HR People Partner - Maternity Cover in Salisbury

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Grade: G

Salary: £44,075 - £47,181 per annum (rising by annual increments to £47,181). More information on salaries and progression can be found on our pay and policies page.

Hours: Full Time - 37 hours per week

Location: The service encourages flexible working and is open to flexible working options. The role will be based at either Dorchester Support Offices, Poundbury or Salisbury with the flexibility to work from home / DWFRS Stations / Support Offices.

Travel: The role has a significant travel requirement across the Service, in particular to Christchurch, Springbourne, Ferndown, Verwood, Poole, Hamworthy, Swanage and Wareham.

Appointment Type: Temporary – up to 18 month fixed term contract (or until return of substantive postholder) – maternity cover.

Contact: For a chat about this post, please contact Adele Smyth, Senior HR People Partner on 07585 985503 or adele.smyth@dwfire.org.uk.

Closing and Interview date: The closing date for applications is Sunday 30 November 2025 (midnight). It is intended that interviews will take place on Thursday 11 December 2025.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, an organisation that is passionate about changing and saving lives. Our corporate staff are absolutely vital in helping to make our communities safer and healthier. Without them, we couldn’t do it. We offer a wide range of employee benefits and strive to ensure that staff are valued and rewarded. For example, we offer a flexi time scheme, Local Government Pension Scheme, a generous annual leave allowance, a variety of family friendly schemes including 39 weeks’ full pay during maternity leave (subject to qualifying criteria) and health & well-being services.

As a HR People Partner in our Human Resources department you will:

• Develop relationships with, and provide support to, managers within the Service ensuring best practice is implemented, working closely with them to deliver their objectives and to enable delivery of the business plan.
• Provide advice, support and guidance on employee relations issues such as conflict resolution, mediation, investigation, disciplinary, grievance, capability and attendance/sickness issues together with flexible working requests, maternity/paternity related matters, redundancy, job design and restructures to ensure a consistent and fair approach in each case.
• Ensure line managers can effectively apply HR policies and procedures, ensuring they are up to date, consistently applied and have an understanding of their importance.
• Support key stakeholders in all areas of leadership development, coaching, performance management and succession planning.

What makes you our ideal HR People Partner?

• Qualified Member level of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (MCIPD) or able to demonstrate a significant level of graduate calibre experience at this level.
• Previous experience of working in a business partner role and providing HR support and advice on a wide range of employee relations and other HR matters to ensure added value in meeting business objectives.
• Up-to-date knowledge of employment legislation and experience of applying it and advising on best practice HR ensuring organisational risk is minimised.
• Ability to build and maintain strong, professional and credible working relationships at all levels within the organisation.

You must have a full current driving licence and be able to fulfil the significant travel requirements of the role. Use of your own vehicle will be required; however, a Service vehicle may be available. Please note Service vehicles are manual transmission only. If you are unable to drive due to a disability, we would still welcome your application and will explore any reasonable adjustments that could be put in place.

The role involves some evening working to support operational staff at drill nights. If you are applying for a secondment opportunity you will need to notify your substantive line manager of your intention to do so at the earliest opportunity.

A Standard Disclosure & Barring Service Check (DBS) clearance will be undertaken on the successful individual prior to offer of employment. Any offer of employment will be subject to full pre-employment checks which include identity checks, right to work in the UK, medical, negative drug test, receipt of satisfactory references, verification of employment history and an explanation of any gaps in employment in the last 3 years.

Should a permanent position arise in the team during the period of your Fixed Term Contract, that is substantially similar to the role you are carrying out, you may be considered for the role in the first instance.

We are dedicated to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities and welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances. All applications will be treated on merit and staff involved in recruitment and selection processes undertake unconscious bias training. We are committed to the Disability Confident Scheme and guarantee an interview to applicants with a disclosed disability if they meet the minimum criteria for the post to which they are applying.

If you hold international qualifications, you will be required to provide official evidence that shows how these compare to UK Qualifications. We will accept a Statement of Comparability from a UK organisation called ENIC which can be obtained via their website. Please note that UK ENIC charge for this service, so if you request a Statement of Compatibility, you will be required to pay for and are unable to reimburse you.

If you are experiencing difficulties completing your application or have a need to complete your application in an alternative format due to a disability, please contact HR Resourcing on 01722 691444 within plenty of time of the closing date of the position you are applying for.

Our recruitment, assessment and progression processes are based on our Code of Ethics that has been developed specifically for Fire and Rescue Services. We identify the most important behaviours for the role and these are used as part of the short-listing and selection process.