People Partner  – HR Advisory

Canterbury, Kent | Onsite, with client visits as required | Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.30pm | Indicative salary £50,000–£65,000, depending on experience.

As Burgess Hodgson’s HR Advisory service continues to grow, we are looking for a People Partner to join our developing HR Advisory team. This is a client-facing role for an experienced HR professional who enjoys practical employee relations work, clear advice-giving and helping business owners manage people matters with confidence.

You will advise a varied client base across retained, PAYG, project and People Partner Programme work, balancing commercial awareness with safe, well-documented and proportionate HR advice. The role will suit someone who is confident speaking directly with clients, including business owners, directors and senior stakeholders, and comfortable attending client meetings and onsite visits where required.

• Advising clients on day-to-day and moderately complex HR matters, including disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence, flexible working, family leave, probation, performance management and routine redundancy issues.

• Managing complex or higher-risk ER cases with appropriate support and escalation.

• Gathering facts, identifying risk and explaining practical options before recommending a clear next step.

• Drafting and reviewing client-ready HR letters, process plans, advice notes, meeting scripts, policies, guidance and employee relations documentation.

• Liaising confidently with clients, including business owners, directors and senior stakeholders, building trusted working relationships through clear communication and timely follow-up.

• Attending client meetings and onsite visits where required, including for onboarding, fact-finding, HR audits, project work, employee relations support and relationship management.

• Working collaboratively with HR Support, Senior People Partners and the wider HR Advisory team so that advice, records and client delivery remain consistent.

• Identifying opportunities for additional HR support, project work or wider advisory services where this would add value for the client, and supporting agreed project work such as HR audits, policy reviews, people plans, client onboarding and service improvement activity.

• CIPD Level 5 minimum.

• Minimum of five years’ generalist HR experience, including strong ER casework experience and practical employment law awareness.

• Confidence handling complex ER matters and knowing when to escalate for senior, legal or specialist input.

• Strong client-facing communication skills, with confidence liaising directly with business owners, directors and senior stakeholders.

• Commercial awareness, scope discipline and the confidence to identify where additional HR support, project work or wider advisory services would add value.

• A collaborative approach, with the ability to work well with HR Support, Senior People Partners and the wider HR Advisory team.

• Strong organisation, confidentiality awareness and confidence handling sensitive client and employee information appropriately.

• At least three years’ HR consultancy, outsourced HR, professional services or multi-client advisory experience.

• Experience supporting SMEs, professional services clients or clients across more than one sector.

• Experience delivering project-based HR work, policy reviews, people plans, client training or HR audits.

• Experience using HR software, HRIS platforms, case management systems, shared mailboxes, Microsoft 365, SharePoint, workflow trackers or document libraries.

This is an on-site role based in Canterbury, Kent, with client visits as required. The working pattern is Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.30pm. The indicative salary range is £50,000–£65,000, depending on experience.

In addition to salary, the successful candidate will receive access to Burgess Hodgson’s employee benefits package. This may include pension provision, professional development support, well-being-related benefits and other firm benefits, with full details confirmed as part of the recruitment process.

If you are a motivated, diligent individual looking for a new challenge, and would like to explore this exciting opportunity further, we would be delighted to hear from you.

To apply for this position, please send a CV and covering letter to jobs@burgesshodgson.co.uk