Head of Employee Relations (South East) in Guildford

Location

Hybrid working, with occasional travel for client and team meetings. Candidates must be based in the South East of England.

Job Type

Full‑time (minimum 30 hours per week)

Compensation

Competitive salary package aligned with current market rates. Final offer will reflect skills, experience and qualifications, alongside our commitment to internal equity.

About the Company

We’re a full‑service HR consultancy that partners with clients to help their people and businesses thrive. We act as an extension of their people team and provide trusted HR support.

Opportunity

We're looking for a Head of Employee Relations (South East) to join our growing Employee Relations leadership team. Working alongside our Head of Employee Relations (South West), you'll lead our Employee Relations service across the South East region, ensuring clients receive exceptional advice, support and outcomes.

Senior, hands‑on leadership role – lead and develop a talented team of ER specialists, build relationships with clients, and personally support some of the most complex and high‑risk employee relations work.

Key role in ongoing development of Fitzgerald’s wider Employee Relations service, strengthening capability and supporting continued growth.

Responsibilities

Leading a high‑performing ER team:

• Lead and develop a team of Senior ER Specialists and ER Specialists.
• Create clarity, focus and accountability across the team.
• Support colleagues to develop their technical expertise and confidence.
• Manage workload, capacity and delivery quality.
• Build a positive, high‑performing culture where people feel supported, challenged and valued.

Leading complex client work:

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders.
• Lead and oversee complex employee relations matters, including investigations, disciplinary and grievance processes, appeal hearings, restructuring, redundancy and TUPE projects.
• Support clients through high‑risk and sensitive people challenges.
• Review and quality‑assure advice and documentation.
• Draft and review employment contracts, policies and procedures.

Driving quality and commercial success:

• Deliver agreed billable income and performance targets.
• Ensure work is appropriately scoped, priced and delivered.
• Manage risk and maintain high professional standards.
• Support client retention, account development and new opportunities.
• Work closely with colleagues across People Partnering and Talent & People Solutions to deliver joined‑up client support.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading complex Employee Relations work.
• Strong working knowledge of UK employment law.
• Experience supporting disciplinary, grievance, investigation, restructuring, redundancy and TUPE processes.
• Experience leading and developing people.
• Confidence building relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Strong commercial awareness and experience managing competing priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• A clear, credible and engaging communicator.
• Calm under pressure and comfortable with ambiguity.
• Highly organised, detail‑focused and able to juggle multiple priorities.
• Collaborative, values‑led and invested in developing others.

Requirements

CIPD Level 7 or equivalent employment law qualification (or qualified by experience at that level) is essential. Experience in consultancy or professional services is highly desirable. You must be based in the South East of England, have a UK driving licence and be happy to travel as required.

Benefits

• Competitive salary (Circa £70,000 per annum FTE)
• 25 days’ annual leave to start, rising to 27 after one year and 29 after two years, plus bank holidays.
• Career qualifications supported and paid for, with real opportunities to grow.
• Monthly homeworking allowance and all equipment provided.
• Flexible working patterns for a healthy work‑life balance.
• Pension scheme options (including salary sacrifice) and 4% employer pension contributions, with a minimum of 4% employee contributions.
• Life assurance at four times basic salary.
• Shopping discounts platform, flu vaccinations and technology and cycle‑to‑work schemes.
• Medicash health cash plan and wellbeing benefits (including EAP).
• Enhanced family leave.
• A growing, progressive business with people at its heart.

Equal Opportunities

We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.