Employee Relations Business Partner

Arriva UK Bus Ltd; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Arriva UK Bus Ltd is seeking an Employee Relations Partner to shape ER across UK depots, providing expert guidance on complex matters and reducing risk.

You will work with leaders, HR colleagues and Trade Union representatives to promote proactive case management, data-driven insights, and effective change management across the business.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in an Employee Relations role.
• Proven experience working in a unionised environment.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and its application.
• Excellent coaching and stakeholder management skills.
• Commercially focused with sound judgement.

Responsibilities

• Lead investigations into complex and high-risk ER cases with fair outcomes and minimal business risk.
• Advise on disciplinaries, grievances, absence management and performance issues.
• Support and coach HR and management teams through ER challenges.
• Analyse ER data, identify trends, and provide management insights.
• Develop policies and guidance in response to ER trends.
• Embed proactive case management frameworks with risk-based resolution.
• Drive improvements to ER case files and data management.

Job description

Are you an experienced Employee Relations professional looking to make a real impact in a complex and fast-paced environment?

We're looking for an Employee Relations Partner to play a pivotal role in shaping positive employee relations across our UK depots. This is an exciting opportunity to provide expert guidance on complex ER matters, influence key stakeholders, and drive proactive solutions that support both our people and business objectives.

Working closely with leaders, HR colleagues, and Trade Union representatives, you'll help create a culture where employee relations issues are effectively managed, risks are mitigated, and managers are empowered to make informed decisions.

As an Employee Relations Partner, you will:

• Lead investigations into complex and high-risk employee relations cases, ensuring fair and consistent outcomes while minimising business risk.
• Provide expert advice and guidance on a range of ER matters including disciplinaries, grievances, absence management, and performance issues.
• Support and coach HR and management teams on complex employee relations challenges.
• Analyse employee relations data, identify trends, and provide meaningful management information and insights.
• Develop and implement strategies, policies, manager guidance, and initiatives in response to emerging ER trends.
• Introduce and embed proactive case management frameworks, taking a risk-based approach to case resolution.
• Drive process improvements for managing ER case files and data, helping to reduce case volumes and improve efficiency.
• Build strong working relationships with operational leaders, HR colleagues, and Trade Union representatives to foster positive employee relations.
• Support organisational change programmes and wider people initiatives across the business.
• Promote manager ownership and accountability for employee relations issues.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of employment law and HR best practice to ensure compliance and minimise risk.

To be successful in this role, you'll bring:

• Significant experience in an Employee Relations role, handling complex and sensitive ER cases.
• Proven experience working in a unionised environment and building effective relationships with Trade Union representatives.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment legislation and its practical application.
• Excellent coaching, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
• A commercially focused approach with sound judgement and the confidence to make balanced decisions.
• The ability to share knowledge, challenge constructively, and drive best practice.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Analytical capability with experience producing ER metrics, trend analysis, and management reporting.
• Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office applications and HR systems.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to take a strategic and influential role within employee relations, helping to shape how ER is managed across the business. You'll work with a wide range of stakeholders, contribute to meaningful change initiatives, and play a key role in creating a positive employee experience.

If you're passionate about employee relations and thrive on solving complex people challenges, we'd love to hear from you.