Location: Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds or London (Hybrid Working)
Salary: Competitive + Benefits
Contract Type: Full-time, Permanent
About the Role
We’re recruiting for a Senior Employee Relations Manager to join the People team of a leading UK professional services organisation. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Employee Relations specialist or HR Manager to take ownership of complex ER matters while helping to shape a positive, high-performing and inclusive workplace culture.
Working closely with HR Business Partners, HR Advisors and senior business leaders, you’ll provide expert guidance across a broad range of employee relations issues, support organisational change initiatives, and lead the development of ER best practice. You’ll also manage and develop two direct reports, making this an excellent opportunity for someone looking to combine technical expertise with people leadership.
This role would suit an experienced Employee Relations Manager, Senior ER Manager or employment law professional with a strong commercial mindset and experience operating within a regulated environment.
Key Responsibilities
Employee Relations Leadership
- Lead the management and resolution of complex employee relations cases including disciplinaries, grievances, capability, absence, discrimination, flexible working and workplace concerns
- Conduct and oversee complex investigations, ensuring fair, consistent and legally compliant outcomes
- Provide expert advice to Partners, Directors and managers on employee relations matters and best practice
- Support dispute resolution, conciliation processes and employment tribunal preparation where required
- Provide expert ER support across restructures, redundancies, TUPE transfers and organisational change programmes
- Assess employment-related risk and provide commercially focused recommendations
- Work closely with Risk & Ethics teams to ensure compliance with regulatory obligations
- Maintain expert knowledge of UK employment legislation and communicate legislative changes across the business
Stakeholder & People Leadership
- Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across the organisation
- Coach and mentor HR Advisors and direct reports, developing their employee relations capability
- Support HR Business Partners with performance management and organisational effectiveness initiatives
- Champion psychological safety and promote a positive employee experience
Policy, Compliance & Continuous Improvement
- Review and develop HR policies, procedures and manager guidance
- Monitor employee relations trends and provide data-driven insights to senior leadership
- Contribute to People projects and continuous improvement initiatives
- Ensure employee records are maintained in line with GDPR and internal governance standards
Candidate Profile
- Significant experience managing complex employee relations cases at Manager or Senior Manager level
- Extensive knowledge of UK employment law and its practical application
- Experience supporting restructures, redundancies, TUPE and organisational change
- Strong investigation, mediation and conflict resolution skills
- Experience influencing and advising senior stakeholders, including Directors and Partners
- Previous experience coaching or managing HR Advisors or ER professionals
- Strong analytical skills with experience interpreting HR data and identifying trends
- Excellent communication, stakeholder management and relationship-building skills
- Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple complex cases simultaneously
- Strong commercial awareness and ability to balance legal risk with business needs
- Proficient in Microsoft Office and HR systems
- Experience within legal, financial services or another regulated professional services environment
- Exposure to international HR practices or global employment law
- Experience using HR analytics tools and AI technologies to support decision-making
What Our Client Offers
- Opportunity to lead complex and high-profile employee relations work
- Supportive and collaborative People team
- Opportunity to manage and develop a small team
- Exposure to strategic HR and organisational change projects
- Excellent long-term career development opportunities within a leading professional services organisation
#J-18808-Ljbffr…