Angling Direct is the UK’s largest specialist fishing tackle retailer — and right now, we’re on a genuine growth trajectory. With over 55 stores across England and Wales, a loyalty club of over 500,000 members, and our first European store already open in Utrecht, we’re not standing still.
To do that well, we need our people function to grow with us. We’re building an HR team that thrives working in a fast-paced environment, is proactive, commercially minded, and genuinely present across the business. This is a new role created to strengthen our on-the-ground HR capability as we scale.
The Role
As our HR Advisor, you’ll be the first port of call for our line managers across stores and head office — supporting them through the real, day-to-day people challenges that come with running a busy multi-site retail operation.
Think of it like this: a store manager dealing with a difficult absence situation shouldn’t need to wait for HR to tell them what to do. Your job is to be the voice on the phone that helps them handle it well, build their confidence, and make better decisions next time. You coach, they act.
You’ll manage your own ER caseload — absence, conduct, capability, grievance — keeping things moving with accuracy and fairness. You’ll apply absence frameworks consistently, coordinate Occupational Health referrals, and make sure documentation is always where it should be. You will also support the team with onboarding and recruitment processes when required to ensure the colleague experience is prioritised from Day One.
The intention for the team is find a balance between preventative and reactive HR and this role is key to the teams success.
What We Are Looking For
* CIPD Level 3 qualified, or working towards Level 5 — or equivalent hands-on HR experience
* Proven experience in a hands-on HR Advisor or generalist role, ideally in retail or a multi-site environment
* An excellent grasp of employment law and the confidence to apply it in real situations
* Experience carrying your own ER caseload from investigation through to outcome
* Strong interpersonal skills — you build trust quickly and handle sensitive conversations with care
* A coaching mindset: your instinct is to build manager capability, not create dependency on HR
* Well organised, proactive and self-sufficient — you keep your caseload moving without needing to be chased
Why Join Us?
You’ll join a business that genuinely cares about its people — one with the scale to offer real development opportunities and the energy of a company still very much in growth mode. You’ll work closely with a Head of HR who is shaping a modern, digitally-enabled people function, and you’ll have real influence over how we treat our colleagues day to day.
* Salary: £28,000 – £33,000 depending on experience
* Hybrid working – 3 days in our Head Office
* Enhanced annual leave
* Life assurance (2x salary)
* Staff discount on our fantastic range of fishing tackle
* A role where your work genuinely matters to the people around you
Sound Like You?
We’d love to hear from you. Send your CV and a brief cover note telling us why this role appeals to you.
Angling Direct is committed to being an inclusive employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are happy to discuss flexible working arrangements.