Bertelsmann-Jobs
HR Advisor (12m FTC)
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HR Advisor (12m FTC)
HR Advisor (Fixed Term, Distribution & Finance Services, Colchester)
What does great HR mean to you?
Is it about striking the right balance between supporting your business and challenging it? Keeping things simple and human, and striving to make a difference in all aspects of working life? If so, this could be the opportunity for you.
We are looking for an HR Advisor to join our team in Frating, Colchester. This is a 12-month fixed-term contract, supporting our Distribution and Finance Services Division.
About the Role
Reporting to the HR Business Partner, you’ll work with managers and employees across Distribution & Finance Services, gaining in-depth knowledge of the business areas to provide robust, practical HR advice.
You’ll assist managers in building confidence to handle people matters and apply HR policies and practices effectively.
This dynamic role covers the full employee life cycle, acting as the first point of contact for managers and employees, addressing:
- Talent management
- Reward mechanisms
- Employee relations
- Coaching & wellness
- Onboarding & offboarding
- Family leave planning
- Career progression support
Throughout an employee’s journey—from their first day to career development—you’ll: ✔ Welcoming and orientating new starters ✔ Partnering with Learning & Development to facilitate growth ✔ Supporting appropriate planning for family leave ✔ Guiding career progression discussions
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You’ll serve a community of over 400 colleagues, so we seek an HR Advisor who excels in a fast-paced, varied environment, applying a proactive approach, sharp detail orientation, and the ability to balance day-to-day needs with wider business strategy.
What You’ll Bring
Essential Criteria
- Experience in a generalist HR role, including collaboration with managers
- Exposure to a range of HR matters, such as:
- Disciplinaries, grievances and absence management
- Parental/ family leave policies
- Sensitive employee relations
- Strong grasp of employment law and HR best practice
- Developed experience working with Trade Unions
- HRIS familiarity
- Capacity to build strong, cross-divisional working relationships
- Proactive mindset, motivated to continue HR career progression
- Dedicated organisation skills to manage competing priorities
Preferred Criteria
*(Not mandatory but advantageous)
- CIPD qualification
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Additional Information
Location & Work Pattern
- Based at our Frating office (Colchester), 3 days per week, with flexible but occasional travel to our London (Embassy Gardens) office.
Salary & Benefits
- Up to £35,000 per annum (varies with skills), inclusive of bonus and benefits
- Hybrid working model
Ethos & Expectations Here at Penguin (publishing arm of The Random House Group), we cherish authenticity and human creativity. Share your unique perspectives and avoid AI automation—this helps us understand your true contributions.
Apply By
23:59 on Thursday, 16th July 2026 by submitting your CV + Cover Letter, detailing why you’re the right fit.
Diversity & Disability Support
As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, candidates meeting the essential criteria with disabilities, upon opting in via application, will be interviewed. For reasonable adjustments or further support requests, email [email protected].
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