HR Advisor

At the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), we’re on a mission to translate scientific discovery into real world impact. We bring together visionary scientists, technologists, engineers, researchers, educators and innovators to tackle humanity’s greatest challenges in four transformative areas:

• Health, Medical Science & Generative Biology
• Food Security & Sustainable Agriculture
• Climate Change & Managing CO₂
• Artificial Intelligence & Robotics

This is ambitious work - work that demands curiosity, courage, and a relentless drive to make a difference. At EIT, you’ll join a community built on excellence, innovation, tenacity, trust, and collaboration, where bold ideas become real-world breakthroughs. Together, we push boundaries, embrace complexity, and create solutions to scale ideas from lab to society. Explore more at www.eit.org.

At EIT we are seeking an experienced HR Advisor with exceptional attention to detail to support the delivery of a professional and effective HR service across all areas of EIT. Working as part of the central HR team, the postholder will provide advice and guidance to managers and employees on a wide range of people matters, ensuring that policies, procedures, and employment legislation are applied consistently and appropriately. 

Working closely with HR Business Partners, the HR Advisor will support the implementation of people-related initiatives and contribute to the development and review of HR policies, processes, and practices. The role will help ensure a positive employee experience, support organisational change and growth, and use workforce data and insights to inform decision making and HR service improvement.

• Provide support to HR Business Partners to enable them to provide advice and guidance to managers and employees on HR policies, procedures and best practice.
• With direction from HR Business Partners. support managers across the employee lifecycle, ensuring a consistent and professional HR service.
• Build effective relationships with stakeholders across the business and act as a trusted HR contact.

• Support the HR Operations team with onboarding, probation reviews, employee changes, family leave processes and offboarding activities.
• Ensure all employee records and documentation are accurate, up to date and compliant.
• Assist with the administration and coordination of people processes throughout the employee lifecycle.

• Provide support on employee relations matters including absence management, disciplinary, grievance and performance cases.
• Prepare documentation, attend meetings where required and support case management activity.
• Escalate complex or high-risk matters to HR Business Partners as appropriate.

• Support the coordination of learning and development activities across the organisation.
• Assist with employee engagement, wellbeing and recognition initiatives as directed from wider HR team. 
• Help identify opportunities to enhance the employee experience and strengthen organisational culture.

• Maintain HR systems and ensure data accuracy and integrity.
• Produce regular HR reports and analyse key people metrics.
• Support the delivery of HR initiatives, organisational change activities and continuous improvement projects.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of HR policies, processes and guidance materials.

• Ensure HR activities are conducted in line with employment legislation, company policies and best practice.
• Support audits, compliance reviews and governance requirements.
• Promote a culture of fairness, inclusion and accountability.

• Human Resources Knowledge: Working knowledge of HR principles, policies, procedures, and employment law.
• Employee Relations: Experience handling multiple employee relations issues with sensitivity and discretion.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels
• Project Management: Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Problem Solving: Analytical thinking and decision-making ability to address HR related challenges proactively.
• Experience: Experience within biotechnology, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, research or other highly regulated environments.
• Adaptability: Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with a flexible, solution-focused approach.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, or a related field is preferred or clear evidence from career history of qualification by experience.

• CIPD Level 3 or Level 5

• You must be eligible to work in the UK with a willingness to travel as necessary. 
• You must be based in, or within easy commuting distance of, Oxford.
• During peak periods, some longer hours may be required and some working across multiple time zones due to the global nature of the programme. 
• Due to the nature of this position, this is an office-based role.