HR Advisor

Location: Britannia Street, London WC1X. Hybrid: minimum three days per week in the office after probation

Contract: Permanent, full-time

About Thames & Hudson

Thames & Hudson is an independent, family-owned illustrated book publisher based in London, with an international reputation for producing high-quality books across art, design, architecture, photography, fashion, history, archaeology and popular culture. Behind every book is a wide range of specialist, operational and support teams who help the company work effectively, collaboratively and to a high standard. Our People & Culture team helps the business attract, develop and retain talented people, while maintaining fair, effective and inclusive employment practices. We work closely with managers and colleagues across T&H on recruitment, learning and development, employee relations, reward, payroll, policies and initiatives that support a positive working culture.

About the role

As one of two HR Advisors, you will provide a responsive, accurate and well-organised People & Culture service to employees and managers across Thames & Hudson. Working closely with the Head of People & Culture, you will support recruitment, onboarding, learning and development, payroll, benefits and day-to-day HR administration. You will also be a first point of contact for practical guidance on our policies, handling routine queries confidently and escalating complex or sensitive matters appropriately. It is a varied, people-focused role for someone who takes pride in getting the details right and enjoys being an approachable, visible presence for colleagues.

What you’ll be doing

In this role, you will:

• coordinate recruitment from approved job description through to offer, including placing adverts, tracking applications, communicating with candidates and arranging interviews
• help recruiting managers follow fair and inclusive recruitment processes, and prepare offer letters and contracts for approval, alongside references and right-to-work checks
• coordinate new starter set-up with Administration, IT and Facilities, support our first-day induction and suggest practical improvements to the new-starter experience
• maintain learning and development records, gather training needs from appraisals and requests, research and book suitable learning, and support internal learning sessions
• support accurate monthly payroll changes and checks with payroll and Finance colleagues, and help administer pensions, benefits, pay review and profit share
• keep employee records and trackers accurate, up to date and confidential, covering contract changes, absence, family leave, holidays, probation and fixed-term contracts
• give clear first-line guidance to managers and employees on our policies, draft routine correspondence, support absence, probation and employee relations processes, and conduct exit interviews

What you’ll bring

We are looking for someone with:

• three years’ experience in an HR, People & Culture or comparable administrative or advisory role
• CIPD Level 3 or equivalent relevant experience, and a willingness to work towards CIPD Level 5 where appropriate
• experience supporting recruitment, onboarding and day-to-day employee administration
• strong organisational skills, close attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities
• clear written and verbal communication skills and a professional, approachable manner
• confidence using Microsoft Word and Excel, and HR or payroll systems
• the ability to handle confidential information responsibly and follow agreed processes
• an appetite for exploring new digital tools, including AI, to improve ways of working appropriately and responsibly
• a commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive workforce
• the ability to commute regularly to our King’s Cross office, and an appreciation of the value of working together in person.

You may also have:

• experience supporting payroll, pensions, benefits or reward administration
• experience coordinating learning and development activity
• experience supporting employee relations processes
• some experience of working with a competency framework
• a CIPD Level 5 qualification or equivalent

Please do not be put off applying if you do not meet every desirable requirement. We are interested in hearing from candidates who can bring the right skills, judgement and potential to the role.

What success looks like

In this role, success will mean:

• recruitment, onboarding, payroll and People & Culture administration are accurate, timely and well organised
• managers, employees and candidates receive clear, professional and helpful communication
• routine queries are resolved confidently within agreed procedures, with complex or sensitive matters escalated at the right time
• records, trackers and systems are complete, accurate, confidential and up to date
• learning and development activity is coordinated effectively and feedback is captured
• you identify practical improvements to our HR processes and the employee experience

Working at Thames & Hudson

This role is based at our Britannia Street office in London. We work on a hybrid basis, with a minimum of three days per week in the office after probation. As colleagues’ first point of contact for People & Culture support, an HR Advisor is at their most accessible and effective in person, so we are looking for someone who values being present and available in the office.

We offer a supportive, creative working environment, alongside a range of benefits including:

• profit share
• interest‑free season ticket loan
• book and co‑edition discounts
• employee assistance programme and retail discounts
• Cycle to Work scheme
• free museum entry

We want Thames & Hudson to be a place where people can do thoughtful, creative and high‑quality work, while feeling respected, supported and able to contribute.

Our values are creativity integrity respect communication excellence . They shape how we work with each other, our authors, our partners and our readers.

Equal opportunities

Thames & Hudson is committed to equality of opportunity. We welcome applications from candidates with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, and we are committed to making our recruitment processes fair, inclusive and accessible.

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