Deputy Head of Employee Relations

AXA UK; Bolton; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance company is seeking a Deputy Head of Employee Relations to lead a data-driven ER function in Bolton. The ideal candidate will transform ER into a strategic partner, managing complex cases and driving policy development. Applicants should have a strong background in employment law and stakeholder management. This role offers a competitive salary and a flexible work environment including hybrid options.

Benefits

Competitive annual salary

Annual performance-based bonus

Contributory pension scheme

Life Assurance

Private health cover

28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays

Opportunity to buy/sell extra leave

Wellbeing services

Qualifications

• Robust Employee Relations experience, including management of complex cases.
• Experience in leading litigation management and working with external counsel.
• Ability to transform ER into a strategic partner.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of analytics and dashboards for ER trends.
• Own the conduct case life ensuring quality and alignment.
• Manage high-risk cases and ensure governance over conduct cases.

Skills

Expert knowledge of current employment law

Stakeholder management

Data-driven decision making

Governance mindset

Strong communication skills

Education

CIPD qualification (or equivalent) at relevant level

Job description

We’ve an exciting opportunity to join our People team at AXA UK as a Deputy Head of Employee Relations. You’ll lead a data-driven Employee Relations (ER) function, transforming ER into a strategic partner for the business. You’ll own the conduct case process end-to-end, ensuring high-quality, timely outcomes aligned with business goals and legal risk. You’ll also deputise for the Head of Employee Relations when required, providing senior leadership, representing ER in cross-functional forums, and driving strategy, policy development and continuous improvement across AXA UK.

At AXA we work smart, empowering our people to balance their time between home and the office in a way that works best for them, their team and our customers. You\u2019ll work at least two days a week (40%) away from home, moving to three days a week (60%) in the future. Away from home means either attendance at one of our office locations, visiting clients or attending industry events. We\u2019re also happy to consider flexible working arrangements, which you can discuss with Talent Acquisition.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead the design and delivery of management information (MI), analytics and dashboards to identify ER trends, hotspots and risk, partnering with People Analytics/BI to build predictive insights that inform workforce planning, risk management and strategic decision-making.
• Own the end-to-end conduct case life ensuring consistency, quality, timeliness and alignment with business needs and legal requirements, contribute to the annual ER operating plan, budget and resource planning.
• Manage complex or high-risk cases, including escalation to Group Legal, external counsel, ACAS, and regulatory bodies as appropriate, establishing and maintaining governance over conduct cases.
• Deputise for the Head of Employee Relations, represent ER at senior leadership forums, steering committees and business reviews in setting ER strategy, priorities, budgets and risk controls (step in to lead ER initiatives as required).
• Review, design and implement ER strategy, policies, procedures and practices, lead policy education and rollout through coaching, training and change management activities.
• Lead, motivate and develop the ER team by setting objectives, managing performance, and build capability through coaching and targeted learning interventions.
• Stakeholder management with Legal, Compliance, Business Leaders, HRBPs, and Group ER to ensure a coordinated approach to ER issues, sharing best practices and aligning on risk posture.
• Coordinate with TUPE, organisational design, restructures, and harmonisation initiatives as part of HR transformation programs.

Due to the number of applications we expect to receive for this role, we reserve the right to close this advert earlier than the listed closing date to ensure we’re able to effectively manage interest. Therefore, if you’re interested in joining us at AXA, please don’t hesitate to apply.

We know that some candidates may be discouraged from applying if they don\u2019t meet every requirement. If you’re excited by this job and the prospect of working at AXA but you’re not sure you tick every box, we’d still encourage you to apply.

What you’ll bring

• Expert knowledge of current employment law and robust ER experience, including management of complex or high-risk conduct cases.
• Experience in leading litigation management or working with external counsel and regulatory bodies as needed.
• Demonstrated ability to use data and MI to drive outcomes, influence leadership, and transform ER from a traditional advisory function into a strategic partner.
• Experience leading teams, coaching managers and professionals, and developing capability across an HR/ER function.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, able to operate effectively in senior, cross-functional environments.
• Strong written and verbal communication, with the ability to explain complex issues clearly and sensitively.
• Governance mindset, with attention to policy, process, risk and compliance, experience in TUPE, restructures, organisational design and harmonisation is desirable.
• CIPD qualification (or equivalent) at relevant level.

As a precondition of employment for this role, you must be eligible and authorised to work in the United Kingdom.

What we offer

At AXA UK, we’re appreciative of the people who work for us and our rewards package is reviewed regularly to reflect that. You can expect to receive:

• Competitive annual salary dependent on experience
• Annual company & performance-based bonus
• Contributory pension scheme (up to 12% employer contributions)
• Life Assurance (up to 10 x annual salary)
• Private health cover
• 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Opportunity to buy up to 5 extra days leave or sell up to 5 days leave
• Wellbeing services & resources
• AXA employee discounts

To apply, click on the ‘apply for this job’ button, you\u2019ll then need to log in or create a profile to submit your CV. We\u2019re proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer and don’t discriminate against employees or potential employees based on protected characteristics. If you have a long-term condition or disability and require adjustments during the application or interview process, we\u2019re proud to offer access to the AXA Accessibility Concierge. For our support, please send an email to [e-mail].

#LI-Hybrid #LI-DNP

About the entity

AXA UK Support Functions power AXA’s three customer-facing business units, providing the infrastructure, support and expertise to ensure our customers can always count on us. Whether you’ve got heaps of experience and qualifications behind you, or you’re just starting out, we’ll give you the support and opportunities to help you grow and develop with confidence.