Employee Relations Manager

Main area Division Corporate - HR Grade Band 7 Contract Secondment: 12 months Hours

• Full time
• Part time
• Flexible working

37.5 hours per week (Full Time or Part Time / Flexible working hours may be considered) Job ref 180-F-CVA960

Employer Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Addenbrookes Hospital-Division Corporate Town Cambridge Salary £49,387 - £56,515 p.a. pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 02/07/:59 Interview date 08/07/2026

Job overview

Are you looking to further your employee relations career in a fast paced, patient and staff focused team? If you have a proven track record in supporting managers and staff in a broad range of casework such as absence and performance management, conduct investigations and grievances and want to broaden your experience, we may have the right role for you . We are looking for people with a keen interest in employee relations, good communication skills both verbal and written and with desirable experience in a unionised environment. In return there are opportunities to learn and grow in our dedicated, friendly, professional team.

Main duties of the job

To work in partnership with senior managers to provide specialist, comprehensive, high quality advice and guidance on operational HR issues in line with the latest employment law, Trust policy and good practice. To undertake project work and deliver bespoke and corporate training programmes.

Working for our organisation

Our Trust

Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people - patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing 'outstanding' care to our patients and rated 'Good' overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH's values - Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent - are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.

CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people's age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

Please note:- Internal applicants on permanent contracts can apply for this post as a secondment or fixed term contract. For secondments you must have the approval of your line manager before applying. If you are an internal applicant currently on a fixed term contract you are able to apply for this as a fixed term position.

This vacancy will close at midnight on 2nd July 2026.

Interviews are due to be held on 8th July 2026.

Benefits to you

At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only café, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.

Person specification Qualifications

• CIPD qualified or equivalent proven HR skills and experience
• Evidence of further professional/personal development

Experience

• Specialist experience of dealing with complex employee relations cases (e.g. change management/ grievance/ disciplinary etc)
• Experience of staff management, performance management and development
• Experience of training design and delivery
• Experience of workforce information systems
• Experience of working in Human Resources in a healthcare setting or other public service
• Experience of working in a unionised environment
• Experience of organisational change, workforce planning and redesign, pay and reward
• Experience of TUPE
• Experience of undertaking Agenda for Change grading reviews/ job evaluation
• Experience of coaching

Knowledge

• Understanding of confidentiality and data protection
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages
• A thorough understanding of employee relations issues
• A strong working knowledge of employment legislation
• Knowledge of the Trust including awareness of priorities
• Knowledge of NHS terms and conditions
• Knowledge of the Trust's HR policies and procedures
• Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages

Skills

• Ability to organise and manage own time, keeping to schedule and deadlines
• Ability to work well under pressure and to tight timescales
• Political awareness and sensitivity
• Ability to work well as part of a team as well as the ability to use own initiative and work autonomously
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including telephone, email, face to face; able to draft well written and reasoned cases, investigation and appeal reports
• Ability to demonstrate strong leadership skills
• Flexible and adaptable
• Ability to negotiate and influence at all levels
• Able to work in a multi-disciplinary team
• Ability to deliver bespoke management training
• Able to evaluate situations, solve problems and assimilate information quickly
• Responsive and outcome driven
• Able to deal with emotionally difficult and challenging situations
• Able to identify, interpret and analyse Workforce reports, financial reports, complex legal decisions and case law
• Ability to present data and produce reports utilising advanced functionality within Excel
• Strategic awareness; ability to align Workforce activities with the wider Trust and Divisional objectives
• Project management
• Proven coaching, facilitation and mediation skills

Additional Requirements

• The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent.

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