HR Consultant

HR Consultant - Fixed Term Contract ending March 2027

Do you enjoy partnering with leaders, driving change and finding practical solutions to complex people challenges?

We're looking for an experienced HR professional who brings energy, fresh thinking and a solutions-focused mindset. You'll combine strong HR expertise with commercial awareness, working with leaders to tackle complex people challenges, drive positive change and deliver practical, effective solutions.

As an HR Consultant, you'll partner with managers, senior leaders and Heads of HR across the business, providing expert advice, challenge and support to help deliver business objectives and create a positive employee experience. You'll play a key role in driving our people agenda, supporting organisational change, and delivering people projects that help turn strategy into action.

What you'll be doing as a HR Consultant

• Partnering with managers and leaders to deliver people solutions that support business performance.
• Working with Heads of HR and business leaders to support the delivery of people strategies and organisational priorities.
• Providing expert HR advice, guidance and coaching across the employee lifecycle.
• Leading and supporting people projects, organisational change and transformation initiatives.
• Using people data and insights to identify trends, risks and opportunities, making recommendations that drive action.
• Working alongside managers and Employee Relations colleagues to resolve complex people matters.
• Building trusted stakeholder relationships and influencing decision-making.
• Driving improvements that enhance the employee experience and strengthen people practices.

Base Location: This is a hybrid role with a base location of Clearwater Court, Reading, RG1 8DB but will involve some travel to operational sites as required.

Working hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, 36 Hours per week.

What you should bring to the role

You'll be an experienced HR professional with strong business partnering and project management skills, capable of balancing operational delivery with strategic thinking. You'll be comfortable influencing stakeholders and building practical solutions that deliver positive outcomes for both our people and the business.

• Ability to lead and make strong and influential relationships with a broad range of stakeholders.
• Experience of HR change projects.
• Ability to analyse HR and business metrics and develop solutions.
• Skilled at making influential decisions in a business context, shaping and influencing others.
• Be comfortable challenging current practices and making recommendations for continuous improvement using successful change management.
• A solid understanding of employee engagement and how to coach leaders to understand and create value from them.
• Experienced in the implementation of people initiatives and able to develop metrics to measure impact.
• Associate Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) or equivalent with Membership or equivalent is desirable.

What's in it for you?

• Competitive salary from £52,000 to £55,000 per annum, depending on experience
• Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays)
• Performance-related pay plan directly linked to both company and individual performance measures and targets
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family's health and wellbeing, and your finances - from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Find out more about our benefits and perks (Please note different T&Cs apply if on secondment)

Who are we?
We're the UK's largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It's a big job and we've got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.
Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water
Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you'll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

If you're looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people's lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we'll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.
Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

We're committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that's extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, we're here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you'll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It's also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.