Human Resources Advisor

We’re looking for an experienced HR professional to join the People & Culture team at Heart of England Co-operative Society as a HR Advisor on a 12-month fixed-term contract. Based within our Support Centre team, this is a fantastic opportunity to play a key role in supporting managers and colleagues across the Society with employee relations, wellbeing, absence management and people processes.

12-Month Fixed-Term Contract

At Heart of England Co-operative Society, our colleagues are at the heart of everything we do. As an independent, regional Co-operative with a proud history dating back to 1832, we are passionate about supporting our communities, delivering excellent service, and creating a positive colleague experience.

We are now looking for a proactive and experienced HR Advisor to provide high-quality HR support across our operational and support functions. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys a fast-paced, people-focused environment and is confident managing a varied employee relations caseload while building strong relationships with managers across the business.

• Providing practical and timely HR advice to managers and colleagues
• Managing a wide range of employee relations casework including disciplinary, grievance, absence, performance, flexible working and wellbeing matters
• Supporting long-term absence management, welfare meetings and return-to-work processes
• Coaching managers on people management best practice and policy application
• Producing HR reports and analysing people data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement
• Supporting HR projects, organisational change activity and continuous improvement initiatives
• Maintaining accurate HR records and ensuring compliance with employment legislation and GDPR

We’re looking for someone with strong HR advisory experience who can build credibility quickly and provide balanced, commercially focused people support.

You’ll ideally have:

• Previous experience in a HR Advisor or HR generalist role
• Strong employee relations case management experience
• Good knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice
• Experience supporting absence management and colleague wellbeing
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities
• CIPD Level 5 qualification (or working towards) is desirable
• Experience with in a retail, multi-site or operational environment would be advantageous

As well as joining a values‑led organisation with a strong community focus, we offer a range of colleague benefits including:

• Holiday entitlement increasing with service
• Learning and development opportunities
• A supportive and collaborative working environment

If you’re passionate about supporting colleagues, confident handling complex people matters, and looking to make a positive impact within a growing organisation, we’d love to hear from you.