Description

We’re looking for a highly experienced Senior Employee Relations Manager with deep industrial relations expertise to lead our ER function and ensure the organisation is fully equipped to operate effectively in a unionised environment.

This role is critical in shaping our approach to trade union engagement, collective consultation and employee representation, while also providing expert, commercially grounded advice across complex ER matters and organisational change.

Reporting to the People Director, you will act as our senior IR and ER lead, setting the tone for constructive union relationships, ensuring the ER team is confident and capable in a unionised setting and overseeing all complex casework, TUPE activity and change programmes.

This is a senior, influential role working closely with leaders across the business.

What you’ll be doing

Industrial Relations Leadership

Leading our approach to working within a unionised environment, ensuring the business and ER team are confident, prepared and aligned

Building and maintaining strong, constructive relationships with recognised trade unions and employee representative bodies

Acting as the senior People representative in formal union meetings, negotiations and collective consultation

Providing strategic advice to senior leaders on union engagement, industrial relations risks and appropriate consultation frameworks

Leading Complex Employee Relations

Owning and overseeing complex ER cases including disciplinaries, grievances, performance, absence, investigations and disputes

Ensuring outcomes are consistent, fair, legally robust and aligned with our IR commitments

Coaching leaders and the ER team to manage cases confidently in a unionised context

TUPE and Organisational Change

Acting as the organisation’s TUPE subject matter expert on inbound and outbound transfers

Leading due diligence, information and consultation processes, employee transitions and documentation

Partnering with senior stakeholders on restructures, redundancies and change programmes, ensuring all consultation obligations are met and IR considerations are fully factored in

Leading and developing the ER team

Managing and developing HR Advisors, embedding high standards of case management, judgment and decision-making

Ensuring the team is fully equipped to operate in a unionised environment, with strong coaching, guidance and continuous improvement

Driving quality assurance, consistency and capability building across the ER function

Policy, governance and risk

Owning ER policies and procedures, ensuring they remain up to date, relevant and legally compliant

Maintaining clear ER governance and risk frameworks, with particular focus on IR implications and legal obligations

Advising the business on employment law, collective consultation requirements and industrial relations risks

What we’re looking for

Experience and expertise

Extensive experience managing complex ER casework in a medium or large organisation

Significant experience operating in a unionised environment, with a strong track record of constructive union engagement

Proven end-to-end TUPE experience

Experience supporting restructures, consultations and organisational change

Experience managing or mentoring HR Advisors or ER specialists

Knowledge and qualifications

Strong, up-to-date knowledge of UK employment legislation and case law

Deep understanding of TUPE, collective consultation and industrial relations frameworks

CIPD Level 5 essential (Level 7 desirable)

Skills and personal qualities

Confident, calm and credible with senior stakeholders and union representatives

Excellent judgment, resilience and integrity

Strong investigation, report writing and problem-solving skills

Collaborative, coaching-led leadership style with a proactive, solutions-focused approach

Why join us?

Non-contractual 10% annual bonus based on company and personal performance

25 days annual leave, increasing to 30 with service + bank holidays + birthday off

Company sick pay (6 months full pay, then SSP)

Enhanced maternity & paternity pay

Life assurance x4 salary

Pension – employer matched up to 7%

Private Medical Insurance

24/7 Employee Assistance Programme

Retail discounts platform

Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme

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