HR Lead Specialist in Edinburgh

Wood Mackenzie is the global leader in analytics, insights and proprietary data across the entire energy and natural resources landscape. For over 50 years our work has guided the decisions of the world’s most influential energy producers, utilities companies, financial institutions and governments. Now, with the world’s energy system more complex and interconnected than ever before, sector-specific views are no longer enough. That’s why we’ve redefined what’s possible with Intelligence Connected. By fusing our unparalleled proprietary data with the sharpest analytical minds, all supercharged by Synoptic AI, we deliver a clear, interconnected view of the entire value chain. Our trusted team of 2,700 experts across 30 countries breaks siloes and connects industries, markets and regions across the globe. This empowers our customers to identify risk sooner, spot opportunities faster and recalibrate strategy with confidence – whether planning days, weeks, months or decades ahead.

The Lead Specialist – Colleague Experience delivers a high-quality, end-to-end HR advisory service across the EMEA region, acting as a trusted partner to managers and leaders. This role provides independent guidance on employee relations matters, HR policies, and employment legislation, ensuring consistent, fair, and commercially sound people decisions. Working closely with Strategic HR Business Partners, the Senior Employee Relations Adviser, and Centres of Excellence, the role contributes to the delivery of the people plan, strengthens manager capability, and ensures a consistent and effective colleague experience. The role also plays a key part in driving consistency in HR practices, managing complex cases, and elevating the overall quality of HR service delivery, including mentoring more junior team members.

Key Responsibilities

• Employee Relations & HR Advisory
  • Serve as a trusted advisor for a broad range of employee relations cases end-to-end (e.g. disciplinary, grievance, performance, absence), ensuring timely resolution and appropriate risk management.
  • Provide clear, pragmatic advice to managers, balancing business needs with legal and policy considerations.
  • Ensure consistent documentation and application of policies across cases.
  • Partner with HR Business Partners and ER specialists on sensitive or high-impact matters.
• Manager Support & Capability
  • Coach managers on people leadership, team effectiveness, and employee development.
  • Provide practical guidance on applying HR policies in day-to-day situations.
  • Support and deliver initiatives that strengthen manager capability and accountability.
• Business Support
  • Partner with HR Business Partners to support delivery of the people plan and organisational priorities.
  • Contribute HR insight to organisational changes, restructures, and team effectiveness discussions.
  • Support key annual processes such as performance, compensation, and talent cycles.
• Policy, Risk & Compliance
  • Interpret and apply employment legislation and internal policies across the EMEA region.
  • Ensure compliance with employment laws across multiple EMEA countries, updating internal policies and practices as legislation evolves.
  • Partner with Legal, Compliance, and external experts when needed to mitigate risk.
• Insights & Continuous Improvement
  • Analyse employee relations activity and HR data to identify patterns, risks, and opportunities.
  • Recommend improvements to processes, policies, and ways of working.
  • Contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of the Colleague Experience model.
• Talent, Learning & Development
  • Partner with Talent & L&D team to identify capability gaps, support leadership development, and deliver targeted regional programmes.
  • Facilitate talent reviews and succession planning across functional areas.
  • Promote a culture of continuous learning and development.
• Projects & Collaboration
  • Lead or contribute to HR initiatives and cross-functional projects.
  • Partner with Centres of Excellence to implement HR programmes effectively.
  • Share knowledge and promote best practices across the regional HR team.
• Culture & Engagement
  • Champion company culture and values across their region.
  • Monitor engagement trends and collaborate with leaders to deliver action plans that enhance employee experience and retention.

About You

• Strong experience delivering HR advisory support in a complex, multi-country environment.
• Proven capability in managing employee relations cases independently.
• Solid understanding of employment legislation and risk management.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• Sound judgment and ability to navigate ambiguity and sensitive situations.
• Analytical mindset, with the ability to translate data into meaningful insights.
• Experience working with HR systems (e.g. Workday) and using data to support decision-making.
• Well-organised and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Key Competencies

• HR advisory expertise.
• Judgment and decision-making.
• Coaching and influencing.
• Stakeholder partnership.
• Analytical thinking.
• Integrity and discretion.
• Continuous improvement mindset.

What This Role Offers

• Ownership of complex and high-impact HR matters.
• Close partnership with HR and business leadership.
• Exposure to organisational change and strategic initiatives.
• Opportunity to shape HR practices and improve colleague experience.
• Development of leadership capability through mentoring and project ownership.

Expectations

We are a hybrid working company and the successful applicant will be expected to be physically present in the office at least 2 days per week to foster and contribute to a collaborative environment, but this may be subject to change in the future. While this is expected to be a full-time role, part-time or flexible working arrangements will be considered. Due to the global nature of the team, a degree of flexible working will be required to accommodate different time zones.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer. This means we are committed to recruiting the best people regardless of their race, colour, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. You can find out more about your rights under the law at www.eeoc.gov. If you are applying for a role and have a physical or mental disability, we will support you with your application or through the hiring process.