Job type
TemporaryLocation
SouthamptonWorking Pattern
Full-timeSpecialism
Hr GeneralistIndustry
Education & TrainingPay
£27,000 - £32,000 (Hourly Equivalent)
People Advisor (HR Advisor) – Temporary Contract - Hybrid Working | 3 days on-site | Higher Education Sector
Your new company
You will be joining a well-established organisation within the higher education sector, known for its collaborative culture, strong values, and commitment to delivering an excellent employee experience. The People & Development team plays a central role in supporting academic and professional services, ensuring best practice HR processes and high standards across the full employee life cycle.
This is an excellent opportunity to join during a key operational period, contributing to a busy and high-impact HR function.
Your new role
As a People Advisor, you will provide essential operational HR support to Business Partners and managers across the organisation. This is a varied, hands-on role focused on delivering high-quality, consistent HR services across the employee life cycle.
Key responsibilities will include:
- Acting as a first point of contact for HR queries, providing procedural advice and guidance to managers
- Supporting recruitment processes, contract administration, and employee life cycle activities including flexible working, maternity, and return-to-work processes.
- Producing accurate HR documentation such as contracts, offer letters, and contract variations
- Coordinating with external providers (e.g. occupational health, DBS, visa services)
- Maintaining and updating HR systems and ensuring data accuracy across HR and payroll systems
- Producing and analysing HR reports (e.g. absence data, fixed-term contracts), highlighting key trends and risks
- Supporting Business Partners with casework and administrative tasks, including meeting coordination and minute taking
- Building effective relationships with stakeholders across the organisation
This role offers exposure to a broad range of HR activities in a structured, process-driven environment, with a strong focus on service delivery, accuracy, and collaboration.
What you'll need to succeed
To be successful in this role, you will bring a strong foundation in HR administration or advisory support, along with the ability to work in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
You will have:
- Previous experience in a generalist HR or People function, ideally in an advisory or senior administrative capacity
- Experience supporting managers with HR processes and producing professional written correspondence (e.g. contracts and letters)
- A good understanding of employment law and GDPR, particularly in relation to recruitment and employee data
- Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office and HR systems (HRIS/payroll systems experience desirable)
- Excellent attention to detail and the ability to manage sensitive data with integrity
- Strong organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently
- Excellent communication and customer service skills, with confidence in engaging with stakeholders at all levels
- A proactive, team-oriented approach with the ability to work independently when required
A CIPD Level 3 qualification (or working towards Level 5) is desirable.
What you'll get in return
- Flexible hybrid working (typically 3 days on-site)
- The opportunity to gain experience within a respected higher education environment
- Exposure to a broad range of HR processes across the employee life cycle
- A supportive and collaborative team environment
- Competitive hourly/day rate (depending on experience)
- Potential for contract extension depending on business needs
What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.
If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.
