Senior HR Adviser - £39,649 - £42,301

Location: Bristol, South Gloucestershire

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full Time, Part Time, Term Time

Salary: £40,958 - £43,697

Start Date As Soon As Possible

Job Title: Senior HR Adviser

Full Time Annual Salary: £40,958 - £43,697 (Grade F) (Based on hours and working weeks)

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday / All year-round (4 days per week / Term Time Only Plus Additional Weeks can also be considered). Daily core working hours are 9am-5pm - those with family or caring commitments will still be expected to work/attend meetings outside of school hours (before 9am/after 3pm) but the role comes with flexibility to manage your time and work around this, as and when needed.

Additional Information: The role will be offered on a hybrid working basis, to include home, office and academy-based working. The successful candidate/s will hold a valid driving licence and have access to their own transport in order to travel to and from other sites, as required. You will need to be based locally within the Southwest, in order to be able to travel to any site on any given day, sometimes at short notice, as the service requires. If you would like to consider a role that is not full time, all year round - please detail this in the supporting statement section of your application, if you feel comfortable to share at this stage.

Potential Start Date: September 2026 (Subject to completion of pre-employment checks)

Your opportunity to lead employee relations across a diverse education community

Are you an experienced HR professional with a passion for employee relations and a drive to make a real difference?

In this role, you will:

Lead and manage a varied and complex employee relations caseload, offering expert advice on matters such as performance, conduct, attendance, and policy.

Build strong, collaborative relationships with Principals and leadership teams across multiple schools.

Provide high-quality guidance that supports fair, consistent, and legally sound decision-making.

Contribute to wider HR initiatives, process improvements, and projects that enhance the effectiveness and impact of the HR service.

Play a key role in shaping and supporting a positive people culture across the Federation.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an HR professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys problem-solving, and wants to have a genuine, lasting impact on staff experience and organisational outcomes.

You will have:

A strong working knowledge of HR policies, employment law, and best practice, with the ability to apply this across a wide range of employee relations activities.

Experience in managing complex employee relations cases, including investigations, formal meetings, and organisational change processes.

The ability to provide high-quality, pragmatic advice to Principals, Headteachers, Managers, and safeguarding leads, navigating sensitive issues with professionalism and emotional intelligence.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to build trust and credibility at all levels and work collaboratively with union representatives and external stakeholders.

Confidence in coaching and mentoring colleagues, and in advising senior leaders on complex HR matters.

High emotional intelligence, resilience, and a proactive, problem-solving approach in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities.

CIPD membership (or working towards with indicative completion in the short term) and a commitment to ongoing professional development.

A valid driving licence and access to transport, with the flexibility to travel to CLF sites across the South West, sometimes at short notice.

Applicants are advised to refer to the full requirements of the role in the attached job description and person specification, prior to submitting an application.

What we can offer you:

Access to a generous pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).

Generous annual leave.

A comprehensive induction and ongoing commitment to wellbeing and career progression, through a range of training, apprenticeships and in-role/wider-trust development opportunities.

Well-being support through an Employee Assistance Programme.

Health benefits, including wellness sessions, gym discounts, and flu jabs.

A range of generous family leave options, including above industry average occupational maternity pay.

Additional benefits like cycle to work scheme, on-site parking plus many more!

Recruitment timeline:

For an informal discussion about the role/to find out more, please email

Blue Arrow is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to helping find great work opportunities for great people.