Senior Employee Relations Adviser - Human Resources - 107372 - Grade 7 in Birmingham

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to December 2027

Closing date: 12th May 2026

Our offer to you:

People are at the heart of what we are and do. The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Role Summary:

You will work within the Employee Relations (ER) Team and provide a specialist HR service, managing a portfolio of Employee Relations Cases and organisational change initiatives. You will also proactively support initiatives for building competency in others (including external to HR) in the management of Employee Relations issues. In addition, you will either lead or support initiatives and projects across the University in support of HR and University priorities. This will include driving the developing of process efficiencies and enhancing the delivery of the HR function.

Main Duties:

• Providing proactive expert advice and support to line managers on a portfolio of complex ER cases across the University including disciplinary, grievance, probation, absence and redeployment at all stages, up to and including appeals.
• Exercising professional judgement and experience to guide managers to a suitable resolution taking into account all relevant factors both HR related (employment legislation, legal and statutory obligations, policy and procedure, best practice, precedents) and commercial factors such as the risk or financial impact on the wider organisation.
• Lead on the delivery for allocated organisational change activity including scoping of the programme, assessing HR implications, conducting consultation with trades unions, undertaking equality assessments, job evaluation, individual and collective consultation, assessing financial impact and managing TUPE exercises.
• Ensure that a consistent approach to Change Management is taken across the institution, giving due regard to relevant Employment Law and University practice.
• Support the HR Consultant with larger scale projects as appropriate.
• Leading on the management, delivery, and monitoring of elements of projects or smaller projects in their entirety as required by the ER Manager or senior colleagues more widely within HR.
• This will include HR and/or University projects and initiatives, working with colleagues across the function and wider University in support of HR and University priorities.
• This may include representing the Team on cross-institutional projects as appropriate.
• Undertake negotiations with Trade unions and individuals on employee disputes, including drafting settlements, dealing with voluntary severance and voluntary redundancy, seeking appropriate financial approval as required.
• Ensuring accurate calculation of financial compensation as required.
• Ensure a holistic approach is taken in relation to all cases, keeping stakeholders informed, working to appropriate SLA’s and ensuring all employees are supported and managed accordingly.
• Working collaboratively with other HR Teams to deliver a joined up HR service, ensuring all issues are owned.
• Take individual responsibility for overseeing and co-ordinating colleagues input where required to ensure appropriate resolution.
• Use judgement to escalate matters as appropriate.
• Sourcing, analysing and developing insights from relevant data to identify areas of improvement in ER processes, working with colleagues across the function to address issues and develop proposals for driving improvements and efficiencies.
• Develop the skills of, and coach, a broad range of managers who will undertake formal investigations and Chair Hearings and Appeals.
• Developing guidance training and coaching material (including online delivery) designed to increase the competency of managers across the organisation in their ability to manage ER issues and change management activity.
• Pro-actively promote early intervention methods across the organisation such as performance management, attendance, and best practice including signposting resources available.
• Deliver both generic and tailored training to managers where a need is identified for example, through the re-occurrence of ER issues within a department/school.
• Acting as an initial point of contact and support for other HR colleagues on more complex enquiries relating to ER case management, providing technical advice, guidance and support including strategies for early intervention and informal resolution.
• Utilising our in-house Work Tracking System effectively, ensuring that correspondence is appropriately recorded and stored in line with the Data Protection Act and University Policies and practices.
• Keep case files up to date and in line with relevant GDPR requirements and internal standards.
• Utilising a clear organisational understanding to inform the application of policy and processes, evaluating the impact and amending the approach accordingly.
• Contributing to the continual development of policy/practice using knowledge and expertise of how this would translate into operational application.
• Contributing to the development, implementation and monitoring of service standards across the function.
• Acting as a role model through championing the University and HR’s values through the consistent utilisation of UoB policy and processes.

Other:

• Work collaboratively with your manager and team colleagues in the prioritisation and handling of workloads, including supporting others with HR service delivery and the wider HR function as required.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to maximise the development and efficient use of HR systems, contributing to improvement and testing of new solutions.
• Contributing to regular team meetings, 1-1's and performance reviews ensuring that own skills are aligned to team, department and University requirements.
• Provide support and cover for other HR team members during demanding workloads and absence as part of own personal development.
• Developing and maintaining your own professional skills through Continuous Professional Development, proactively gathering knowledge and best practice, including through liaison with colleagues external to the University and through practical experience and related project work.
• Provide proactive support to your manager in supporting the development of others in the team and more widely in HR; this may include responsibility for inducting/supporting new team members.
• This may include delivering “best practice” sessions at wider HR team meetings.
• Prioritising own workload and monitoring the activities of work ensuring timely completion, managing others’ expectations.
• Developing and demonstrating detailed organisational understanding, for example taking into account any resource constraints when formulating and agreeing appropriate solutions.
• Ensuring accurate and timely capture of staff data relating to own work in all HR systems including work tracking.
• Supporting managers to maximise their own use of HR Systems and processes.
• Consistently delivering best practice communication with internal and external customers, regular, two way and fit for purpose.
• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience:

• Qualified to Degree level or equivalent plus practical HR Advisory experience or significant relevant experience demonstrated through increasingly more demanding roles evidencing the experience necessary for this role.
• Level 7 CIPD qualified with a proven track record of CPD or significant operational experience obtained within an Employee Relations role, with a strong focus on the management of ER case work - disciplinary, grievance and change management processes.
• Sound knowledge of Employment Law principles, current case law and codes of practice.
• Sound knowledge of generalist HR practices including recruitment, performance management, family leave.
• Analytical skills used to assess issues and develop a range of solutions.
• Proven experience in influencing outcomes and resolving conflict.
• Experience of writing complex, multi-faceted reports.
• Experience of designing and delivering training sessions for managers.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, relationship building and influencing skills with the ability to cultivate strong relationships, act as a credible adviser and deal confidently with a range of internal and external stakeholders/contacts including senior managers, academic staff and staff at all levels.
• The ability to manage the expectations of a diverse range of stakeholders who may have disparate and conflicting priorities.
• Excellent organisational and multi-tasking skills with a methodical approach to work and the ability to work simultaneously and manage and progress several different priorities whilst meeting deadlines.
• Ability to adopt a proactive approach, and adapt this in a changing environment.
• Highly proficient IT skills, including the MS Office suite of programmes. You should be confident and able to quickly learn new IT skills and software packages as required.
• A good team worker with the ability to work effectively with staff at different levels of the organisation including supporting less experienced colleagues.
• Proven track record of ability to integrate with and function effectively as part of a busy, diverse and established team, working with little supervision.
• Demonstrating the ability to apply sound judgement and reach considered decisions as appropriate.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

Dimensions:

This is a senior advisory role, providing expert advice and support on ER and Change matters across the University. The role reports to the ER Manager and supports the Change consultant with complex employment related issues, and will require significant judgement in ensuring risks are identified and matters escalated as appropriate.

Planning and organising:

You will be expected to proactively plan and organise your own workload, and possibly those of others. You will work proactively across a portfolio of work with managers in providing expert advice and guidance. You may lead short term or smaller change management projects or contribute to larger University-wide change management projects. You will proactively contribute to process and service improvements within the team.

Problem solving and decision making:

You will be able to review, develop and propose solutions for problems with staff, processes and services. You will be authoritative in your knowledge of HR practice and be able to provide customers with specialist advice and recommendations.

Internal and external relationships:

You will liaise with a wide variety of stakeholders, internally and possibly externally. You will need to develop and maintain strong working relationships, and use your coaching and influencing skills to win support for solutions.