HR Advisor

Place Partnership are seeking to appoint a confident and knowledgeable HR Advisor to deliver a responsive first-line HR advisory and operational service across the Trust. The postholder will provide advice and guidance to academy colleagues, triaging and resolving queries. The role will help ensure the consistent application of HR processes and the smooth management of the full employee lifecycle. The HR Advisor will play a key role in delivering an efficient recruitment and onboarding service across academies, supporting managers to ensure a timely, positive candidate experience. A strong focus on operational excellence, compliance and assurance will underpin the post, including the accurate issuance of contracts, variation letters, and leaver documentation; maintaining high-quality, GDPR-compliant HR records; monitoring probation periods and fixed-term contract end dates; assisting with policy updates and HR project work; and supporting consistent use of HR systems and digital workflows. Experience of HR in education, including workforce terms and conditions for teaching and support staff, would be desirable. Alongside advisory work, the HR Advisor will line manage the HR Assistant. This will include allocating and overseeing day-to-day transactional activity and administration, quality assuring outputs, and providing coaching and development to build capability, confidence, and resilience across the team. Working collaboratively with HR colleagues and payroll, the postholder will help ensure a joined-up, end-to-end service that is professional, accurate and customer-focused. A visible and responsive presence across academies will be essential, building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders and signposting colleagues to relevant resources and guidance where appropriate.

• Approachable, empathetic, and professional, with a genuine commitment to supporting colleagues across the Trust.
• Calm under pressure, able to stay composed and solution-focused when managing competing priorities.
• Confident and credible, able to have constructive conversations and provide clear guidance with tact.
• Resilient and adaptable, comfortable working flexibly across different sites and priorities.
• An excellent communicator with strong interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Pragmatic and fair, applying sound judgement and maintaining consistency.
• Reliable, discreet, and able to handle highly confidential information with integrity.
• Detail-focused and conscientious, with a strong sense of accountability and follow-through.
• Positive and collaborative, helping to build a high-performing and customer-focused team culture.
  
  Place Partnership represents the voluntary merger of two strong and successful Trusts in South and West Yorkshire: Maltby Learning Trust, established in 2014, and Accord Multi Academy Trust, founded in 2016. Both organisations shared a clear ambition - to grow our families of schools, extend the impact of our work, and ensure more children, families and communities could benefit from high-quality education. We recognise that by coming together, we will create a larger organisation with greater capacity to deliver exceptional learning experiences, strengthen school improvement, and contribute more meaningfully to the wider education system. From 1 September 2026, we will comprise 12 academies, supporting children and young people from early years through to Post 16.
We treat people with care and compassion, building belonging, and hold high expectations because everyone matters. We recognise that our people are our greatest strength, and as such, we offer a comprehensive suite of benefits as part of our commitment to wellbeing and professional growth. For full details, please see our recruitment pack.