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HR Business Partner / Schools HR Consultant
Location: Hybrid/Kings Hill, Kent
Salary/package: From £45,000 per annum (flexible depending on experience)
Contract type: Permanent
Hours: Full time, 37 hours per week (flexible working options for right candidate)
Lead with confidence, partner with Purpose, make a difference
At HR Connect, we believe great HR advice helps schools create positive working environments where staff can thrive and pupils can succeed.
We're looking for an experienced HR professional to join our team as a Lead HR Consultant. This is an opportunity to take the lead on complex employee relations matters, organisational change projects and strategic people initiatives whilst building trusted partnerships with school leaders, governing bodies and academy trusts.
If you enjoy solving complex people challenges, influencing senior stakeholders and providing pragmatic, commercially aware advice, we'd love to hear from you.
Who we are
HR Connect is one of the South East's leading HR advisory and consultancy providers, supporting schools, academies and public sector organisations to create positive workplaces where people can thrive.
We partner with leaders to navigate complex people challenges, providing trusted advice across employee relations, organisational change, leadership development, policy, investigations and strategic workforce matters. Our approach combines technical expertise, practical solutions and a genuine commitment to delivering outstanding customer service.
HR Connect is part of Commercial Services Group (CSG), one of the UK's largest local authority-owned trading organisations. Through our family of businesses, we support thousands of education and public sector customers across the UK and beyond, helping organisations improve outcomes, deliver value and strengthen the communities they serve.
Why this role matters
You'll work closely with headteachers, CEOs, senior leaders and governors, guiding them through some of their most challenging people issues. You'll combine technical expertise with sound judgement, helping clients navigate risk, achieve positive outcomes and make confident decisions.
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As a senior member of the consultancy team, you'll also play an important role in shaping our service offer, sharing expertise with colleagues and supporting the ongoing development of our people and services.
What you’ll be doing
- Managing complex employee relations casework including disciplinary, grievance, capability, safeguarding-related employment matters and organisational change.
- Leading investigations and providing support at formal hearings and appeals.
- Building strong, trusted relationships with school leaders, governors and trust executives.
- Advising on restructures, organisational change and workforce planning.
- Delivering HR training, workshops and leadership development.
- Supporting business development and identifying opportunities to enhance client support.
- Contributing to service improvement, innovation and the development of HR Connect's consultancy offer.
- Acting as a mentor and trusted source of expertise for colleagues across the team.
What we’re looking for
You'll be an experienced HR professional with a strong employee relations background and the ability to quickly build credibility with senior stakeholders.
We're particularly interested in people who can demonstrate:
- Significant experience managing complex HR and employee relations casework.
- Strong knowledge of employment law and its practical application.
- Experience advising senior leaders, governors or executive teams.
- Excellent judgement and a pragmatic, solutions-focused approach.
- Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
- The ability to balance commercial awareness with exceptional customer service.
- A proactive mindset and a passion for helping organisations succeed through their people.
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What you’ll get in return
- Salary of £45,000 per annum (flexible depending on experience)
- 25 days annual leave, increasing with length of service
- Birthday Day Off
- One Concessionary Day off during the Christmas Period
- Life assurance cover (4x salary)
- Pension scheme with 4% employer contribution
- Additional benefits including retail and gym discounts, health cash plan and cycle to work scheme
- Volunteer days and access to a comprehensive wellbeing programme
- Tailored development support with real opportunities to progress
- Access to Learning & Development opportunities via our CSG Academy
- Flexible and hybrid working
Why CSG?
CSG is the UK’s largest local authority-owned trading company (LATCO), generating over £700 million in revenue per annum and supporting more than 16,000 education and public sector customers globally.
We are growing through a combination of organic development, acquisitions and strategic partnerships. Our 35+ businesses deliver services across education, IT, HR, legal, energy, procurement and more, all focused on delivering meaningful impact.
As a locally owned organisation, we take pride in reinvesting a significant proportion of our profits into frontline services, helping strengthen the communities we serve.
Inclusion & Accessibility
We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We encourage applications from suitably qualified people of all backgrounds.
As a member of Inclusive Employers with Silver Accreditation, we are actively building an environment that supports inclusion, flexibility and belonging for all colleagues.
We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our application and interview process; please let us know if you require any.
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