Employee Relations Advisor in Northampton

The role involves acting as a subject matter expert in employee relations, managing complex and sensitive people matters across the firm. You will provide clear, commercially pragmatic and risk-aware advice to managers, balancing legal compliance, employee experience and business outcomes. Working closely with HR Business Partners, HR Advisors and specialist teams, you will ensure a consistent, fair and legally compliant approach to employee relations while identifying opportunities to proactively reduce risk and improve organisational effectiveness.

Key Accountabilities

• Employee relations case management & specialist advice: Act as a trusted adviser and ER specialist, supporting managers on a wide range of employee relations matters, including disciplinary, grievance, absence, performance and conduct issues. Lead end-to-end investigations into complex and sensitive cases, ensuring thorough, impartial processes and high-quality documentation. Provide clear, consistent and commercially focused guidance, including constructive challenge where required, to support robust and fair decision making. Manage and support escalated matters including Employment Tribunals, COT3 agreements and settlement agreements, liaising with ACAS and external legal advisers as appropriate.
• Risk, governance & legal compliance: Identify, assess and mitigate employee relations risks, ensuring proportionate and defensible outcomes that protect the firm’s reputation and minimise legal exposure. Ensure consistent application of HR policies, procedures and employment law across all business areas. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of employment legislation and best practice, proactively recommending updates to policies, procedures and guidance.
• Stakeholder capability building: Build strong relationships with managers and stakeholders, developing their confidence and capability in managing people issues effectively. Provide practical coaching and guidance to support early intervention, appropriate escalation and consistent handling of employee matters. Facilitate resolution discussions, mediations and informal interventions to resolve issues at the earliest opportunity.
• Data, insight & continuous improvement: Analyse employee relations data and trends to identify recurring themes, root causes and emerging risks. Provide insight and reporting to HR Business Partners and stakeholders, translating data into actionable recommendations and preventative strategies. Contribute to continuous improvement of ER processes, templates and ways of working to enhance efficiency, consistency and employee experience.
• Organisational change & project support: Provide expert ER input into organisational change initiatives including restructures, redundancies, TUPE transfers and changes to terms and conditions. Support the delivery of change programmes, ensuring a legally compliant, fair and well-managed approach to employee impact. Collaborate with wider People teams to ensure a joined-up, consistent approach across the employee lifecycle.
• Culture, engagement & inclusion: Support the promotion of a culture of fairness, respect and inclusion, aligning with the firm’s Responsible Business and DEI objectives. Use ER insights to inform engagement activity and identify opportunities to improve employee experience and retention.

Essential Skills, experience and qualifications:

• Demonstrable experience in employee relations within HR, with proven capability managing complex cases independently.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and experience applying it in a practical, business-focused way.
• Experience conducting investigations and advising on disciplinary, grievance and performance matters.
• Confident stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and provide constructive challenge.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret data and generate meaningful insight.
• High levels of discretion, judgement and emotional intelligence when handling sensitive matters.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Strong IT and AI capability including Microsoft Office and HR systems.

Desirable:

• Experience in professional services, ideally with multi-site and/or international exposure, and regulated environment.
• Experience supporting Employment Tribunals, settlement agreements or complex litigation.
• Exposure to organisational change programmes (e.g., redundancies, TUPE).
• Working towards or holding CIPD qualification.

Benefits: We have an outstanding benefits package to complement our competitive remuneration system. In addition to the competitive salaries, great working environment and high-quality work, we believe that all staff should be rewarded for their commitment to the continued success of the firm through a comprehensive and flexible range of benefits.

Disability Confident Employer: Shoosmiths is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. We are committed to interviewing any applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria for each vacancy. We welcome applicants with long-term conditions and aim to provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, including support for alternative ways to submit applications.

Equal opportunities: Our approach to people is underpinned by our commitment to diversity, inclusion and well-being. We aim to build a diverse workforce that reflects all backgrounds and talents, and a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognising and nurturing talent, and has a strong sense of community between colleagues. Everyone who applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.