Employee Relations Advisor - Retail Operations

At Costa Coffee, we are what we craft. We’re reimagining coffee experiences in over 50 countries and counting, as a key part of the Coca-Cola System. The role of the Employee Relations Advisor is to work as part of the Employee Relations Team in supporting and protecting the retail business and its line managers from the costs, negative PR and repercussions from non-compliance with employment legislation, and ensure that all team members are treated fairly and consistently throughout their employment.

Our teams make a difference. Whether that’s working on new tech for the perfect pour, helping our teams grow, creating award-winning campaigns, crunching the numbers, or developing the latest exciting menu item; together, we stir up success. We may be a global brand, but we haven’t forgotten our roots. That’s where the Costa Foundation and our fantastic community agenda come in. Whatever your role, you can help us change lives in coffee growing communities and help your local community too.

We also want to help you grow in your career through amazing experiences, our apprenticeship scheme, and development programmes. At Costa, you can go beyond the day-to-day. And as an ER Advisor, there’s never been a better time to join.

So, why Costa? We didn’t become a global coffee brand by sitting back. When you work here, you join a community that values passion, progression and integrity, with some pretty brilliant perks to sweeten the deal:

• Own a piece of Costa’s success by becoming a share owner in Coca-Cola with our Share Investment Plan (SIP)
• An annual discretionary bonus scheme, based on business results and individual contribution.
• A smart pension that saves you money on tax and national insurance, and matches your contributions up to 10%
• The Costa Financial Support Fund, supporting team members who find themselves in unexpected financial pressure
• 50% discount in all Costa-owned stores, and 25% off in other participating stores
• Private medical cover thanks to our Private Healthcare scheme

We’re passionate about being a great place to work, where you can bring your unique self into our mix. We firmly support diversity, equity and inclusion, and continue to work with our teams to shape the future of our culture and values: Disciplined to Deliver, Passion for Progress, Win with Warmth, Courage to Challenge and Trusted Team Players.

What you’ll do: Being an Employee Relations Advisor is about so much more than supporting our managers. It’s your chance to guide great decisions, champion fairness, and stir up real success - which means you’ll be:

• Provide expert, commercially focused Employee Relations advice and guidance to managers via the helpdesk, ensuring fair and consistent people decisions
• Manage a range of ER cases end-to-end, including disciplinaries, grievances, absence, TUPE, redundancy, and high-risk matters
• Partner with managers and People teams to assess risk, recommend solutions, and ensure compliance with employment law and company policies
• Support complex processes such as Employment Tribunals, Occupational Health cases, and external stakeholder engagement
• Build manager capability through coaching, guidance, and practical ER tools to drive early intervention and reduce future risk

Who you are: It’s your unique ingredients we’re interested in:

• Proven Employee Relations experience, with confidence managing a wide range of ER cases end-to-end in a fast-paced retail operations/store environment
• Strong understanding of employment law, policies and procedures, with the ability to apply these in a practical, commercially focused way
• Experience supporting and coaching managers, ideally within retail or multi-site operations, to build confidence in handling people matters
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, able to handle sensitive conversations and build trusted relationships across the business
• Highly organised and resilient, with the ability to prioritise, manage high volumes of cases, and operate effectively in a reactive, service-led environment

Where you’ll work: Right now, our ER team work flexibly, blending home working with in-person time whenever it matters most – whether that’s a team moment, a creative session, or simply coming together to share ideas. For any reasonable adjustments and general queries, please get in touch with the recruitment team.