People Services Advisor – AR

Client: Coventry City Council
Location: Coventry – Main base at Friargate, with travel to other Council locations as required
Working Pattern: Hybrid – 2 days remote per week
Contract: 3 months
Rate: £21.33 per hour PAYE
Hours: Full-time
Service: Employee Relations

About the Role

Coventry City Council is looking for an experienced People Services Advisor / HR Advisor to join its Employee Relations team on a 3-month contract.

The successful candidate will provide professional HR advice and guidance to managers and employees across a range of employee relations matters, ensuring HR policies and employment legislation are applied fairly and consistently.

This is a hands-on HR advisory role, with a strong focus on employee relations, manager support, Trade Union engagement and organisational change.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide clear and professional HR advice and guidance to managers on a range of employment matters.
• Manage an individual caseload of employee relations issues, including disciplinary, grievance, performance and other sensitive cases.
• Coach and support managers through employee relations processes and difficult conversations.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with Trade Union representatives.
• Support organisational change programmes, including restructures, redundancies, service efficiencies and changes to terms and conditions.
• Interpret and apply HR policies, procedures and employment legislation.
• Prepare documentation and papers for employee relations cases and formal processes.
• Support the development and implementation of People Services policies and procedures.
• Deliver training, coaching and guidance to managers to improve their people-management capability.
• Support job evaluation activities and participate in job evaluation panels where required.
• Maintain accurate HR records and use People Services systems to support compliance and management information.
• Analyse HR data and identify relevant trends or issues for discussion with managers.
• Support the Employee Relations Lead and People Services Business Partners with organisational change and wider HR projects.
• Provide advice on safeguarding, DBS processes and relevant workforce policies where required.

About You

The ideal candidate will have:

• Previous experience working as an HR Advisor, People Advisor or Employee Relations Advisor.
• Strong experience managing employee relations casework.
• Experience advising and coaching managers on HR policies and procedures.
• Experience working in a unionised environment and liaising with Trade Unions.
• Good knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
• Experience supporting organisational change, restructures or redundancies.
• Local Government/public-sector HR experience – essential.
• Strong communication, relationship-building and problem-solving skills.
• The ability to manage a varied caseload and competing priorities independently.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to analyse HR information and provide clear recommendations.

Qualification

• CIPD Associate / Level 5 minimum.

Why This Role?

This is a good opportunity for an experienced HR/Employee Relations professional to gain further experience within Coventry City Council, working closely with managers, senior HR colleagues and Trade Union representatives across a range of employee relations and organisational change matters.

Please note: The role is primarily based at Friargate, with occasional travel to other Council locations, and offers 2 days remote working per week.