Assistant Employee Relations Manager

Royal Mencap Society; Peterborough; Hybrid; GBP 21,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

32 days holiday

Discounts at leading retailers

Health cash plans

Interest-free loans

Job summary

Mencap is seeking an experienced Assistant Employee Relations Manager to join the People team and deliver a high-quality Employee Relations service across the organisation.

The role combines expert ER guidance with coaching managers, handling sensitive cases and supporting ACAS/EET processes. A minimum of one day per week in the office is expected in this hybrid arrangement, with a strong emphasis on fairness and inclusion.

Qualifications

• CIPD Level 5 qualification or equivalent Employee Relations experience.
• Significant experience handling complex Employee Relations casework.
• Strong knowledge of employment law, ACAS guidance and Employment Tribunal processes.
• Experience supporting ACAS Early Conciliation and Employment Tribunal cases.
• Line management or supervisory experience within an HR or Employee Relations environment.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills.
• Ability to balance competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Sound judgement, resilience and a solution-focused approach.
• Commitment to fairness, inclusion and delivering a high-quality service.

Responsibilities

• Manage and oversee complex Employee Relations cases from start to finish (disciplinary, grievance, capability, attendance).
• Support reorganisations, change programmes and TUPE activities.
• Support Employment Tribunal claims, ACAS Early Conciliation, ET3 prep and evidence gathering.
• Identify organisational risk and provide pragmatic solutions.
• Line manage and develop colleagues within ER team.
• Contribute to policy development and continuous improvement.
• Analyze trends and data for learning opportunities and service improvements.

Skills

Employment law knowledge

ACAS guidance

ACAS/E Tribunal processes

Communication skills

Influencing skills

Analytical skills

Line management

Education

CIPD Level 5 qualification

Tools

Power BI

Workforce analytics

Job description

At Mencap, we're passionate about creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, supported and able to thrive. We're looking for an experienced Assistant Employee Relations Manager to join our People team and help us deliver a high-quality Employee Relations service that supports our colleagues across the organisation.

This is an exciting opportunity for an Employee Relations professional who enjoys solving complex people challenges, coaching others and helping managers navigate sensitive situations with confidence. Every case you support and every improvement you help implement ultimately contributes to our mission of improving the lives of people with a learning disability.

We believe that collaboration, connection and learning are at their best when people come together. As part of this role, you will be expected to spend a minimum of one day per week in the office. This hybrid approach combines the flexibility of remote working with the benefits of face-to-face interaction.

What you'll be doing

As Assistant Employee Relations Manager, you'll play a key role in providing expert Employee Relations guidance across a diverse range of matters. You'll support colleagues, helping them make fair, legally compliant and people-focused decisions.

You'll:

• Manage and oversee complex Employee Relations cases from start to finish including disciplinary, grievance, capability and attendance.
• Support organisational restructures, change programmes and TUPE-related activities where required.
• Support Employment Tribunal claims, including ACAS Early Conciliation, ET3 preparation and evidence gathering.
• Help identify organisational risk and provide pragmatic solutions.
• Line manage and develop colleagues within the Employee Relations team.
• Contribute to policy development and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Analyse trends and case data to identify learning opportunities and service improvements.

About you

We're looking for someone who combines strong employment law knowledge with a genuine passion for supporting people and developing others.

You'll bring:

• CIPD Level 5 qualification or equivalent Employee Relations experience.
• Significant experience handling complex Employee Relations casework.
• Strong knowledge of employment law, ACAS guidance and Employment Tribunal processes.
• Experience supporting ACAS Early Conciliation and Employment Tribunal cases.
• Previous line management or supervisory experience within an HR or Employee Relations environment.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills.
• The ability to balance competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Sound judgement, resilience and a solution-focused approach.
• A commitment to fairness, inclusion and delivering a high-quality service.

It would be great if you also have

• Experience within the charity, social care or not-for-profit sector.
• Experience working with trade unions and collective consultation processes.
• Experience producing Employee Relations reports and insights.
• Knowledge of Power BI, workforce analytics or advanced reporting tools.

At Mencap, our values shape everything we do. We are passionate, inclusive, brave, positive and kind, and we're looking for leaders who demonstrate those values every day.

You’ll join a supportive People team where you'll have the opportunity to influence positive change, develop your expertise and help create the best possible colleague experience.

If you're looking for a role where your Employee Relations expertise can make a meaningful impact and where you'll be supported to grow and develop, we'd love to hear from you.

Here at Mencap, we offer an impressive range of benefits designed to support and reward our employees to ensure that our teams feel valued and appreciated. Our benefits package offers 32 days of paid holiday (including bank holidays, pro rata), along with a range of perks such as discounts at leading high-street retailers, access to health cash plans, interest‑free loans, and many more exciting offerings. For more details on what we have to offer, please see the attached document outlining all the fantastic benefits available to you as a member of our team!

About Mencap

Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives. We're here to support people with a learning disability, their families and their carers. We fight for a kinder, fairer and more inclusive society for people with a learning disability to live in. At Mencap, everyone works with people with a learning disability either providing support or advice, or alongside one another as colleagues. Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere. Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation. Every day we grow and learn. It’s okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes. Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves.

We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long- term health condition, women, parents and carers, and their allies.

We want to encourage everyone to apply to work at Mencap and we offer a variety of different contract types and working patterns. We’re not looking for specific experience. It is your personality and values that will make you a great colleague. We will train and develop you to succeed in the role you’re applying for.

£24,785 per annum, pro-rata + excellent benefits