Senior People & Culture Advisor

Join the creative revolution at XR!

XR is on a mission to transform how the world creates, connects, and experiences advertising. As the global leader in creative operations, we help brands and agencies bring their ideas to life and deliver them seamlessly across every screen. Our leading technology and services power creativity for the marketing and entertainment industries, and you can be a part of it!

At XR, you'll join a high-energy, collaborative environment where your ideas can spark real change. We champion innovation at every level, empowering our teams to take risks, challenge norms, and unlock new possibilities. Your voice, your talent, and your vision matter here- XR is where you come to grow, learn, and thrive.

Ready to make an impact? If you're passionate about technology, solving complex challenges, and joining a team that's changing the game, XR is the place for you. Let’s shape the future together!

The Opportunity

The Senior People & Culture Advisor plays a key role in delivering a proactive, commercially focused, and employee-centric People service across the organisation. The role provides expert guidance across employee relations, HR operations, payroll, performance management, organisational change, talent development, employee engagement, and People policies and processes, ensuring an exceptional employee experience and operational excellence across the employee lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities:

Employee Relations

• Provide expert advice and guidance to managers on employee relations matters, including disciplinary, grievance, absence management, capability, and performance issues.
• Lead and manage complex employee relations cases through to resolution.
• Ensure all People-related matters are managed fairly, consistently, and in line with employment legislation and company policy.
• Support investigations, hearings, and appeals where required.

HR Operations

• Oversee and support the effective delivery of day-to-day HR operations across the employee lifecycle, ensuring a high-quality employee experience.
• Ensure HR processes and procedures are administered accurately, efficiently, and in line with company policies and employment legislation.
• Manage employee onboarding, probation reviews, contractual changes, and offboarding processes.
• Maintain and continuously improve HR systems, records, and data integrity, ensuring compliance with GDPR and data protection requirements.
• Produce and manage employment contracts, offer letters, policy documentation, and other employee correspondence.
• Support the administration of employee benefits, pensions, and reward programmes.
• Develop, review, and streamline HR processes to improve efficiency, compliance, and service delivery.
• Monitor and report on HR operational metrics, identifying trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Support audits, compliance checks, and governance activities, ensuring accurate record keeping and documentation.
• Act as a key point of contact for HR operational queries, providing a responsive and customer-focused service to employees and managers.

Payroll & Benefits

• Support the end-to-end payroll process, ensuring employee data is accurate, complete, and submitted within agreed timelines.
• Act as the primary liaison between the business and payroll provider/internal payroll team.
• Ensure all payroll-related employee changes, including starters, leavers, salary changes, bonuses, allowances, and deductions, are processed accurately.
• Conduct payroll audits and reconciliations to maintain data integrity and compliance.
• Respond to employee payroll queries in a timely and professional manner.
• Support annual payroll activities, including salary reviews, bonus payments, benefits administration, and year-end processes.
• Ensure compliance with payroll legislation, taxation requirements, pension regulations, and company policies.
• Identify and implement improvements to payroll processes and controls to enhance efficiency and employee experience.

Learning & Development

• Support performance management processes and employee development initiatives.
• Assist managers with succession planning and talent reviews.
• Promote a culture of continuous feedback, accountability, and development.
• Contribute to learning and development initiatives.

Employee Experience & Engagement

• Support initiatives that enhance employee engagement, wellbeing, and inclusion.
• Analyse employee feedback and recommend improvement actions.
• Champion company values and contribute to a positive workplace culture.

Policies, Compliance & Governance

• Ensure compliance with employment law and internal policies.
• Review, update, and develop People policies and procedures.
• Support audits, reporting requirements, and compliance activities.
• Maintain accurate employee records and documentation.

Data & Reporting

• Analyse People metrics and trends, including absence, turnover, engagement, and performance data.
• Prepare reports and recommendations for leadership teams.
• Use data-driven insights to support decision-making and continuous improvement.

Project & Continuous Improvement

• Support People & Culture projects and initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to improve People processes, systems, and employee experience.
• Contribute to the implementation of People strategy and annual plans.

Requirements

Essential:

• CIPD Level 5 qualification (or equivalent experience); CIPD Level 7 desirable.
• Significant experience in a generalist HR/People Advisor role.
• Experience supporting international employees or global teams.
• Strong employee relations experience, including complex case management.
• Sound knowledge of employment legislation and HR best practice.
• Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• Strong communication, coaching, and influencing abilities.
• Experience analysing HR data and producing meaningful insights.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and HR information systems.

Desirable:

• Experience supporting organisational change and transformation programmes.
• Experience within a multi-site or matrix organisation.
• Experience with engagement, wellbeing, and DE&I initiatives.
• Project management experience.

The wonderful world of XR

Impactful Work:  You’ll be at the heart of a company revolutionizing the media and creative industries. From a cutting-edge platform to AI-driven insights, your work will help our clients produce and deliver world-class content to millions worldwide. 

Global Reach, Local Impact:  With a team of over 1,100 talented professionals serving 140 markets, we blend global scale with personalized service. Join us, and be part of a diverse, dynamic team that’s making waves across the globe!

Innovation & Growth:  We’re all about pushing boundaries and staying ahead of the curve. At XR Extreme Reach, you’ll be working on groundbreaking products that power TV, film, digital marketing, and entertainment.

Creative Culture: We celebrate creativity and collaboration. Whether you're working in tech, media, or creative services, we foster a culture that encourages fresh ideas, innovation, and out-of-the-box thinking.

Make a Difference:  Here, you’ll help clients tell their stories on a global stage, while ensuring their creative vision is executed with precision and style.

Let's Redefine What's Possible  

If you’re ready to elevate brand growth, connect creativity across platforms, and unlock a new era of creative intelligence, we’d love to hear from you. Pitch us your vision- and let's build the future, together.