Location: Council House
Hours: 37 hours per week
Closing Date: 28/08/2026
Contract Type: Post 1 - Permanent, Post 2 - Fixed term until 30 April 2028
An exciting opportunity has arisen for the post of HR Advisor within the Strategic HR team.
We are recruiting to two positions: one permanent role and one fixed-term role.
Do you want to be challenged, inspired and deliver real impact? If so read on
We are looking for individuals who will be able to fit quickly into our team and can offer range of HR experience and knowledge, and skills. You will be joining a well-established, committed and friendly team with a mandate to develop and support the implementation of modern and creative HR activities. The roles are diverse and key to the successful delivery of our HR strategy. In return for your commitment there will be the opportunity for you to grow and develop, supporting the HR Lead and Strategic HR Manager in changing culture and practice.
Who We Are
Here at Derby City Council, we’re dedicated to delivering nearly 250 first-class services to citizens and businesses in the heart of the Midlands. People are at the centre of all that we do, and we have an outstanding track record of recruiting and developing talented individuals by providing them with varied and fulfilling career opportunities. Find out more about what it’s like to work for us.
What We Offer
You too could be part of something brilliant by becoming a colleague at Derby City Council; in addition to making a difference to the lives of people across the city, you’ll also receive:
- Flexible work/life balance scheme
- Hybrid working
- Modern office environment
- Continued professional development opportunities & career conversations
- 27 days annual leave (rising to 32 days after 5 years' service), plus bank holidays
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Team Derby Rewards – retail and leisure discounts
- Tusker Car Benefit Scheme
- Cycle2Work Scheme & free cycle training
- Employee Assistance Programme, Wellbeing Calendar and Support
- Access to our Equality Employee Networks – LGBTQ+, Disabled Employee Network & Carers and our Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic Employee Support Network and Neurodiversity Network
- Support for colleagues who are carers
The Opportunity
In the role of HR Advisor, here’s an example of what you’ll be doing to make an impact:
In this role you will provide a proactive, business focused HR service to managers across the Council, combining high quality advice, coaching and challenge with strong employee relations and project delivery. You will support organisational change, lead on HR policy development and use data and insight to drive better people management and outcomes.
About You
To be successful in this role, you’ll ideally have…
Skills and knowledge (essential)
- Strong, up to date knowledge of UK employment law, HR best practice and HR policy.
- Proven ability to provide high quality professional HR advice, guidance and coaching to managers on the full range of people issues (e.g. performance, conduct, attendance, grievance, capability).
- Confidence in advising and presenting at formal hearings, meetings and appeals, ensuring fair process and legal compliance.
- Experience of supporting organisational change, including restructures, redundancy and TUPE, with the ability to advise on options and risks.
- Understanding of pay and grading frameworks and experience of job evaluation and/or moderation to support a consistent approach.
- Ability to develop, review and implement HR policies and procedures in response to organisational and legislative change.
- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to gather, interpret and present HR data to identify trends, risks and opportunities.
- Ability to design and deliver HR related learning and development (e.g. briefings, workshops, manager coaching) to build capability.
- Awareness of risk management and the ability to identify, escalate and help mitigate HR related risks.
Experience (essential)
- Proven experience in an HR Advisor / HR Business Partner or similar role in a complex organisation.
- Experience of working closely with managers to deliver pragmatic, business focused HR solutions.
- Experience of working with Trade Unions and/or employee representatives within a formal consultation or negotiation framework.
- Experience of managing or contributing to HR projects and change initiatives, from scoping through to delivery and evaluation.
- Experience of policy development and the understanding of enacting policies of deliver positive, pragmatic outcomes to support organisational goals.
- Experience of using HR information systems and Microsoft Office (particularly Excel, Word and PowerPoint) to support reporting and insight.
Qualifications and professional development (essential)
- CIPD Level 5 (or equivalent HR qualification) or substantial equivalent HR advisory experience, with a demonstrable commitment to continuous professional development.
Soft skills and behaviours (essential)
- Strong relationship building and influencing skills, with the confidence to challenge and support managers and senior stakeholders.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex HR and legal issues clearly and accessibly.
- Sound judgement, with the ability to weigh risks, offer options and recommend workable, evidence based solutions.
- Highly organised, able to manage a varied workload of casework, project activity and policy work to competing deadlines.
- Resilient, calm and professional under pressure, always maintaining confidentiality and discretion.
- A collaborative, flexible approach, willing to share learning and best practice across the HR team.
- Commitment to the Council’s values, behaviours and service standards, and to promoting a positive, inclusive working environment
Next Steps
If you would like to apply for this vacancy via an application form, please submit an application via the Derby City Council website.
The closing date for this vacancy is at midnight on Friday 28 August 2026. Any applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
Interviews will be held: Week commencing 7 September 2026 at the Council House.
If you would prefer to apply for this job using your CV, then please download the attached Declaration Form and send it to [email protected] along with your CV. Without a completed declaration form, your application will not be accepted. We also encourage you to download the Equalities Form and return this to [email protected], however this is optional and will not affect your application.
Please note that there are two posts available: Post 1 - permanent, Post 2 - fixed term until 30 April 2028. Please specify on your application which post you are applying for.
Important Information
Links to the full Job Description and Person Specification are below.
All employees will normally be appointed to the minimum of the grade for the job.
Before you complete your application, please read our guidance on filling in your application form.
Remember to align your personal statement to the essential criteria in the Person Specification.
Please be aware that where there are colleagues within the organisation who are 'at risk' of redundancy, requirements to redeploy to another suitable role will apply and take priority.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
We are a fair and inclusive employer and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds. We recruit for diversity and value difference. As many of our roles can now be home-based, we are able to offer more opportunities for people who need this facility.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. If you are a disabled person, you have the choice to apply under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme so long as you demonstrate that you meet the essential requirements for the job.
We feel it is essential that we recruit a talented workforce that is as diverse as the community we work for.
Please let us know of any individual requirements or reasonable adjustments you may have during the application, interview, or onboarding process and we’ll do all we can to help. We strongly believe in social understanding of disability and for us it’s all about removing barriers to equality.
If you have any questions regarding this vacancy or are having difficulty applying, please contact our Recruitment Team on 01332 640844 (Relay UK - 18001 01332 640 844) or at [email protected] . https://www.derby.gov.uk/signing-service/
