Employee Relations Advisor

pladis Global; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare perks

Job summary

pladis Global is seeking an Employee Relations Advisor to shape fair people practices across the UK workforce. In a hybrid HR Operations team, you’ll partner with managers and senior stakeholders to navigate complex ER matters, lead investigations and ensure compliant outcomes.

You’ll develop expertise in UK employment law, coach managers, and influence across multiple sites including manufacturing and corporate functions. Remote-first with flexible arrangements across the UK.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing complex employee relations cases, including disciplinary, grievance and performance matters.
• Experience supporting or conducting workplace investigations, hearings and appeals.
• Strong working knowledge of UK employment law and its practical application in a commercial environment.
• Excellent stakeholder management with ability to challenge, influence and coach managers at all levels.
• Confidence handling sensitive and high-risk cases with professionalism and sound judgement.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication, able to explain complex issues clearly.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to prioritise multiple cases in a fast-paced setting.
• A genuine passion for employee relations and improving colleague experience.
• Experience FMCG, manufacturing or unionised environment.
• Exposure to complex organisational change programmes, collective consultations or trade union engagement.
• Experience coaching managers through investigations, disciplinary hearings and grievance processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead and advise on a diverse range of complex employee relations matters, ensuring fair and balanced outcomes.
• Conduct and support investigations into disciplinary, grievance, dignity at work, conduct, and workplace concerns.
• Coach and develop managers to confidently handle people matters and make sound employment decisions.
• Build capability across the business through expert guidance and practical employment law advice.
• Help create a positive employee experience while protecting business interests and minimising risk.
• Drive consistency, compliance and best practice across our UK operations.
• Provide expert advice across the full spectrum of ER matters, including disciplinary, grievance, capability, performance, attendance, conduct and organisational change.
• Support and, where appropriate, lead complex investigations, ensuring thorough fact-finding and legally compliant outcomes.
• Partner with managers and HR teams to navigate sensitive and high-risk cases from initial concern through to resolution.
• Prepare managers for investigations, hearings and appeal meetings, providing coaching and guidance.
• Develop relationships with stakeholders across manufacturing and corporate functions, becoming a trusted advisor on ER matters.
• Act as escalation point for complex employee relations cases.
• Support performance management activities, including performance reviews and PIPs.
• Work with Trade Union reps and employee forums to build constructive relationships.
• Ensure accurate case management and reporting via ER systems.
• Stay updated on employment legislation and translate into practical business solutions.
• Occasional travel across the UK for significant investigations, hearings or complex cases.

Skills

ER case management

Investigations

UK employment law

Stakeholder management

Coaching managers

Communication

Organisational change

Trade union engagement

Analytical thinking

Tools

ER systems

Job description

Join a highly respected and dynamic Employee Relations team at the heart of one of the UK's leading FMCG businesses.

As an Employee Relations Advisor, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping fair and consistent people practices across a diverse and complex UK workforce. Working within our fast-paced HR Operations team, you'll partner with managers, HR colleagues, and senior stakeholders to navigate challenging people issues, lead high-profile investigations, and ensure our approach to employee relations is both commercially focused and legally compliant.

This is an opportunity to develop deep expertise in employment law while working on a varied portfolio of cases spanning disciplinary, grievance, performance, capability, absence, conduct, and workplace culture matters.

Our Employee Relations team supports over 7 manufacturing sites and 3 corporate locations across the UK, providing exposure to both unionised and non-unionised environments. No two days are the same, and you'll have the opportunity to influence outcomes that genuinely impact both our people and our business.

The HR team is based in Liverpool, operating on a hybrid model. However, as a remote-first team, we are open to considering alternative working arrangements depending on location.

What Will This Role Achieve?

As a trusted ER specialist, you will:

Lead and advise on a diverse range of complex employee relations matters, ensuring fair and balanced outcomes.

Conduct and support investigations into disciplinary, grievance, dignity at work, conduct, and workplace concerns.

Coach and develop managers to confidently handle people matters and make sound employment decisions.

Build capability across the business through expert guidance and practical employment law advice.

Help create a positive employee experience while protecting business interests and minimising risk.

Drive consistency, compliance and best practice across our UK operations.

What Will Be Your Key Deliverables?

Provide expert advice across the full spectrum of employee relations matters, including disciplinary, grievance, capability, performance, attendance, conduct and organisational change.

Support and, where appropriate, lead complex investigations, ensuring thorough fact-finding, balanced decision-making and legally compliant outcomes.

Partner with managers and HR teams to navigate sensitive and high-risk cases from initial concern through to resolution.

Prepare managers for investigations, hearings and appeal meetings, providing coaching and practical guidance throughout.

Develop strong relationships with stakeholders across manufacturing and corporate functions, becoming a trusted advisor on ER matters.

Act as a subject matter expert and escalation point for complex employee relations cases.

Support performance management activities, including performance reviews, capability processes and Performance Improvement Plans.

Work collaboratively with Trade Union representatives and employee forums to build constructive working relationships.

Ensure accurate case management and reporting through effective use of ER systems and data.

Keep up to date with changes in employment legislation and emerging ER trends, translating these into practical business solutions.

Support site-based activity when required, travelling occasionally across the UK for significant investigations, hearings or complex cases.

Bring Your Experience

• Proven experience managing complex employee relations cases, including disciplinary, grievance, capability and performance matters.
• Experience supporting or conducting workplace investigations, hearings and appeals.
• Strong working knowledge of UK employment law and its practical application within a commercial environment.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to challenge, influence and coach managers at all levels.
• Confidence handling sensitive and high-risk cases with professionalism, objectivity and sound judgement.
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to explain complex issues clearly.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise multiple competing cases in a fast-paced environment.
• A genuine passion for employee relations and a desire to make a meaningful difference to colleagues and business outcomes.
• A continuous improvement mindset with a commitment to personal and professional development.
• Experience within FMCG, manufacturing or a unionised environment.
• Exposure to complex organisational change programmes, collective consultations or trade union engagement.
• Experience of coaching managers through investigations, disciplinary hearings and grievance processes.

Why You’ll Love This Role

• Exposure to a broad range of complex and interesting ER cases.
• The opportunity to develop specialist employment law expertise.
• Significant autonomy and ownership of your caseload.
• Collaboration with experienced ER professionals in a supportive team environment.
• The ability to make a real impact on employee experience, organisational culture and business performance.
• Flexible and remote-first working, with opportunities to connect with colleagues and sites across the UK.