important role in maintaining accurate HR systems, compliance trackers, and workforce data, supporting audits, inspections, and reporting requirements. You will also contribute to HR reporting for senior leaders, providing insight into workforce trends, risks, and areas of good practice.

The HR Advisor role includes involvement in HR projects and organisational change activity, such as workforce reviews, system improvements, engagement initiatives, restructures, consultations, or TUPE processes where applicable. You will also support the development and continuous improvement of HR processes and standard operating procedures to ensure consistency and efficiency across the organisation.

• Lead on Safer Recruitment compliance across all Cathedral recruitment, ensuring appointments meet Church of England requirements, statutory obligations, and internal policy.
• Act as a source of expert advice on Safer Recruitment, supporting and guiding recruiting managers and preparing for audits or inspections.
• Provide high-quality HR advice and support to managers and staff across the full employee lifecycle.
• Lead and support employee relations casework, including absence management, probation, disciplinary, grievance, and capability processes.
• Maintain accurate HR systems, personnel records, compliance trackers, and workforce data, ensuring confidentiality and audit readiness.
• Contribute to HR reporting for senior leaders, including workforce metrics, trends, and compliance information.
• Support organisational change processes, ensuring fair, compliant, and well-documented approaches.
• Assist with policy review and updates in line with legislative changes and best practice.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the Cathedral, promoting positive relationships and proactive engagement with HR.

You will be CIPD Level 5 qualified (essential), with solid experience in an HR advisory or operational role and a strong working knowledge of UK employment law. You will be confident supporting managers, handling sensitive issues with discretion, and balancing organisational needs with fairness and care.

Experience of Safer Recruitment, audit preparation, or working within a charity, faith-based, education, or public-sector environment would be advantageous, though a strong willingness to develop specialist Safer Recruitment expertise is equally important.

In line with the Cathedrals Safer Recruitment policy, we will not be accepting CVs or covering letters without a completed application form.

If you are an experienced HR professional looking for a role with purpose, responsibility, and the opportunity to shape strong people practices in a unique environment, we would be delighted to hear from you.