Senior HR Officer

Job Introduction

Make an impact through great people practice

Are you an experienced HR professional who enjoys variety, building trusted relationships and helping managers find practical solutions?

We are looking for a confident and proactive Senior HR Officer to join our friendly and supportive HR team at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. This maternity cover opportunity (up to 15 months) offers a varied and rewarding workload where no two days are the same and every member of the team has a voice.

You will provide professional HR advice and guidance to managers and employees, manage complex employee relations cases, and help ensure our HR service is delivered consistently, effectively and in line with employment legislation and best practice. 

What you’ll be doing

• Managing a varied employee relations caseload, including capability matters, grievances, investigations, and terminations.
• Taking a lead role in sickness absence management, including proactive case management, Occupational Health referrals, monitoring, and reporting.
• Coaching and supporting recruiting managers to deliver fair and effective recruitment.
• Overseeing onboarding, pre-employment checks, contracts, and probation processes.
• Producing accurate HR reports and analysing workforce data.
• Working with HR colleagues on key projects, including annual development reviews, talent management, and succession planning.
• Supporting partnership working and future integration into a new unitary authority.

About you

You will bring extensive generalist HR experience and the confidence to advise managers on complex and sensitive people matters. You will have:

• Strong experience of employee relations and organisational change.
• Extensive recruitment experience across a broad range of roles and levels.
• Sound knowledge of employment law, HR processes, and best practice.
• Current CIPD membership.
• Excellent written, verbal, organisational and interpersonal skills.
• The ability to build rapport and trusted professional relationships.
• A positive, collaborative, and resilient approach.
• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to seeing tasks and projects through to completion. 

What we offer

• Competitive salary: £44,357, increasing to £45,525 after one year, subject to managerial approval.
• Generous leave: 26 days’ annual leave, increasing to 29 days after five years’ continuous Local Government service, plus bank holidays and three additional days in December.
• Pension: Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution stated as 16.8%.
• Hybrid working: Available following successful completion of your probation period and subject to service needs.
• Free staff parking
• Development: Access to corporate training, online and in-person learning, webinars and continued professional development.
• Employee benefits: Access to the HAPI benefits hub and an Employee Assistance Programme through Health Assured. 
• To learn more about working at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, explore the kind of place we are, work that matters with people who care, and our pay, benefits, and hybrid working. 

Ready to join us?

If you are an organised, approachable, and experienced HR professional who enjoys making a difference, we would love to hear from you.

Apply by 7 September 2026. Interviews 14 and 15 September.

Equal Opportunities

Tunbridge Wells – Working for Equality. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Safeguarding

The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employee and volunteers to share this commitment.