Assistant HR Advisor
At a glance
- Band
- Band 4
- Contract
- Fixed-term
- Pattern
- Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working
- Posted
- 02/09/2026
- Closes
- 09/09/2026
Sponsorship verdict
This contract type is not eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
NHS Trusts cannot issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for part-time, bank, locum, zero-hours, job-share or short fixed-term (under 12 months) contracts under current Home Office rules. This applies even when the wider Trust holds a Skilled Worker licence.
“Please be advised this post is not eligible for sponsorship.”Quoted verbatim from the source advert
Role summary
This role provides a high-quality HR advisory service to managers and staff, focusing on employee relations, attendance management, and recruitment. The postholder will manage low-risk employee relations cases and offer first-line HR advice, working under the guidance of senior HR colleagues. It involves interpreting HR policies, supporting wellbeing initiatives, and contributing to HR process improvements. This is a fixed-term/secondment position with a possibility of becoming permanent.
Key responsibilities
- Provide first-line HR advice on routine employee relations matters and manage a caseload of straightforward cases.
- Respond to general HR queries, interpret policies, and advise on workforce processes.
- Support managers with sickness absence monitoring and management, and advise on wellbeing initiatives.
- Assist in delivering HR briefings, workshops, and manager training sessions.
- Identify opportunities to improve HR processes and contribute to HR projects.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with managers, employees, and other stakeholders.
Essential criteria
- GCSE in mathematics and English (Grades A-C) or equivalent or NVQ 3 standard in relevant subject
- Experience of working within an HR or people management environment.
- Experience of providing advice to managers or staff.
- Experience of handling confidential information.
- Experience of administrative case management and record keeping.
- Experience of working to deadlines and managing competing priorities.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to build effective working relationships.
- Good organisational and administrative skills.
- Ability to analyse information and identify key issues.
- Proficient IT skills including Microsoft Office applications.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism.
- Understanding of HR principles and practices.
- Understanding of confidentiality and data protection requirements.
- Awareness of sickness absence management processes.
- Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion principles.
- Professional and approachable manner. Commitment to continuous learning and development.
- Resilient and able to work under pressure.
- Demonstrates integrity and sound judgement.
- Commitment to NHS values and behaviours.
- Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation
Desirable criteria
- Sound knowledge of employment law and employee relations procedures
- Attainment of, or working towards relevant qualifications e.g. CIPD or equivalent HR experience
- NHS HR experience.
- Experience supporting attendance management.
- Experience supporting employee relations casework.
- Experience of workforce information systems (e.g. ESR).
- Report Writing Skills
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 4 at £26,530 – £29,114 a year, across England.
This advert: £28,392 – £31,157 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 1d ago · Closes in 7d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
Job summary
To provide a high-quality, responsive HR advisory service to managers and staff across the organisation. The postholder will support the management of employee relations casework, attendance management processes, recruitment activities and workforce initiatives, providing advice on routine and non-complex HR matters in accordance with employment legislation, NHS terms and conditions, organisational policies and best practice.
NHS employees should obtain their manager's approval for a secondment before applying, as this will be a condition of any offer made. Although the post is currently advertised as a fixed term/secondment position, there is a possibility that it could become permanent in the future without the need for re-advertisement.
Please be advised this post is not eligible for sponsorship.
_Previous applicants need not apply._
Main duties of the job
The Assistant HR Advisor will manage a caseload of low-risk employee relations matters and provide administrative and advisory support for more complex workforce issues under the guidance of HR Advisors and Senior HR colleagues.
The postholder will act as a key point of contact for managers, offering first-line advice and support while developing knowledge and skills across the full range of HR advisory functions.
About us
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is
Join the community to read the full pack, responsibilities and person-specification in one place.
Your seat is reserved — activate it
CareerHive is included with your CareerHive Skool community membership. If you haven't claimed your account yet, join the community (or sign in with the same email you joined with) to unlock the full advert, the apply link, HiveMind AI interview & application suite, your private vault, and daily sponsorship alerts.