People Advisor - Human Resources

Basis

Full time

Job category/type

Business Support

Date posted

30/07/2026

Job reference

HJ0495

This vacancy is open to direct applications only, no approaches via recruitment agencies will be accepted at this time. Background

We are seeking a People Advisor to join our Human Resources team, based at our Cardiff head office.

The HR team provides support across the firm's UK offices in Cardiff, London, Southampton, Plymouth and Manchester. This role offers the opportunity to work closely with Partners, managers and colleagues, providing high-quality HR advice and support across the full employee lifecycle.

The successful candidate will play an important role in delivering an efficient, responsive and professional HR service, supporting both operational HR activity and the delivery of wider people initiatives.

The role

The role involves:

• Managing end-to-end recruitment campaigns across a broad range of legal and business support vacancies, including drafting job descriptions, person specifications and advertisements, liaising with recruitment agencies, coordinating selection processes and conducting interviews.
• Providing practical HR advice and guidance to Partners, managers and colleagues on HR policies, procedures and day-to-day people matters.
• Advising on and, where appropriate, leading formal employee relations processes, including disciplinary, grievance, capability and absence management matters.
• Supporting the delivery of HR projects and initiatives, including HR systems, process improvements, benefits, TUPE, restructuring and wellbeing initiatives.
• Conducting employee meetings, including probation, maternity, paternity and other family leave meetings.
• Supporting the firm's absence management processes by monitoring absence, producing reports and conducting meetings throughout the absence management procedure.
• Coordinating the onboarding experience for new colleagues, including welcoming new starters and supporting their integration into the firm.
• Producing and analysing HR management information to support operational decision-making and reporting.
• Attend school, college and university careers events, law fairs and other recruitment initiatives, representing the firm and promoting career opportunities at Hugh James.
• Undertaking travel to other UK offices as required.

Skills & Qualifications

The successful candidate will:

• Be CIPD Level 5 qualified, or able to demonstrate an equivalent level of knowledge and experience.
• Have substantial experience managing recruitment campaigns across a variety of roles, including both legal and business support vacancies.
• Have experience of managing formal employee relations matters, including conducting meetings and supporting managers through disciplinary, grievance, capability and dismissal processes.
• Have a sound understanding of UK employment legislation and its practical application within the workplace.
• Demonstrate excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the confidence to provide professional advice to managers and colleagues.
• Possess strong organisational, negotiation and influencing skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Have good IT skills, ideally including experience of HR systems and Microsoft Office applications.

Life at Hugh James

We never shy away from a challenge

We are a leading, full-service UK law firm. Since our beginning, we have been led by the things that matter. We care about fighting for the right outcomes. Solving the seemingly unsolvable. Protecting businesses, individuals and livelihoods. Supporting our people, our communities. Safeguarding our planet. Looking for a way forward? At Hugh James, challenges – of all sizes – are readily accepted.

The Hugh James difference

Our law firm has always been guided by the idea that self-belief is just as important as skillset. Our pursuit of righting wrongs and protecting what’s important keeps us driving forwards. It’s in our roots! We won’t stop until we find the answers; the outcomes that are needed.

We are focused on the work we do, the business we run, and our culture. Our entrepreneurial spirit has taken us from humble beginnings to a strong presence across the UK with offices in Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Plymouth – servicing clients from businesses, individuals and banks to public sector organisations, property companies, education establishments and utilities providers. Our collegiate culture, our forward-looking ethos, our values serve to make us bigger, better, bolder than ever before.

A positive force in the community

Our work with charities on a local and national level plays a huge part in our day-to-day lives. We work with a large range of charities, some of which we support through fundraising, donations, volunteering and others we partner with where our areas of work cross paths. Staff, clients everyone comes together through a shared passion to do good in the community and support those in need.

Some of our benefits on offer include

Minimum of 25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Two Corporate Social Responsibility days

Birthday day off

Death in service equivalent to twice annual salary

Auto enrolment pension scheme

Hybrid working

Employee Assistance Programme

Discounts for local businesses

Professional fees paid (subject to requirement for your role)

Employee recruitment incentive scheme

Hugh James is an equal opportunities and disability confident committed employer.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this opportunity. If you have questions, please contact Phoebe Orbell.

We reserve the right to close our vacancies earlier than the given deadline if we receive sufficient applications for the role.