Senior Employee Relations Lead

Location: London & South East (Hybrid - 2-3 days on site) Contract: Fixed-term - 18 months Salary: £70,000 Sector: Higher Education

Your new company

You will be joining a large, complex Higher Education institution at a pivotal point in its people strategy. The organisation is undertaking a significant programme to strengthen performance management capability, improve accountability, and ensure long-term workforce sustainability within an academic environment. This is a well-resourced, senior level initiative with clear executive sponsorship and a strong emphasis on doing things properly, sensitively and fairly.

Your new role

As Senior Employee Relations & Workforce Change Lead, you will play a critical role in leading the people-related elements of this programme. The focus of the role is firmly on complex ER within a Higher Education setting, particularly supporting academic leaders.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and personally managing complex and sensitive ER cases involving academic staff, including performance and capability matters.
• Advising Heads of Department and senior academic leaders on difficult conversations.
• Providing expert guidance on academic statutes, consultation requirements, employment law and risk mitigation.
• Ensuring consistency, fairness and legal robustness across all ER activity.
• Working closely with executive stakeholders on workforce planning, people-related business cases and sustainability options.
• Building performance management confidence and capability across academic leadership groups.
• As the programme progresses, contributing to the design of longer-term workforce initiatives such as flexible retirement options, career breaks and other sustainable staffing models.

What you'll need to succeed

• Significant Employee Relations experience within Higher Education.
• Proven track record of handling complex academic performance and capability cases.
• Strong understanding of academic structures and unionised environments.
• Credibility and confidence to operate at senior leadership and executive level.
• A pragmatic, resilient approach with strong judgement and influencing skills.

What you'll get in return

• A high-impact, highly visible role within a major Higher Education organisation.
• Strong executive sponsorship and clear mandate.
• Opportunity to shape both immediate outcomes and long-term people capability.
• Hybrid working and a defined 18-month programme with clear objectives.
• The chance to make a meaningful and lasting difference in a complex academic environment.

If you are an experienced Higher Education ER specialist looking for a senior, impactful fixed-term opportunity, I would like to hear from you. Apply now or contact me to discuss the role confidentially.

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