Senior People Advisor

Big ambition. Bold theatre. People who make it possible.
We make theatre in the hills with ambitions that reach far beyond them. With Alan Cumming as our Artistic Director, Pitlochry Festival Theatre is a place for imagination, daring ideas and creative possibility.
Now we re looking for a brilliant Senior People Advisor to help us build the working culture behind that ambition.
The part you ll play.
Working closely with our Head of People and Culture, you ll bring sound judgement, practical advice and the confidence to move things forward.
You ll manage routine employee relations casework, help managers navigate people challenges and turn policies into clear, useful guidance. You ll know when to take the lead and when a complex or high-risk matter needs the Head of People and Culture s involvement.
You ll also supervise our People & Recruitment Administrator, oversee our HR system and help strengthen the processes that keep our People service accurate, responsive and dependable.
Help our leaders grow.
You ll support the coaching and development of leaders and managers across Pitlochry Festival Theatre, helping them build confidence, handle difficult conversations and lead their teams well.
Working with the Head of People and Culture, you ll help turn leadership development into practical habits that strengthen performance, trust and our working culture.
From supporting organisational change to turning employee feedback into action, your contribution will reach beyond individual cases. You ll help shape how it feels to work here.
Know your stuff. Bring your spark.
You ll be an experienced HR professional who can build trust, ask good questions and give clear advice - even when the conversation is difficult.
You ll bring strong generalist experience, sound employment law knowledge and confidence managing employee relations independently. You ll be comfortable with HR systems and data, able to supervise others and keen to improve how things work.
CIPD Level 5, or equivalent knowledge gained through relevant experience, is essential. Experience in theatre, the arts or charities would be welcome, but we re equally interested in the perspective you could bring from elsewhere.
Above all, you ll combine professional rigour with warmth, curiosity and a practical instinct for getting things done.
Help write our next chapter.
This is an opportunity to help develop a People service in an organisation where creativity is the day job. There is meaningful work to do, room to contribute your ideas and the chance to see your expertise make a difference.
If you care about helping people do their best work - and like the idea of supporting a theatre with an adventurous spirit - we d love to hear from you.
The nuts and bolts
Job Title: Senior People Advisor
Department: People and Culture
Responsible To: Head of People and Culture
Salary: Up to £38,000, depending on experience.
Hours: Permanent, full time, 35 hours per week over five days, on an annualised hours basis.
Location: Primarily onsite at Pitlochry Festival Theatre, with some hybrid working by agreement and according to operational needs.
Purpose and Key Accountabilities
The Senior People Advisor delivers a professional, responsive and practical People service across the Theatre. The post-holder manages employee relations casework, advises and coaches managers, oversees recruitment and people operations, and supports the Head of People and Culture make sure the Theatre's employment practices are fair, consistent and legally compliant.
Working closely with the Head of People and Culture, the post-holder supports the delivery of the People strategy, provides regular People data and reporting, and line manages the People and Recruitment Administrator, setting priorities and checking the quality of their work.
Main Responsibilities:

• To manage employee relations casework from start to finish, giving clear advice to managers and making sure processes are fair, well documented and in line with the Theatre's policies and the ACAS Code of Practice.
• To provide practical advice to managers and employees on employment law, the Theatre's policies and good practice, and to coach managers to deal with issues early.
• To oversee recruitment, onboarding, probation, contractual changes and leavers, including the Theatre's seasonal recruitment campaigns, so that roles are filled fairly and in good time.
• To make sure the Theatre meets its employment compliance obligations, including working time, annualised hours, right to work and visa requirements.
• To line manage, supervise and develop the People and Recruitment Administrator, and to oversee the HR system and People data.
• To produce regular HR reports and data, and to support the Head of People and Culture with policy development, the People strategy, organisational change and employee engagement.

Delegated Authority:
The Head of People and Culture retains responsibility for strategic direction, policy approval and decisions involving significant risk. The post-holder works within agreed delegated authority and refers matters requiring senior or specialist advice to the Head of People and Culture.
Key Tasks:
Employee Relations
To manage employee relations casework, including absence, grievance, disciplinary, performance, capability, whistleblowing, flexible working and family leave matters, advising managers at each stage and attending formal meetings where required.
To make sure casework follows the Theatre's policies, the ACAS Code of Practice and agreed timescales, and that clear and accurate records are kept.
To identify complex, high-risk or sensitive cases early and refer them to the Head of People and Culture, including where specialist legal advice may be needed.
To prepare case papers, investigation terms of reference, outcome letters and appeal documentation, and to support or carry out investigations where appropriate.
Advice and Manager Support
To provide practical advice to managers and employees on employment law, the Theatre's policies and procedures and good practice.
To coach managers to address issues early, manage their teams effectively and apply the Theatre's policies consistently.
To design and deliver manager briefings and training on People policies and processes, working with the Head of People and Culture.
Absence, Wellbeing and Occupational Health
To advise managers on managing complex short and long-term absence and reasonable adjustments.
To prepare and manage Occupational Health referrals, and to support return to work plans, reasonable adjustments and the implementation of recommendations.
To support stress risk assessments with employees and managers, using the Theatre's agreed approach.
To promote the Theatre's wellbeing support, including the Employee Assistance Programme and any other available resources.
Recruitment and Resourcing
To oversee the Theatre's recruitment process, including the seasonal recruitment campaigns, making sure vacancies are authorised, selection is fair and inclusive, and the required checks and approvals are completed before anyone starts work.
To help managers prepare job descriptions and person specifications using the Theatre's template, checking them for accuracy and consistency and referring any queries to the Head of People and Culture.
To draft job adverts in line with the Theatre's house style and employer brand, and to post roles on the Theatre's website, job boards, sector platforms and social media, choosing channels that will reach a diverse range of candidates.
To advise managers on fair selection, including shortlisting, interview questions, assessment tasks and reasonable adjustments for candidates, and to sit on interview panels where required.
To track recruitment activity and produce regular reports on vacancies, time to hire, advertising costs and outcomes for the Head of People and Culture.
To review recruitment practice regularly and suggest improvements to the process, candidate experience and the Theatre's employer brand, including representing the Theatre at careers fairs, college and university events where appropriate.
To oversee onboarding and probation, making sure new starters are well inducted and that probation reviews and outcomes are completed on time.
Compliance and Contracts
To identify and reduce employment compliance risks, referring significant risks to the Head of People and Culture.
To oversee compliance with working time requirements, annualised hours arrangements, right to work checks and visa or sponsorship obligations.
To oversee contractual changes and leaver processes, making sure the correct approvals, documentation and deadlines are in place.
To keep up to date with changes in employment law, including the Employment Rights Act 2025 reforms, and to advise on their impact on the Theatre's policies and practice.
Pay and Payroll
To support the annual pay review, including preparing data and drafting approved pay letters.
To review and check payroll change information prepared by the People and Recruitment Administrator before it is submitted to Finance and the payroll provider, making sure financial authorisation follows the Theatre's approval arrangements.
Team Management and HR Systems
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