Job Introduction
This role has a starting salary of £42,958 per annum, based on a 36-hour working week.
We are excited to be recruiting a HR People Consultant (Schools) to join our fantastic team. Our administrative base is at Woodhatch Place, Reigate, but we work in an agile way across all Surrey schools.
Our Offer to You
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26 days’ holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years’ service (prorated for part time staff)
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Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
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A generous local government salary related pension
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Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
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Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
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An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
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Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
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Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
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A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents.
About the Role
As the People Consultant, you will support schools with real ER challenges and contribute to shaping and developing our online employment resources. This is a key role offering the opportunity to work closely with schools, both virtually and in person, providing high‑quality, pragmatic HR support in a collaborative team. You will also be part of a wider network of Education colleagues across the Council, creating an environment where your contribution genuinely matters.
You will use your expertise to help education leaders navigate complex workforce and employee relations challenges, delivering practical, solutions‑focused advice that enables positive outcomes. This includes advising on a broad range of ER matters such as disciplinary, grievance, absence management, capability and organisational change, including TUPE in the context of academy conversions. You will lead and manage complex casework from end to end — including investigations, hearings and formal processes — ensuring issues are handled fairly, lawfully and with sound professional judgement.
The role also involves producing clear, practical and legally aligned schools-specific HR documentation and guidance, as well as designing and delivering training and workshops for managers and leadership teams to build capability and confidence across the sector. You will monitor and report on your activities, maintaining accurate records and providing relevant management information.
You will provide consistent, high‑quality support to schools throughout Local Government Reorganisation and the transition to Future Surrey, helping maintain trusted relationships and a reliable service. You will build strong subject‑matter expertise, particularly around teachers’ and support staff terms and conditions, enabling you to give confident, sector‑specific advice. While your main function is delivering the Council’s statutory offer to schools, you will also support our traded Schools HR service, helping maintain strong, commercially focused relationships with all schools.
We welcome applications from experienced HR professionals with strong ER skills, whether your background is in schools, consultancy or another HR environment. Experience of the education sector is highly valued and will help you hit the ground running, but it is not essential — we will support you to build this knowledge if you are new to the sector.
Whether you are looking to apply existing school‑sector expertise or develop it for the first time, this role offers genuine growth in HR consultancy, meaningful work with senior leaders, and the flexibility and support needed to thrive.
Your Application
In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:
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Relevant experience and sector fit– strong background in HR within education or consultancy environments, building trusted relationships and delivering customer‑focused advice.
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Employee relations expertise– proven ability to manage casework end‑to‑end, applying sound judgement, managing risk and delivering positive outcomes.
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Communication and influencing– confident advising and coaching senior leaders, with excellent written and verbal skills to translate complex issues clearly.
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Organisation and prioritisation– able to manage a busy, varied workload, balancing competing demands effectively within a team, with the ability to travel to schools across Surrey.
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Professional credibility and impact– strong knowledge of employment practice, resilience in handling sensitive issues, and commitment to continuous improvement and high‑quality service.
To apply, we request that you submit a CV and answer the following 4 questions:
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What previous experience makes this role relevant to you at this stage in your career?
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Tell us about your involvement in employee relations casework — the process, outcomes, and how you have added value.
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Describe a situation that demonstrates your communication and influencing skills to engage and coach school leadership teams and other high-level stakeholders effectively.
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Explain to us how you manage your time and juggle conflicting priorities within a team environment.
Contact Us
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss the role; please contact us for any questions. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. Please contact Nicola Fernandes, People Business Partner (Schools) via email at [email protected].
The job advert closes at 23:59 on 09/07/2026 with interviews planned for 15/07/2026.
We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)
Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.
Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council
Our Commitment
We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.
Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.
