Employee Relations Operations Lead

Overview

As Employee Relations Operations Lead, you will steer and develop the Council’s Employee Relations Service, guiding a team of ER professionals to deliver high-quality, customer-focused support. You will work with senior leaders and key stakeholders to reduce risk and drive improvements in people practices across a large local authority. The role combines strategic oversight with hands-on leadership in disciplinaries, grievances, attendance, and organisational change. This is a chance to shape ER practice and contribute to a values-driven, community-focused agenda.

Pay / Benefits

• at least 31 days holiday
• flexibility and agile working
• Local Government Pension Scheme option
• learning and development opportunities
• Health and Wellbeing support (Employee Assistance Programme)
• Cycle to Work and Travel Schemes

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Employee Relations Service and a team of Senior ER Partners and ER Partners
• Provide strategic and operational leadership across ER activities including disciplinary, grievance, attendance, capability, performance, flexible working, redeployment and change
• Ensure consistent, high-quality advice and support to enable managers to effectively manage people issues and reduce risk
• Collaborate with senior leaders, HR, Legal Services, Trade Unions and stakeholders to drive improvement and inform policy
• Use performance data and casework intelligence to inform policy development and enhance ER practice across the organisation

Key requirements

• Significant experience leading employee relations services and handling complex, high-risk employment matters
• Experience in leading, developing and motivating HR or ER teams
• Extensive knowledge of employment law, ER practice and local government employment issues
• Strong leadership, coaching, influencing and stakeholder management skills
• Experience using management information and organisational insight to improve services and decision-making
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational delivery in a fast-paced environment

• leadership
• coaching
• stakeholder management
• employment law knowledge
• management information / data analysis
• ER policy development

…