HR Advisor in North East

Do you want to take the next step in your HR career and play a key role in shaping the colleague experience across Northern Powergrid? We’re looking for an experienced HR Advisor to join our People and Change Team, where you’ll partner with leaders across the business to deliver a high‑quality, customer‑focused people advisory service covering the full spectrum of generalist HR activity. If you’re confident supporting managers, navigating employee relations, driving recruitment and resourcing, and contributing to wider people‑focused initiatives, then we’d love to hear from you.

You’ll provide trusted, pragmatic guidance across your directorate, helping leaders make informed decisions on everything from performance and wellbeing to organisational change and development. This is a great opportunity to influence, support and shape a positive people culture while building strong, collaborative relationships at every level.

Along with a salary of between £38,000 - £43,000 we also offer benefits such as:

• Annual performance bonus of up to 10%
• 25 days holiday (rising with service) plus bank holidays
• Car allowance / company car scheme
• Excellent opportunities for career growth
• Payment of professional fees

Key Responsibilities

• Provide a customer centric people advisory service for an agreed directorate(s) across all generalist activities complying with legislation and internal policies/guidance including and not limited to: resourcing, recruitment and selection, performance management, absence management and employee wellbeing, terms and conditions of service, discipline and grievance, organisational change and learning and development.
• Respond effectively to customer enquiries; provide guidance and support, manage escalated challenges/queries with resolution in accordance with policies, procedures and processes.
• Coach and guide People managers to effectively manage employee relations issues including sickness absence (short term and long term), performance management, discipline and grievance.
• Support the performance management within the directorate, specifically provide 1-1 coaching/guidance for managers to identify and develop talent or poor performance and guide/support development/performance improvement plans for the identified employees complying with relevant policies and best practice.
• Advise line managers on resourcing including structure changes, recruitment and selection processes.
• Provide input to and support the implementation of directorate specific projects, change management programmes and working groups as and when required.
• Provide timely and accurate input to ad hoc managed environment requirements e.g. management reports (weekly, monthly) and use People metrics to identify people related issues for specific business area to facilitate management of these issues to support continuous improvement.
• Develop and maintain collaborative and productive working relationships with assigned directorate, partners, colleagues and trade union representatives, establishing professional credibility and respect and to facilitate a partnership approach.
• Work in close partnership with People Services in accordance with the agreed service level agreements to deliver a great customer experience.
• Provide first line of support to People Business Partner.
• Maintain personal and professional development in order to both meet the changing demands of the role and if appropriate to prepare in readiness for the next role, participating in appropriate training activities and encouraging and supporting others in their development and training.
• Carry out relevant activities and tasks as they apply to the role supporting the People team in delivering a 10 out of 10 service.

Skills, Knowledge, Experience & Qualifications

• Full UK driving license
• Significant generalist experience in a large, complex organisation in an advisory/business partner role
• Experience of partnering with a business area and working closely up to director level to provide input and support implementation of people plans
• Experience implementing change within an organisation
• High level competency with Microsoft IT packages
• Degree qualified in a relevant subject e.g. Human Resources / Business.
• Experience of working in a trade union recognised environment
• Experience of providing generalist support in a blue collar industry

Applicants are considered irrespective of sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender re‑assignment, race, age or disability, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.