Senior People Advisor (12 month FTC)

Group Corporate Services (GCS) is the home for all internal support services that support the combined firm. Working with our Capability-led matrix and throughout the whole firm, GCS executes on our Group's strategic goals by enabling growth, protecting the firm and running operations effectively and efficiently, resulting in improved profitability. We do this using a ‘We are Group’ mindset.

About the team

The People and Resourcing domain’s purpose is to enable the Group’s business strategy through its people. We maintain our position as an employer of choice by fostering a Values-led culture, enabling our people to thrive, and delivering a positive experience through the employee lifecycle. We are a strategic HR function that leverages digitisation, automation, and data-driven insights to enhance decision-making and productivity.

You will join the People Operations team within People Advisory, working collaboratively across People and Resourcing and the wider People function. The team provides practical, responsive HR guidance and supports cyclical activity, case management and continuous improvement, with access to senior colleagues and specialist Employee Relations and Employment Law Advisory Team support where needed.

About the role

As a Senior People Advisor, you will deliver credible, commercially aware HR advice while building trusted relationships with Performance Managers, Performance Leaders and Partners. You will manage queries and casework from initial guidance through to resolution or a well-managed hand-off, keeping accurate records and ensuring stakeholders remain informed throughout the case journey.

You will use your judgement to navigate challenging conversations, balance colleague and business needs, and promote consistent, risk-aware decisions. You will also contribute to reporting, process improvement, calibration activity and the development of colleagues across the team.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead sickness and absence casework, including long-term and persistent absence, and hand cases to Employee Relations at the appropriate point of complexity or exit.
• Manage occupational health referrals and associated casework, including mental health, non-critical illness, critical illness and performance-related referrals.
• Partner with Health and Safety and Microlink to support colleague adjustments, with follow-up checks to assess whether the intended impact has been delivered.
• Work with the Group Income Protection provider through rehabilitation, conclusion or an appropriate hand-off to Employee Relations.
• Coach Performance Managers and Performance Leaders on return-to-work conversations and the effective use of absence-management tools.
• Provide professional guidance on HR enquiries not covered by policy, resolving straightforward and complex people issues with pragmatic outcomes and appropriate escalation.
• Notify the immigration team when a case or employment-status change could affect the visa position of a sponsored colleague.
• Support calibration meetings and agreed HR calendar activity in partnership with HR Business Partners and wider People teams.
• Contribute to management information reporting, standard operating procedure reviews and process maps, maintaining accurate case records for reporting and analytics.
• Coach less experienced colleagues and new joiners, share knowledge across the team and maintain current employment law and Employee Relations expertise through relevant training.

Skills, knowledge and experience you’ll need

• Strong practical experience in an HR advisory environment, with the confidence to coach the business on HR practice and manage varied casework.
• Advanced knowledge of absence management and a sound understanding of Employee Relations and employment law, with a commitment to keeping that knowledge current.
• Proven ability to build trusted senior stakeholder relationships and communicate clearly with colleagues at all levels.
• Commercial judgement and thoughtful risk-assessment skills, including knowing when to seek guidance from senior colleagues, Employee Relations or the Employment Law Advisory Team.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, facilitation, problem-solving and organisational skills, with strong literacy and numeracy.
• A collaborative, flexible approach, with the ability to manage challenging conversations, keep stakeholders informed and consider the full end-to-end journey of a case.
• Good IT proficiency, including Excel, PowerPoint and SAP SuccessFactors or an equivalent HR system.
• CIPD qualification is desirable.