People Team Advisor

Join to apply for the People Team Advisor role at VetPartners Limited. We have an exciting new opportunity for an experienced HR Advisor to join our People team, which serves more than 8,000 colleagues working at Veterinary practices throughout the UK & Ireland. You'll provide professional, pragmatic HR advice and support to managers and colleagues across the business, ensuring people policies and processes are applied fairly, legally, and in line with organisational goals. Acting as a trusted partner, you'll balance the needs of the business with the wellbeing of colleagues. Full-time hours are commissioned, but we would be open to part-time candidates or job shares (e.g., 9:30-2:30 to fit with school hours).

Responsibilities

• Partner with managers and senior stakeholders to provide expert advice on employee relations matters including grievances, disciplinaries, performance, absence, capability, redundancy, flexible working, and probation, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and values.
• Support investigations and hearings, ensuring fair, transparent, and well-documented processes that uphold legal and ethical standards.
• Draft and deliver outcome documentation and communications that are clear, consistent, and compliant with employment law.
• Collaborate with Business Development Directors, Practice Management, and Business Support Managers to influence people-related decisions and contribute to broader business projects.
• Promote colleague wellbeing through proactive guidance and support, embedding a culture of care and resilience.
• Facilitate mediation processes to resolution, and escalate appropriately where business-level input is required.
• Conduct retention interviews and analyse themes to inform initiatives that improve employee engagement and reduce turnover.
• Manage complex cases including long-term sickness and ill-health capability, integrating Occupational Health advice and implementing reasonable adjustments.
• Guide practices in applying absence policies consistently, providing coaching that strengthens manager confidence.
• Deliver consultation processes for restructures and redundancies, ensuring correct implementation and providing clear advice to support organisational change.
• Partner with HR Business Partners on case management, organisational integrations, and strategic workforce planning.
• Review and update job specifications, ensuring alignment with evolving organisational structures and role expectations.
• Coach and develop managers in handling people issues, building sustainable leadership capability.
• Design and deliver training programmes that enhance leadership effectiveness, employee engagement, and organisational performance.
• Provide guidance to the Shared Services Team, leading initiatives to build capability and manage escalated queries effectively.
• Analyse employee relations data and trends, using insights to shape training, policies, and proactive interventions.
• Contribute to policy development, engagement programmes, and wider People Team initiatives that support business culture and performance.
• Ensure accurate and compliant HR record-keeping in line with GDPR and governance requirements.
• Work collaboratively across the People Team and wider business, supporting continuous improvement and knowledge-sharing.

Qualifications & Experience

• Strong coaching skills with experience within all areas of employee relations and a track record of supporting diverse and challenging caseloads.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, adaptable to different situations and styles, able to build credible relationships at all levels while remaining customer focused and commercially aware.
• Solid HR and resourcing administration experience.
• Strong working knowledge of UK Employment Law and HR best practice.
• Experience managing employee relations cases and supporting organisational change.
• Proven ability to build effective relationships and influence at all levels.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with confidence in stakeholder management.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and comfortable using HR systems.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to maintain absolute discretion and confidentiality.
• Calm and resilient under pressure, able to balance multiple priorities without compromising standards.
• Proactive, solutions-focused approach with sound judgement.
• Collaborative team player, able to work effectively across HR and with wider business stakeholders.
• Determined and committed to delivering high-quality outcomes.

Benefits

• Salary up to £32,500 per annum, pro rata.
• Base at our York Central Support Office with 60% in-office time and flexible scheduling.
• 25 days holiday, plus Bank Holidays, with the option to sell 5 or buy 10 additional days.
• Health Shield Cash Plan & PERKS (discounts on gym memberships, retail, etc.).
• Cycle-to-Work scheme.
• Enhanced paternity, maternity, adoption, shared parental leave, and surrogacy pay.
• Company sick pay.
• Discounted veterinary fees.
• Focus on employee wellbeing.

If this sounds like the role for you, please apply today! Do apply directly (No agency submissions).