Senior Schools HR Adviser
12-Month Fixed Term Contract
Salary: Bexley 15
Location: Bexley (Hybrid Working Available)
Are you an experienced HR professional looking for an opportunity to make a real difference in education?
We are seeking a talented and motivated Senior Schools HR Adviser to join our highly regarded Schools HR team on a 12-month fixed-term contract. This is an exciting opportunity to work with headteachers, school leaders, governors and academy trusts, providing expert HR advice and support across a wide range of complex people management matters.
As a Senior Schools HR Adviser, you will play a key role in delivering a professional, proactive and customer-focused HR advisory service to schools. You will support organisational change, employee relations, trade union consultation, policy development, workforce planning and leadership decision-making, helping school leaders achieve positive outcomes for their staff and pupils.
What You'll Be Doing
- Providing specialist HR advice on complex employee relations matters.
- Supporting headteachers and governing bodies with staffing, organisational change and workforce management issues.
- Developing and reviewing HR policies and procedures.
- Delivering practical, solutions-focused advice that balances legal compliance with operational needs.
- Working collaboratively with colleagues, schools and external partners to deliver excellent customer service.
- Contributing to the continuous improvement and development of the Schools HR service.
Why Join Us?
The Schools HR team has a strong reputation for providing high-quality support to schools across Bexley and neighbouring Boroughs. You'll join a collaborative and supportive team that values innovation, partnership working and professional development. We offer flexible working arrangements, a welcoming team environment and the opportunity to make a tangible difference to educational communities across the borough.
If you are passionate about delivering excellent HR services and want to be part of a supportive, forward-thinking team, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply now and help shape the future of our schools through outstanding people management.
Please note that the successful candidate will be required to be office based at least 1 day a week and will need to travel to schools within the client portfolio
For an informal discussion about the role please contact Rebecca Barut, Head of Schools HR, Governor Services and HR Delivery on 020 3045 5050.
Candidate Profile
You will be a CIPD-qualified HR professional (or working towards qualification) with significant experience of advising senior managers on complex HR issues. Experience within education or local government would be advantageous, although we welcome applications from candidates with strong employee relations and organisational change experience from other sectors.
You will bring:
- Strong employee relations expertise.
- Experience of organisational change and restructuring.
- Excellent communication, influencing and relationship-building skills.
- The confidence to advise senior stakeholders on sensitive and challenging matters.
- A commitment to customer service, collaboration and continuous improvement.
For the full list of essential and desirable criteria for this role then please refer to the Person Specification within the Job Description attached.
Please upload your personal statement under the Relevant Experience and Skills section and ensure this fully aligns to the role criteria. This should not be more than two sides of A4.
CV's will not be accepted.
Advert may be withdrawn at short notice if there is a large interest in the position.
Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
Interviews are scheduled to be held in August 2026
Bexley is a vibrant and diverse outer London Borough nestled in the Thames Gateway between London and Kent which means it combines the perfect blend of city vibe and the tranquillity of Kent. It's got award-winning parks, open spaces, and heritage sites. The borough has excellent transport connections, including the Elizabeth Line and proximity to the M25. Bexley offers fantastic amenities such as libraries, leisure centres, and shopping areas. Our borough is also home to numerous primary and secondary schools, as well as further education institutions.
Our Offer to you
We will offer you in return a package that includes a competitive salary, coaching and mentoring programmes, an excellent pension scheme and generous annual leave plus bank holidays. For more information on the benefits package on offer please refer to the Candidate Information document attached.
Recruitment Information
As a disability confident employer Bexley welcomes applications from people with all disabilities, including hidden disabilities and mental health conditions. We will interview any disabled applicant who meets the minimum criteria. If you require reasonable adjustments to be made to any part of the recruitment process due to your disability, please contact us on [email protected]
This role may be available as a development opportunity through secondment for the Council’s existing employees. The Council’s Secondment Scheme can be found here. If this option is of interest, please contact the recruiting manager.
We reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date.
