United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory
Human Resources Advisor

How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Job Description for HR Advisor
There’s never been a more exciting time to be part of the nuclear sector. New opportunities are being created all the time. At UKNNL, you’ll be in the ideal place to capitalise on this momentum, face new challenges and develop a long, successful and meaningful career.
We’re an organisation that’s here to experiment and push the limits of what’s possible. So, if you’re keen to excel in your chosen field, this is the place to do it. Because at UKNNL, anything is possible.
The HR Advisor will support the HR Business Partners in the delivery of an efficient and effective HR support and advisory service to the business by providing first line contact on all people related issues in line with UKNNL policy and procedures, compliant with legal requirements.
Specifically, the HR Advisor will provide advice and support to line managers and employees for key people processes (Pay and reward, recruitment and selection, succession planning / management, promotion, job evaluation, absence management and performance development).
This role will have a particular focus on Case Management and employee relations issues and upskilling managers to help develop their people management skills.
The location for this role is flexible and can be based at Workington, Preston or Risley.
Main Responsibilities for HR Advisor
- Provide sound HR advice on people matters, support and coach line managers and employees in line with UKNNL HR processes and policies, ensuring compliance with current employment legislation.
- Provide an efficient case management service to the business, including coaching and advising line managers on employee relations and people management issues (in line with UKNNL policy).
- Provide advice and guidance to line managers on absence management issues, including occupational health referrals and return to work cases.
- Partner and work closely with the HR Support Team to ensure efficient and effective provision of advice and support to managers and employees on people related matters.
- Utilise HR metrics to compile data packs and monitor trends in data.
- Provide advice and guidance on job design, recruitment and selection, on-boarding, restructuring and redeployment processes, advising on best practice and appropriate legislation, in line with UKNNL policy.
- Work across the HR Centres of Excellence, supporting cross functional activities by providing HR operational input as and when required.
- Support and/or lead Site or Company-wide HR projects, initiatives or improvement activities.
- Support the HR Business Partners with and during key organisational change, transformation and/or site communication activities.
- Support the risk management, governance and assurance processes in place for the HR function.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Essential Criteria for HR Advisor
- CIPD qualification or working towards, with extensive knowledge of employment legislation.
- Strong team working skills with the ability to proactively build relationships and initiate activities.
- Proven ability to handle complex employee relations matters.
- Able to effectively prioritise with a pragmatic approach to decision making, problem solving and conflict resolution.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a keen attention to detail specifically around legal notes; reports; letters; and data entry.
- Strong planning, organisational and administrative skills (PC Literate and confident in the use of Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel) and the ability to drive things through to completion.
- Able to demonstrate a positive attitude to health, safety and security.
- Ability to obtain SC level security clearance (this includes but is not limited to identity, employment, financial and criminal record checks plus 5 years’ worth of UK residency).
Why join us?
UKNNL isn’t just a place where you can do career-defining work that makes a real-world impact. It’s also a place where you’ll feel appreciated and valued. We’re creating an inclusive workplace where everyone is free to be themselves and feel like they belong. We put your wellbeing first, we push you to reach your potential, and we do everything possible to help you feel safe, supported and inspired.
We also offer a range of employee benefits:
- Sector leading Family-Focused Policies: celebrate life events, including enhanced maternity and paternity leave and a week off for your marriage.
- Attractive Pension Plans: If you contribute 5%, UKNNL contributes 15%. Alternatively, if you choose not to contribute (0%), UKNNL will still contribute 10%.
- Annual Leave: Benefit from 25.5 days of leave, plus 4 extra days to be taken during Christmas shutdown, plus Bank Holidays.
- Reduced gym membership with discounts of up to 25% from 3,700 gym and leisure providers across the UK
- Company Bonus: Be rewarded for your contributions.
- Learning Opportunities: Enhance your skills through excellent development programmes.
- Employee Assistance: Access support for personal and professional challenges.
- Cycle to Work: Stay active and eco-friendly.
- Life Assurance: Ensure peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
- Enhanced Sick Pay Benefits: Receive support during illness or injury.
- Access to ‘Mydiscounts’ which has a range of special offers and discounts from more than 200 suppliers, including medical insurance and dental insurance.
- Health Care: Health savings plan which allows you to claim money back on visits to the dentist, optician and/or physiotherapist (limits apply).


Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
About The Company
UKNNL is an incredible place to work. A place where people do things that have never been done before. A place where people push boundaries to further themselves, the business and society as a whole.
This is a place where personal and professional opportunities are limitless. If you want to change the world, if you want to tackle climate change, if you want to help advance medical science, if you want to help put things in space, if you want to answer the big questions, if you want to work with extraordinary materials, if you want to meet great people, learn new skills, challenge yourself, work flexibly, and build a long successful career with the power to make a real impact… you can do it all here.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
UKNNL has a vision for Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (ED&I) where UKNNL aims to be an inclusive workplace that attracts diverse talent through transparent and equal policies and procedures, providing reasonable adjustments as appropriate. We want you and the diverse mix of people that we employ, customers that we service and stakeholders that we influence to feel valued. We encourage a workplace culture where everyone can thrive with a sense of belonging and the ability to access to workplace in a way which works for you.
Recruitment Agency Notice
We operate a strict Preferred Supplier List (PSL) for the provision of recruitment services. Only agencies on our PSL may provide CVs and only when the role is released to them by our recruitment team. We will not accept unsolicited CVs from suppliers not currently on our PSL. We explicitly reserve the right to add candidate details from unsolicited CVs from non-PSL agencies into our own candidate database and to pursue/hire such candidate(s) without any obligation, financial or otherwise, to the agency concerned.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills