Senior Employee Relations Advisor

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced HR professional to join our people relations team. The successful candidate will be based at the Trust Head Quarter in Euston Road with the expectation of visiting assigned service sites. We are seeking applications from experienced HR professionals who are passionate about patient care; strive for excellence whilst continuously seeking opportunities for improvement.

As a key member of the People Relations team, you will work in partnership with the Division, Associate People Partner and People Partners to deliver service/divisional workforce plan. The Senior Employee Relations Adviser will be responsible for providing a high quality, comprehensive, customer focused service to managers and staff within the Trust. The postholder will work with the Associate People Partner, managers and the broader People and Culture team in supporting the implementation of the Trust’s Workforce Strategy working with the wider HR team to address development issues for the workforce.

Act as the employee relations lead to coordinate, manage and ensure delivery on specific agreed areas of work. Provide advice and support to managers on dealing with people management issues through the various stages of the employee’s life cycle informal/formal stages. You must be proactive and customer focused with the ability to work autonomously and effectively to meet the needs of the service. You will be experienced in supporting managers with complex and sensitive employee relations case, developing and monitoring recruitment and retention strategies and change management processes within a strategic HR Business Partner model.

In return, we will offer a supportive environment to develop your knowledge, skills and experience supported by a great People Partnering team, committed to making CNWL the best place to work.

The Senior Employee Relations Advisor will provide a customer-focused, high quality, responsive advisory service and provide a full range of Employee Relations support and specialist advice to managers supporting the development of a Just Culture to improve staff experience. The Senior Employee Relations Advisor will be responsible for managing a complex employee relations case load including probation, sickness absence, disciplinary, grievance, bullying and harassment and capability cases working proactively with managers to agree outcomes and propose recommendations, ensuring that risks are dealt with efficiently.

The Senior Employee Relations Advisor will be a senior advisor on the team, providing specialist advice to staff and managers in relation to a range of complex employment-related issues and will be required to make subsequent recommendations for the development of policy, flow-charts, templates and best practice guidelines. The Employee Relations team employs a coaching approach in the delivery of advice to managers to build confidence in dealing with complex people management issues. The Senior Employee Relations Advisor will be expected to be expert on interpreting and advising on policy so that balanced decisions can be made.

The Senior Employee Relations Advisor will be responsible for ensuring that advice and support to managers complies with HR best practice and employment legislation and fosters good employee relations. The Senior Employee Relations Advisor will work collaboratively with the Business Partners to support the organisation’s business objectives.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent

Experience

• Experience of advising a range of stakeholders on a broad range of ER issues including sickness, disciplinary, grievance, bullying and harassment and performance management
• Proven experience and track record of supporting managers in the reduction of sickness absence across an organisation
• Recent experience of managing a complex caseload relating to employee relations work
• Significant experience in supporting HR investigations
• Experience supporting and advising managers in presenting cases at hearings
• Experience of managing multiple complex ER cases from start to finish
• Experience in a development role which includes design and delivery training programmes to a variety of audiences
• Experience writing policy and procedures
• Experience of using standard keyboard skills proficiently
• Experience delivering training

Skills and knowledge

• Demonstrable and broad knowledge and understanding of employment legislation and best practice in ER policies, principles and procedures and recent practical experience of its application
• Understanding of equality and diversity issues relating to people management and associated legislation
• Analytical skills, able to analyse information effectively identifying the causes of problems and proposing practical solutions to address them based on knowledge and application of policy
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills engaging effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders at all levels
• Very strong report-writing skills; able to offer critical feedback to managers to improve narrative
• Exceptional listening and questioning skills that enable empower and get to the heart of the issue
• Well-developed time management skills and ability to manage and priorities competing demands and deliver multiple concurrent activities within agreed deadlines and to agreed standards with consistent attention to detail
• Ability to plan, prioritise, communicate and deliver against personal and team objectives and work plans
• Ability to develop strong relationships and coach, challenge and influence to ensure effective ER solutions, balancing risk and commerciality and resolve conflict where necessary
• Able to work flexibly in a busy team environment and respond to changing priorities
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of people
• Enthusiastic and motivated approach
• Ability to manage conflicting deadlines and demands
• Open to new methods/ideas
• Tenacity and resilience

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI can be used as a support tool, not a replacement for the applicant’s own work. Applications must remain personal, accurate, and reflective of the candidate’s real experience. AI-generated content must not misrepresent skills, qualifications, or experience. Over reliance on AI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances of success. We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct. Please note that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is prohibited during the interview process.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible. Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Before submitting your application and to avoid disappointment please check that you are eligible under the UKVI points based system. Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a contractual 13 week probationary period. If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.