Senior ER Manager

Senior Employee Relations Manager

Cambridgeshire Hybrid & Flexible £75,000-£80,000 Permanent

We are looking for an experienced Senior Employee Relations Manager to join a large and complex organisation where Employee Relations plays a key role in supporting leaders, managing organisational risk and creating a positive employee environment.

This is a high-profile, strategic role for an ER professional who is comfortable operating with senior stakeholders, leading an established team and navigating a complex trade union landscape.

You'll have the opportunity to influence how ER is delivered across the organisation, whilst remaining close enough to the detail to provide expert input on significant and sensitive cases.

What you'll be doing

You'll take ownership of the organisation's ER agenda, providing leadership, direction and expert advice across a broad range of employee relations activity.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading and developing a team of experienced ER professionals.
• Acting as a senior point of escalation for complex and sensitive employee matters.
• Partnering with senior leaders to provide pragmatic advice and support around people risk.
• Providing oversight of significant disciplinary, grievance, capability and other formal ER processes.
• Developing a consistent and effective approach to ER governance, quality and case management.
• Building trusted relationships with recognised trade unions and employee representatives.
• Supporting and leading discussions around consultation, organisational change, agreements and collective issues.
• Helping the organisation take a more proactive approach to attendance, sickness and capability management.
• Using people data and ER insight to identify recurring issues and inform improvements.
• Working closely with legal colleagues where matters carry increased employment-law or organisational risk.
• Equipping managers with the confidence and skills to deal with ER matters effectively.

What we're looking for

This role will suit someone who combines strong technical ER expertise with credible senior-level leadership experience.

You'll ideally bring:

• Significant experience in a senior Employee Relations role, ideally within a large and complex organisation.
• Proven experience leading, coaching and developing an ER team.
• A strong track record of handling complex and sensitive employee relations matters.
• Extensive experience working with recognised trade unions, including consultation, negotiation and dispute resolution.
• Confidence advising senior leaders and influencing decisions where there may be significant people, legal or reputational considerations.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and ER best practice.
• Experience of attendance, sickness and capability-related matters.
• A commercially pragmatic approach, balancing employee experience with organisational requirements.
• Strong judgement, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• The resilience to operate effectively in challenging and sometimes contentious situations.

Why consider this opportunity?

This is not simply a casework management position. It is an opportunity to shape the ER approach of a sizeable organisation, influence senior stakeholders and develop a strong, capable ER function.

You'll be joining an organisation where there is scope to improve processes, strengthen management capability and build constructive relationships with key employee representative groups.

If you are an experienced ER leader who enjoys working in a complex, unionised environment and wants a role combining strategic influence with genuine operational impact, we'd be keen to hear from you.