People Advisor FTC (Mat Cover)

Colliers is a leading commercial real estate services company, providing a full range of services to real estate occupiers, developers and investors on a local, national and international basis. Our UK business is headquartered in London, with over 1,300 specialists across 16 offices in the UK and Ireland. We are seeking a People Advisor to join our London-based People team on a full-time, 14-month fixed-term contract, providing maternity cover. The role provides operational HR support and coordination across the employee lifecycle whilst supporting People Partners in the delivery of employee relations activities. The role is responsible for ensuring that people processes are administered efficiently, accurately and in accordance with company policies and employment legislation. Depending on experience, you may have your own client group of c.120 people. This position plays a key role in delivering a high-quality employee and manager experience through effective case co-ordination, documentation, process management and first-line HR guidance. The People Advisor works closely with People Partners, People Administrators, People Operations and the wider People team to ensure a consistent and joined-up service. This role provides an excellent opportunity to broaden generalist HR knowledge whilst developing strong employee relations and stakeholder management skills. This role reports into the People Partner. The People Advisor plays a pivotal role in delivering a seamless, efficient and compliant employee experience across the full employee lifecycle. Working closely with the People Partner, the role provides trusted advisory and coordination support across a broad range of people matters, helping ensure HR processes are delivered consistently, effectively and to a high standard. The People Advisor is a key driver of high-quality employee relations processes, coordinating activity, maintaining accurate documentation and records, and ensuring employees and managers receive clear, timely and professional communication. The role brings structure, pace and consistency to people processes, enabling People Partners to focus on complex and higher-risk matters. While People Advisors do not own complex employee relations cases or provide final recommendations on high-risk issues, they play an essential role in keeping cases moving, ensuring robust process management and supporting positive outcomes. People Partners retain accountability for people risk, case strategy, employment law advice and organisational change, with the People Advisor providing the operational expertise and coordination needed to deliver these effectively. Ultimately, the People Advisor is a trusted and proactive partner to employees, managers and the wider People team, helping to create a positive employee experience while ensuring the organisation’s people practices remain efficient, consistent and compliant. Core Responsibilities Employee Relations Support Act as a first point of contact for routine employee and manager queries, escalating complex or high-risk matters to the People Partner. Support the coordination of employee relations processes including disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence, flexible working and redundancy consultations. Draft letters, invitations, outcome documents, consultation packs and employee communications. Schedule meetings, coordinate diaries and prepare case documentation. Attend meetings and provide accurate and professional note-taking support. Maintain employee relations trackers, case records and audit documentation. Ensure all employee relations processes are administered consistently and in line with company policy and employment legislation. Family Leave & Flexible Working Coordinate family leave, maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave processes. Support employees and managers throughout leave periods and return-to-work arrangements. Administer flexible working requests and associated documentation Escalate complex or precedent-setting cases to the People Partner. Organisational Change Support Support restructuring, TUPE and organisational change projects through preparation of documentation, employee communications and process coordination. Coordinate consultation meetings and maintain accurate project records. Support data gathering and reporting requirements Employee Lifecycle Administration Support onboarding and offboarding processes. Assist with employment contract preparation where needed and contractual changes. Coordinate probation reviews and employee lifecycle documentation. Work collaboratively with People Operations to ensure employee records remain accurate and up to date. Reward & Annual Processes Support annual salary review and bonus processes through administration and communications. Support benefit enrolment and employee communications relating to reward initiatives. Coordinate data validation and processing activities with the relevant teams. Continuous Improvement Identify opportunities to improve HR processes, documentation and employee experience. Support People projects and initiatives as required. Contribute to audits and compliance activities. Skills & Experience Essential Previous experience in a People Advisor or equivalent generalist HR role. Experience supporting employee relations processes and case administration. Strong understanding of UK employment law and HR best practice. Strong organisational skills and attention to detail. Excellent written communication and document drafting skills. Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to build credible working relationships. Ability to prioritise and manage multiple activities simultaneously. Desirable Experience within a professional services or corporate environment. Exposure to organisational change, consultation processes or TUPE administration. Experience using HR systems such as SuccessFactors. Please tell us what would help you take part and give enough practical detail for us to arrange it. We will handle your request confidentially, and it will not affect how you are assessed. We make reasonable adjustments in line with the Equality Act 2010. At Colliers, we empower people to perform at their best. As a Disability Confident Employer, we want every candidate to feel welcome. If anything would help you take part in our process, such as extra time or rest breaks, step-free access, or a different interview format, please tell us in your application. You are not expected to share a diagnosis or medical history. Colliers is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We do not discriminate based on age; disability; gender; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins); religion or belief; sex; or sexual orientation. We also value diverse experience and neurodiversity. *Any CVs, Candidate details or Introductions sent directly to Colliers employees without a prior written mandate from the Colliers UK Talent Acquisition or HR Team shall be deemed unsolicited and provided voluntarily. In such cases, Colliers shall have no obligation to pay any introduction, recruitment or placement fee, and may engage or hire the Candidate without liability to the Agency.