Employee Relations Specialist

What’s it all about

The ER Specialist is a specialist member of the Employee Relations Centre of Expertise, providing expert guidance on medium-to-complex people issues and supporting the consistent application of policy and good practice.

Working closely with Senior HRBPs, HRBPs, and CoE colleagues across HR Services and Compliance, Recruitment, People Development and Reward, this role strengthens organisational capability by ensuring that managers receive confident, pragmatic and timely advice.

The role is key to reducing and managing ER risk,building a proactive, prevention-focused ER culture, and delivering a positive employee experience.

How you’ll make a difference

You will help create a fair, consistent and high-performing workplace by:

• Supporting managers to resolve issues early, constructively and with confidence -improving employee experience and reducing formal processes.

• Managing complex and sensitive cases to high standards, ensuring robust governance, clear documentation and legally compliant outcomes.

• Strengthening organisational insight by analysing case trends and contributing to ER data, enabling targeted interventions that reduce future risk.

• Acting as a trusted adviser to HRBPs and leaders, supporting them to navigate risk and make well-informed decisions.

• Helping shape clear, modern employment policies and ensuring that they are understood and applied consistently across the organisation.

• Role-modelling professional HR practice to lift standards of capability, judgement and consistency across the wider HR function.

Your work will reduce avoidable ER issues, ensure consistency and fairness, strengthen organisational trust, increase manager confidence and help shape a colleague experience that reflects our values – ultimately strengthening organisational performance, key results and the overall customer experience.

How you’ll do it

• Lead on medium to complex ER cases (disciplinary, grievance, performance, capability, sickness, whistleblowing, change, TUPE, safeguarding or reputational matters).

• Provide high-quality, pragmatic advice to managers and HR colleagues, supporting early resolution and consistent decision-making.

• Coach leaders and managers to build ER capability and confidence, reducing dependency on formal casework.

• Analyse case trends, hotspots and root causes, producing actionable insight and recommendations that inform workforce planning, leadership development and prevention activity.

• Contribute to the development, review and communication of ER policies and guidance.

• Work collaboratively with HRBPs and Senior HRBPs, sharing insights that inform workforce planning, culture activity and leadership interventions.

• Using ER insights, design targeted interventions and ER-capability building materials for managers to reduce repeat issues and improve leadership confidence.

• Maintain accurate, high-quality case documentation, ensuring data integrity across all systems.

• Support engagement with Trade Unions on individual matters and contribute to constructive industrial relations.

• Participate in quality assurance activity and ER learning reviews, identifying opportunities to strengthen governance and consistency.

• Contribute to the design and delivery of ER-related training, learning and capability-building interventions.

• Formally deputise for the Senior ER Manager where appropriate.

All about you

Behaviours for success

Our values set out what we stand for. You’ll need to show us how you match them and how you’ll behave to ensure those are visible when carrying out your work.

• Compassionate • Inclusive

• Progressive • Empowered

• Dependable

Essential knowledge, experience and skills including qualifications and professional membership

• Strong practical experience managing a broad range of ER casework, including complex and sensitive issues (up to ACAS / ET).

• Excellent knowledge of employment law and understanding of the wider People agenda.

• Skilled at building relationships (with Senior Leadership and Senior Management), providing credible challenge and advising with confidence and clarity.

• Excellent judgement, resilience and ability to work with highly confidential information.

• Experience working in environments with Trade Union or employee representative involvement.

• Strong written and analytical skills with the ability to prepare clear trend analysis, case summaries and reports, and intervention / recommendation proposals.

• Highly organised and resilient, able to manage various priorities and stakeholders in a fast-paced and demanding environment.

• CIPD Level 5 or equivalent qualification or demonstrated experience at this level

£51,739 to £57,488 per annum for 35 hours per week.

Our core benefits

• Generous pension contributions plus free life assurance
• Excellent annual leave allowance of 30 days plus Christmas office closure
• Hybrid working opportunities
• Cycle2work
• Healthcare cash plan scheme
• Health and wellbeing service, including remote GPs
• Interest free season ticket loan
• Interest free tenancy deposit loan
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay (qualifying period may apply)
• Wellbeing events, such as flu vaccination vouchers and massage days
• Professional subscriptions paid for