Policy & Employee Relations Manager

dnata is one of the world’s largest air and travel services providers, offering ground handling, cargo, travel and catering & retail services at over 130 airports in more than 30 countries across six continents. At dnata, we are by your side for the entire travel experience. dnata Catering and Retail is one of the world’s leading in-flight hospitality providers, delivering world-class culinary services and innovative products that enhance our passengers’ experience.

We are currently seeking a highly experienced Policy & Employee Relations Manager to join our busy and fast-paced HR team in Manchester.

What’s the purpose of role:

To lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of HR policies and practices, ensuring legal compliance and alignment with organisational goals. A key aspect of the role is supporting and upskilling line managers to apply policies effectively and confidently, fostering a positive employee relations climate.

This role plays a key part in helping the business strengthen its policy management and will support operational managers across a multi-site organisation working with different people and personalities at all levels. You’ll build trust in the function and show the business what “good looks like” for all things employee relations.

The role reports directly into the Head of HR Shared Services and will work closely with the Senior Business Partners, regional directors and managers across sites. The role will also manage our HRSS desk supporting the business with first line support, policy guidance and general contract and lifecycle changes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop, review, and update HR policies to ensure compliance with current UK employment legislation and best practices.
• Act as the subject matter expert on policy interpretation and employment law changes, providing strategic guidance to senior stakeholders.
• Deliver training and coaching programmes to build capability and confidence among line managers in handling employee relations issues.
• Provide expert advice and hands-on support in complex employee relations cases, including disciplinary, grievance, absence management, and performance issues.
• Monitor external legal developments and proactively recommend policy and process updates.
• Lead policy consultation with key stakeholders and trade union representatives, where appropriate.
• Collaborate with Learning and Development to embed policy understanding into broader leadership training programmes.
• Analyse employee relations data and trends to identify risks and recommend proactive solutions.
• Champion a culture of fairness, inclusion, and respect in all employee relations practices.
• Develop and support the HR Administrative team, supporting the business with a first class first line experience.

This list is not exhaustive, accountabilities may vary dependant on locality or role complexity and may include any other duties considered reasonable by the line manager.

What you’ll have:

• CIPD Level 7 qualification
• Experience working as a HR Business Partner in a manufacturing or equivalent environment.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practices.
• Proven experience in developing and implementing HR policies and managing employee relations matters.
• Experience working within a HR Shared Services environment.
• Excellent communication, coaching, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to influence and build credibility with leaders at all levels.
• Meticulous attention to detail with a strategic and pragmatic mindset.

If you believe your skills and experience align with what we\’re looking for, we encourage you to apply — we’d love to hear from you!