Job Title: Employee Relations (ER) and Change Partner - 12-Month Fixed Term Contract
Location: Salford
Reports to: Head of HR
Role Overview:
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Employee Relations (ER) and Change Partner to join our People Team, reporting to a Head of HR. You will play a pivotal role in ensuring effective management of our employee relations and policy issues, including providing tools and enabling upskilling, while driving successful organisational change initiatives.
The role is envisaged to be required on a 12-month fixed term basis, however there is the possibility of this moving into a permanent role.
Key Responsibilities:
Case Management and ER Support:
* Provide timely and commercially balanced advice on policy, process, employment law, and best practices to colleagues and people leaders across the business.
* Offer guidance on complex ER cases, ensuring effective case management and resolution.
* Act as a trusted advisor to leaders and managers, guiding them on issues such as disciplinary action, grievances, performance management, and employee well-being.
* Proactively manage cases, identifying root causes and suggesting interventions where appropriate.
* Support people leaders in navigating sensitive situations while maintaining confidentiality and a high level of service.
Change Management and Restructuring:
* Provide support to Heads of HR with organizational change programs, including restructures, redundancies, and TUPE transfers.
* Support on change management initiatives, supporting organisational design, problem-solving, and behavioural change.
* Ensure that change management processes are executed efficiently and in line with employment law and best practice.
Manager Upskilling and Training:
* Design and deliver people management training to upskill people leaders in key ER topics, ensuring they have the tools to manage performance and employee relations effectively.
* Provide coaching and development to people managers, enabling them to handle ER matters and organizational change.
* Ensure that managers are equipped with the necessary resources (policies, guidelines, training) to make informed decisions and lead their teams effectively.
Policy Advice and Development:
* Support the development and review of HR policies, ensuring they are aligned with current employment law and business needs.
* Project manage the end-to-end process of policy reviews, including benchmarking, writing, and updating policies.
* Provide guidance on policy interpretation and ensure that policies are consistently applied across the business.
* Regularly update and maintain the Help centre articles to promote self-service options for employees and managers.
Stakeholder Management and Coaching:
* Build strong relationships with leadership and key business stakeholders, providing strategic HR partnering and guidance on people management issues.
* Partner with specialist teams, such as occupational health and employment lawyers, to manage cases effectively and mitigate risks.
Continuous Improvement and Risk Management:
* Identify opportunities for continuous improvement in HR processes, ensuring efficiency and a positive employee experience.
* Monitor and manage risks to the business related to ER and change management issues, proactively addressing challenges as they arise.
Experience and Qualifications:
* CIPD Qualified (Level 5) or equivalent HR qualification.
* Proven experience in employee relations, case management, and providing employment law advice.
* Experience in supporting organizational change initiatives, including restructures, redundancies, and ideally also exposure to supporting TUPE processes.
* Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
* Experience of coaching and upskilling people leaders in managing ER issues and driving change.
* Solid understanding of HR best practices, policies, and procedures.
* Commercial acumen and the ability to balance people management with business needs.
* Project management experience in policy development or change management.
* Experience in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where you can drive change effectively.
Skills:
* Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
* Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
* Ability to manage complex cases with a commercially balanced and practical approach.
* Resilient and adaptable, with a proactive attitude to managing challenging situations.
* High level of confidentiality and discretion in dealing with sensitive issues.
Why Join Us:
In this role, you will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on the organization by helping shape its culture, manage change effectively, and provide expert support to our people leaders. If you are an experienced ER and change management professional looking for a dynamic and rewarding role, we would love to hear from you.
What is it for you
* True flexible working and hybrid working options available for employees.
* 25 days holiday, 3 wellbeing days plus your birthday off (you also get the option to buy up to 10 extra days holiday per year your holiday allowance goes up with tenure).
* Free private healthcare for all employees, competitive pension scheme and the opportunity to earn bonus.
* Free broadband for all employees plus gifts for major life events such as marriages and birth.
* We have several employee networks that you can join. Our networks are open to everyone and are a great place to connect with colleagues, get peer-to-peer support, share resources, and join in on thought-provoking conversations.
* Flexible salary sacrifice scheme including dental, gym, electric car scheme and much more, plus a huge range of shopping and leisure discounts so you can save even more cash.
* We encourage all colleagues to put our values into action by volunteering for a charity or community organisation. We'll give you up to 3 paid days per year to do so.