People Relations and Culture Lead in Manchester

We are looking for someone with significant expertise in Employee/People Relations to join our People Services directorate on a fixed term 6-month contract. This is a pivotal role for an experienced HR professional to help support our existing People Relations and Culture team. You will lead on and ensure legally sound advice on complex and sensitive ER matters, including conduct, capability, grievance, change management and Employment Tribunal related activity. You will be a trusted advisor, coaching and supporting senior leaders and members of the People Relations and Culture team, to navigate ambiguity, resolve conflict informally where possible, and embed psychologically safe, values driven ways of working. You will champion our Just and Restorative culture, shaping approaches that prioritise learning, fairness, and early resolution. You will bring confidence, credibility, and strong coaching skills, ensuring our people practices align with employment legislation, organisational values and best practice. This is an opportunity to make a visible impact—improving how we manage ER issues, shaping culture, and supporting a high performing team during a period of continued transformation.

Main duties of the job:

• Lead, coach and support People Relations Specialists to deliver high quality, timely and consistent advice across all areas of employee relations.
• Allocate, oversee and quality assure complex casework including complex sickness absence, disciplinary, grievance, capability, appeals and dismissals, and supporting with organisational change.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, providing clear solutions focussed advice on sensitive and often ambiguous people issues.
• Offer balanced, risk aware guidance whilst supporting early, informal conflict resolution aligned to restorative and just learning principles wherever possible.
• Champion psychologically safe environments and restorative approaches, including mediation, reflective practice and learning focused interventions.
• Use data, KPIs and soft intelligence to identify trends, risks and opportunities for organisational learning and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, including Trade Unions, Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, Staff Networks and other internal stakeholders to maintain positive relationships.
• Support the development, review and embedding of People Policies aligned to NICE values and restorative principles.

This role is ideal for someone who combines deep ER expertise with strong leadership, emotional intelligence, and a passion for shaping inclusive, high performing cultures.

About us:

As part of the People Team within the Facilities, Improvement & People Directorate, you will join a high performing, values driven group that is proud of the impact we have made across NICE.

Our Recent Achievements:

• Elevated Engagement: We have become the top performing directorate in the organisation for engagement.
• Driven Real Change: Our commitment to a Restorative, Just and Learning Culture is already transforming how colleagues experience work.
• Strengthened Union Partnerships: We have built constructive, collaborative relationships that support early resolution and shared problem solving.
• Championed Inclusivity: We have delivered measurable improvements in representation, belonging and inclusive practice.

Join Our Team - What We Offer:

• Supportive Team Culture: We work collaboratively, value psychological safety and ensure every voice is heard.
• Flexible & Hybrid Working: Split your time between home and our modern offices in Manchester and Stratford.
• Professional Growth: Access continuous learning, development pathways and opportunities to broaden your HR expertise.
• Inclusive Workplace: Join active staff networks including Women in NICE, Race Equality Network and Disability Advocacy.
• Generous NHS Benefits: NHS Pension Scheme, 27 days' annual leave plus bank holiday, Blue Light Card discount, Flexible working options.

Job responsibilities:

To be considered for this role, you should be able to particularly demonstrate the person specification criteria in the job advert in your application. However, applicants should be able to demonstrate all essential criteria through the entirety of the recruitment process to be considered for the job.

Person Specification:

• Education: Clearly demonstrated knowledge equivalent to degree level study in HRM, or evidence of specialist HR expertise gained through substantial experience.
• Education: Clearly demonstrated MCIPD qualification or evidence of equivalent professional experience at an advanced level.
• Experience: Clearly demonstrated experience leading on complex and sensitive employee relations casework, with specific examples covering areas such as sickness, conduct, capability, grievances, appeals, organisational change or ET related activity.
• Experience: Clearly demonstrated experience providing high quality, risk balanced ER advice to senior leaders, with examples showing influence, sound judgement and positive organisational impact.
• Experience: Clearly demonstrated experience using HR/ER systems (e.g., Case Tracker) to analyse case trends, identify risks and inform decision making, supported by specific examples.
• Experience: Clearly demonstrated experience contributing to or leading culture, wellbeing or restorative practice initiatives, with examples of outcomes or improvements delivered.
• Knowledge: Clearly demonstrated knowledge of employment legislation and ER best practice, with examples of applying this knowledge to resolve complex issues and balance organisational risk with fairness.
• Skills: Clearly demonstrated ability to identify inefficiencies in ER or people practices and provide examples of improvements made using a Restorative and Just lens.
• Skills: Clearly demonstrated ability to communicate complex ER information clearly and sensitively, with examples of written and verbal communication used in high risk or contentious situations.
• Skills: Clearly demonstrated resilience, with examples of managing high volume or high complexity ER workloads, conflicting demands and tight deadlines while maintaining high quality outputs.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check:

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.