HR / Employee Relations Advisor

Salary: £40,000 pa

Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire

Hours: Monday to Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm. Opportunity to work from home 1 day per week. Part-time applications will be considered.

Benefits:

• Annual leave: 25 days plus bank holidays. Up to 3 additional holidays for length of service.
• Company pension scheme salary sacrifice with 5% employer and 5% employee contributions.
• Death In Service benefit 3x salary.

Howarths is an award-winning 2nd generation family business with an exciting opportunity for an experienced HR/Employee Relations Advisor to join the team. We are a team of specialist Employment Law, HR and Health and Safety advisors that work with over 600 client companies throughout England. We love what we do, and we genuinely want to add value to our SME client base. We are an ambitious company with a brilliant track record of year-on-year growth, profitability and development. We place significance on values such as graft, together, heart and grit. These core principles run right through our business and as a result, in all our dealings with clients. Our vision is to grow year on year, however we want to do this in the right way, maintaining our values and adding stability to the business. Building a great reputation is paramount and something that has been key to our business strategy from day one. We have been in business 23 years and we are a team of real people. We encourage individuality and personality and channel this into creating a standout experience for our clients. We are keen to add further talent to the team; someone who can hit the ground running and enable us to continue to deliver a best‑in‑class service to our growing client base. We are passionate about working with our clients to deliver commercial, accurate and timely advice to support and protect their business. We judge ourselves on how happy we make our clients; that’s it.

We are looking for a confident, client focussed, HR/Employee Relations Advisor to sit within the Employment Law team and provide sound advice to our clients on the full employee life cycle, right up to dismissal. This is an integral part of our service, and the successful candidate would manage their own case load and build up strong positive relationships with the clients they deal with. The work is fresh, dynamic and engaging, providing a platform for professional growth. As an employer, we value the benefits of a good work life balance and promote a positive working environment. We genuinely care about each member of our team and their contribution to the business and our clients. Equally, we have made a commitment to our community and set-up our own charity, The Howarth Foundation, supporting people who have recently been homeless in Leeds and Kirklees to take the next step back into employment.

THE ROLE

To act as a dedicated HR/Employee Relations Advisor for Howarths growing client base of SME companies with ownership for a number of client accounts. Provide commercial, accurate and timely advice to client companies across the breadth of the employee life cycle including redundancy, sickness, capability, disciplinary and grievance in the workplaces etc. Promote a positive and proactive approach to employee relations and HR matters. Build strong relationships with client companies and develop a good understanding of their business, enabling you to add value to their bottom line through commercial employee relations advice. Develop employment policies and procedures and contracts of employment on behalf of client companies. To write articles and comment pieces for marketing and PR purposes as and when required. Engage with and promote Howarths core values.

THE CANDIDATE

The successful candidate for the position of HR/ ER / Employment Law Advisor will possess the following qualifications, experience and qualities:

Preferred Qualification and Experience: We’re looking for someone who has experience advising managers and/or business owners, is an excellent communicator with the ability to influence at all levels. CIPD qualified or equivalent, with sound knowledge of employment law and the ability to confidently advise, independently. The role requires excellent time management skills, and the ability to adapt and flex with day-to-day workload, whilst working to multiple deadlines. Alignment with Howarths values is essential:

• Graft: Ownership, flexibility, dedicated and pragmatic.
• Together: Communication, respect, collaboration and compassion.
• Heart: Understanding, empathy, joy, and integrity.
• Grit: Resilience, courage, enthusiasm and proactive.

HOW TO APPLY

Please send your updated CV. Closing date for applications is Sunday 19th April 2026.