At AQA, we’re committed to advancing education and we’re committed to our people. As the largest provider of academic qualifications in the UK, we mark over 10 million exam papers each year and it’s our people who make this happen.

Job title: People Adviser
Contract type: 1 Permanent Position & 1 12-month Fixed Term Contract
Location: Manchester
Salary: £34,000 to £38,300
Working Arrangements: Hybrid working – 2 days a week in office (Tuesdays & Thursdays)

Introduction

If you're an experienced HR professional who enjoys solving complex people challenges and building trusted relationships, this is an opportunity to make a real impact. As a People Adviser at AQA, you'll work closely with managers across the business, helping them navigate employee relations and employee lifecycle matters with confidence, consistency and commercial awareness.

Purpose of the Role

You'll play a key role in delivering a high-quality people advisory service across AQA. Working as part of our People Partnering and Employee Relations function, you'll provide practical, expert guidance on employee relations, organisational change and people matters, helping managers make informed decisions that create positive outcomes for colleagues and the business.

You'll also collaborate closely with colleagues across the Advisory, Partnering and Employee Relations teams, ensuring a consistent and joined-up approach to people practices across AQA.

In this role, you'll be responsible for:

• Providing expert guidance and support to managers on employee relations and employee lifecycle matters, ensuring fair, consistent and legally compliant decision-making.
• Leading and managing complex employee relations cases, including disciplinary, grievance, conduct, capability and absence matters, from investigation through to outcome.
• Partnering with colleagues across the People team to deliver people initiatives, support organisational change and drive consistency in the application of policies and processes.

You'll thrive in this role if you have:

• Proven experience managing complex employee relations cases and leading formal processes with confidence from investigation through to outcome.
• Strong employment law knowledge and experience applying policies, procedures and best practice in a practical business environment.
• The ability to build credibility quickly, coaching and influencing managers at different levels while providing balanced and commercially focused advice.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to handle sensitive situations professionally and confidently.
• CIPD Level 5 qualification (or equivalent experience) and experience working within a busy HR advisory or business partnering environment.

What's in it for you?

This is an opportunity to work on meaningful people challenges while developing your expertise within a collaborative and supportive People function.

• Work on a diverse range of complex and high-impact employee relations matters.
• Play a key role in supporting managers and shaping positive colleague experiences across AQA.
• Collaborate with experienced Advisory, Partnering and Employee Relations professionals who value knowledge sharing and teamwork.
• Access opportunities for ongoing professional development and continuous learning.
• Benefit from AQA's flexible working approach and commitment to employee wellbeing.

Diversity and Inclusion Statement

At AQA, we are committed to fostering a workplace that celebrates diversity and promotes equity and inclusion. We believe that a diverse team brings richer perspectives and drives better outcomes. Our ED&I strategy ensures that everyone—regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, age, disability, sexual orientation, or background—is valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. We actively promote inclusive language, avoid stereotypes, and strive for representation across all dimensions of diversity. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and lived experiences.

What's Next?

To apply, please submit your CV and cover letter as part of the application process and answer screening questions.

Application deadline: 23:59 on Monday 7th Sept 2026

Interview process: 1st stage interviews happen on W/C 14th Sept and final stages the following week.

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Recruitment Agencies

We have a preferred supplier list (PSL) in place.

Unsolicited CVs will be treated as a gift. We will not be subject to or liable under your terms and conditions for agency fees.

Full Job Description

Summary

To provide the highest quality HR service through coaching, guiding, supporting and advising managers and colleagues on all aspects of the employee lifecycle, ensuring compliance with policies, employment law and regulations with consideration to risk and commercial management and ensuring a positive colleague experience. Having a hands-on approach and taking ownership of specific business area delivering proactive interventions in response to identified business and colleague needs.Landscape: The People Adviser role is a key member of a team of three advisers, providing high quality HR advice to managers and colleagues across the business. The team sits within People Partnering and Employee Relations department (22 colleagues). The department provides a range of services including: business area strategic support, diagnosis, consultancy and delivery of people-related services and projects; subject matter expertise in diversity and inclusion and employee relations; HR policy development and associated training development; operational support with people queries; and joiners, movers and leavers administration and checks.  
 
Activities: 
 
Proactively participate, facilitate, support and advise managers about employee lifecycle matters for example from the point of recruitment to the leaver process, policies, variations to contract, secondments, leavers, organisational development, and respond to colleague queries as appropriate. 

Proactively participate, facilitate, support and advise managers about employee relations matters such as absence management, performance management, grievance, disciplinary, capability, probationary, change management and TUPE, ensuring compliance with employment law and company policy, with consideration to risk and commercial management, and respond to colleague queries as appropriate. 

Lead on the development and implementation of projects including restructures, policy implementation and people plans in conjunction with the Senior People Partner/People Partner, ensuring deadlines are met in line with business plans and employment legislation. 

Conduct benchmarking and evaluations of job roles utilising external data and systems.  Proactively participate in regular job evaluation meetings. 

Coaching and developing managers in order to improve their capability and empower them to make decisions, challenging and escalating where necessary. 

Manage collaborative relationships across People Group teams, other key teams and managers. 

Interpret data into relevant reports, identifying themes and trends, ensure agreed follow up action is taken to enable implementation of decisions. 

Ensure the People Service Desk ticketing system and other systems/records are maintained and that high standards of service and performance and continuous improvement are demonstrated at all times. 

Results driven approach to managing complex employee relations cases that escalate to higher stages in the process in conjunction with Employee Relations Team, Senior People Partner/People Partner, business managers and Trade Unions/Employee Forum. 

Responsible for maintaining the relationship with recognised Trade Unions/Employee Forum in support of employee relations cases, as and when required. 

To comply with all AQA’s policies and other legislative requirements, including but not limited to Health, Safety and the Environment, Diversity and Inclusion and Information Security Management System. 

Take responsibility for your own continuous professional development to meet existing and future business needs. 

Travel to other AQA sites, sometimes necessitating overnight stays, as the need arises. 

 
 
To be successful in this role, you will need to know: 
 
CIPD qualified or equivalent – Level 5, or equivalent levels of experience. 

Proven experience of advising, guiding and supporting managers on a range of employee relations and employee lifecycle matters, at various stages and complexities and managing the application of policies, procedures and processes. 

Clear written and verbal communication skills, strong proven interpersonal skills, adaptable to a range of circumstances with an approach to achieving consistently high standards of work. 

Experience of challenging stakeholders at different levels where appropriate. 

Strong organisational skills, ability to prioritise and plan ahead. 

Proficient use of HR systems and Microsoft Office applications.