Senior HR Adviser

Job Title: Senior HR Adviser

Actual Annual Salary: £35,692 – £38,080 (Based on hours and weeks worked)

Full Time Equivalent Salary: £39,649 - £42,301 (Grade F) (based on 37 hours per week, all year round.)

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday / Term Time Only Plus INSETS and 10 additional days during school closure period Additional Information: The role will be offered on a hybrid working basis, to include home, office and academy-based working. The successful candidate will hold a valid driving licence and have access to their own transport in order to travel to and from CLF sites, as required. You will need to be based locally within the Southwest, in order to be able to travel to any CLF site on any given day, sometimes at short notice, as the service requires.

Potential Start Date: 07 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?

Join the Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) as a Senior HR Adviser and become a key part of our dynamic Central HR Team. This role is being advertised as full time, as we need to increase capacity in our team.

As a trusted partner to academy leaders, you’ll play a pivotal role in supporting our diverse family of 36 academies across the South West, spanning primary, secondary, all‑through, special, alternative, and studio school settings. Serving more than 18,000 learners aged 2 to 19, CLF is committed to equity, excellence, and opportunity for all, and you’ll be instrumental in helping us create an exceptional experience for our people.

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.

About you:

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 hig