Employee Relations Specialist

We are looking for an Employee Relations Specialist to join our client's team on a permanent, full-time basis.

You'll be responsible for fostering a positive working culture; spending your time coaching team leaders, solving complex ER cases, and making sure everyone feels treated fairly.

We're looking for someone who can balance the 'rule book' with a real, human touch to keep the workplace inclusive and trusting.

Details:

* Title: Employee Relations Specialist
* Salary: up to £45,000 DOE
* Location: Maidenhead
* Contract: Permanent, full-time (hybrid working with multi site locations across the South)

Key Responsibilities:

* Lead the management of complex ER cases (grievance, disciplinary, and performance), ensuring every outcome is empathetic, legally sound, and consistent with company values.
* Act as a key stakeholder in business transformation projects, including restructuring, redundancies, and TUPE transfers.
* Manage the interface with legal counsel regarding Employment Tribunal claims, early conciliation via ACAS, and Data Subject Access Requests.
* Oversee long-term absence cases, collaborating with Occupational Health to design effective return-to-work strategies and reasonable adjustments.
* Design and deliver training interventions and toolkits that empower managers to resolve low-level conflict and performance issues independently.
* Build deep-rooted relationships across the business to identify cultural "red flags" and intervene before issues escalate.
* Evaluate ER scenarios through a commercial lens, providing leadership with clear risk-versus-cost options to inform decision-making.
* Ensure all HR activities remain aligned with the latest UK employment legislation and internal DE&I benchmarks.
* Audit and refine ER workflows to enhance efficiency through automation and standardised documentation.
* Monitor ER metrics to identify recurring themes, using data to drive proactive policy changes and culture-first initiatives.

What we are looking for:

* Extensive experience navigating high-volume or complex ER environments, ideally within a multi-site or fast-paced industrial sector.
* A deep, practical understanding of current UK Employment Law and its application in commercial settings.
* Hands-on experience with organisational design or business transfers.
* The ability to challenge senior stakeholders constructively and provide credible, expert advice.
* A talent for interpreting complex data and legal nuances to find pragmatic solutions.
* Exceptional emotional intelligence with the ability to handle sensitive information with total discretion.
* Comfortable operating in ambiguity and managing high-pressure situations with a solution-oriented mindset.

Qualifications & Requirements:

* CIPD Level 5 or equivalent professional experience.
* A valid UK driving license and the flexibility to travel to various sites, including occasional overnight stays.

If this role sounds of interest and/or you would like to discuss in more detail, please attach your CV to apply!

Huntress Search Ltd acts as a Recruitment Agency in relation to all Permanent roles and as a Recruitment Business in relation to all Temporary roles.

We practice a diverse and inclusive recruitment process that ensures equal opportunity for all we work with, irrespective of race, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, age or gender. As an organisation, we encourage applications from all backgrounds and will ensure measures are met when required, to allow a fair process throughout.

PLEASE NOTE: We can only consider applications from candidates who have the right to work in the UK.