Lead HR Advisor

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Salary range: £38,000- £43,000 dependent on qualifications and experience

Location:

Edinburgh

Closing Date:

18/09/2025

Department:

Operational/Professional Services

Region / Division:

St George's School, Edinburgh

Job Role:

Operational/Professional Services

Package Description

Competitiveremunerationand benefits package including:-

• Reduced school fees and wraparound care at St George's School
• Pension Contribution
• Staff lunches
• Access to school buses on school bus routes for all staff (small charge payable)
• Professional learning and development opportunities
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Opportunity to benefit from the use of the many school facilities; libraries; sports facilities etc
• Death in service benefits all staff
• Opportunity to join our community and contribute to social, music, drama and other events and activities.

The Role

LEAD HR ADVISOR FULL TIME, PERMANENT

• Full-time hours, 38 days annual leave (including bank holidays), to be taken primarily during the school holidays but there is some flexibility in this regard.

• May consider part time, 0.7-0.8, for the right candidate.

• We consider this role is best delivered in person, as opposed to working from home or hybrid.

• May require occasional evening work for staff meetings or events.

• Salary range: £38,000- £43,000 dependent on qualifications and experience.

• Interviews Held - Week Beginning 22nd September 2025

Job Purpose

To deliver specialist HR expertise that enables effective people management across the school, ensuring staff can focus on delivering exceptional educational outcomes for our students

The HR Advisor supports the school leadership team, staff, and governing Council with comprehensive HR guidance while ensuring compliance with employment law and school policies.

Main Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Advisory Support:

• Provide first-line HR advice and guidance to those with leadership and management responsibility within the school.

• Support staff with queries relating to employment terms, conditions, and policies.

• Liaise with the employment lawyers to ensure fair and consistent application of HR procedures, and provide advice as appropriate.

• Guide managers through performance management processes.

Case Management:

• Play a key role in supporting schools with day-to-day HR advice, case management, and policy implementation.

• Handle complex employee relations cases from initiation to resolution.

• Conduct workplace investigations as required.

• Manage absence cases and records, including long-term sickness and return-to-work processes and any adjustments to payroll.

• Ensure accurate records of meetings and decisions are kept as necessary.

Policy and Compliance:

• Ensure compliance with employment legislation and safeguarding requirements specific to education settings.

• Review and update HR policies and procedures, reporting to Governing Council as required.

• Support policy implementation across the school community.

• Maintain awareness of changes in education sector employment law.

Recruitment Support:

• Assist with recruitment processes, including safer recruitment practices.

• Support with onboarding and induction of new staff.

• Advise and implement contractual arrangements for teaching and support staff and ensure staff are provided with details of pension arrangements and other benefits.

• Ensure accurate details of staffing changes are provided to Payroll, IT and any other relevant departments.

• Manage the recruitment budget.

The Ideal Candidate

Qualifications and Experience:

• CIPD qualification (Level 5 or above) or equivalent experience.

• Substantial experience in an HR advisory role, preferably within education.

• Knowledge of employment law and education sector requirements, including staff training.

• Experience with disciplinary, grievance, absence and performance management procedures.

Skills:

• A high degree of confidentiality, autonomy and initiative is critical.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the confidence to present to staff groups and the Governing Body.

• Ability to build relationships across all levels of the school community.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

• Understanding of safeguarding requirements in educational settings.

• IT literate (experience of working with Microsoft systems is helpful).

• Systems minded and familiar with working an HR system (St George's uses Every HR currently).

Personal Qualities:

• An understanding and enthusiasm for the school's history and ethos.

• Exceptional organisational skills and attention to detail.

• Exemplary inter-personal skills.

• A good sense of humour and proportion.

• Positive attitude towards institutional change.

About the school/organisation

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early upon receipt of sufficient suitable applications.

As Edinburgh's only all-through independent school for girls aged 3-18, St George's is a place of possibilities: where everyone is clearly heard; pupils feel empowered to be themselves; and innovation is constantly encouraged.

The courage of our founding mothers, who pioneered women's education in Victorian Scotland, still echoes defiantly through our corridors. That's why amplifying the voice of every girl remains part of our DNA today as a loyal school community with a unique spirit of pride.

Over 90% of our girls achieve their first-choice post-school destination: leaving us as robust, empathetic change-makers, ready to take on the world