HR Advisor

Wates are looking for an experienced, proactive HR Advisor to join Wates Residential on a 13-month Fixed Term Contract. You'll be a trusted partner to managers and employees, championing fair, consistent, and legally compliant people practices while helping us embed excellent HR standards across our operations.

This is a role where your expertise truly shapes outcomes. Leading employee relation cases will be central to your success so if you thrive in fast‑paced, people‑focused environments, we'd love to hear from you.

What You'll Be Doing

• Acting as a go‑to HR partner, providing clear, practical advice across the full employee lifecycle from performance and absence to redundancy, redeployment, and best‑practice people management..
• Managing Employee Relation cases, ensuring fair, timely, confident handling of disciplinary, grievance, capability and appeal matters.
• Supporting the design, communication and rollout of updated HR policies and procedures, including briefings and training.
• Coaching line managers, HR Operations and People Directors on applying HR policy, process and employment legislation in real‑world situations.
• Building strong working relationships with external legal partners and Occupational Health to ensure their expertise is effectively utilised.
• Maintaining confidentiality and professionalism at all times, while driving your own ongoing development.
• Ensure the HR casework database is up to date and accurate at all times, collating a monthly activity report for the HR Business Partner.
• Support the business HR Business Partner on other HR activities such as our employee survey and annual salary review.
• Be a key contributor to the HR Advisor network across the Group, sharing learnings and best practice.

What You'll Bring

Knowledge: Up‑to‑date employment law, solid understanding of HR processes, and confidence working with people metrics.

Skills & Experience:

• Proven experience managing a high volume of complex employee relations cases.
• Strong written and verbal communication, including drafting invite / outcome letters and preparing hearing packs.
• Experience supporting complex hearings and advising managers through sensitive matters.
• A track record of driving improvements and supporting change.
• High levels of integrity, discretion and a customer‑focused mindset.

Qualifications: CIPD qualified (or equivalent).

Wates is proud to be an employer where anyone can thrive, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.  We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every requirement, as we value transferable skills and assess all applications fairly.

We don't discriminate based on a criminal record; all applications are reviewed on an individual basis against the requirements of the role. Some roles may require additional checks, due to the nature of the work.  As a Disability Confident Leader, we offer an interview to applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for the role and opt in to the Disability Confident scheme.  Reasonable adjustments are available, please contact us at recruitment@wates.co.uk / WPSrecruitment@wates.co.uk