Employee Relations Lead

Merlin Entertainments; Basingstoke; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading entertainment company in Basingstoke is seeking an experienced Employee Relations Lead. This role involves managing complex employee relation matters, providing guidance to managers, and developing training resources to ensure consistency in practices. The ideal candidate has a solid background in HR, especially in managing ER cases, and will enjoy a competitive benefits package including a pension, discretionary bonuses, and various discounts.

Benefits

Pension

Life Assurance

Discretionary company bonus

33 days' holiday

Merlin Magic Pass

Retail and restaurant discounts

Qualifications

• Proven experience in an Employee Relations or Senior Employee Relations role.
• Experience managing a high volume of complex ER cases.
• Experience writing policies and developing training materials.

Responsibilities

• Partner with senior leaders to resolve ER matters.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to people managers.
• Develop training resources to drive ER practices.

Skills

Complex ER case management

Consulting with managers

Policy writing

Training development

HR systems usage

Education

CIPD qualification at Level 5

Tools

ServiceNow

Job description

What you'll bring to the team:

We're looking for an experienced and proactive Employee Relations (ER) Lead to join our UK Hub team in Basingstoke. Reporting to the Employee Relations Senior Manager, you'll be the first point of contact for complex ER matters, providing expert guidance and ensuring consistency across the entire organisation.

You'll collaborate with ER Executives, the ER Senior Manager, UK Hub colleagues/teams, People Business Partners, Centre of Excellence colleagues, and Line Managers to lead the end-to-end management of a portfolio of complex and high-risk ER matters.

Serving as a trusted advisor to people managers at all levels, you'll own your craft in building people leader capability through proactive coaching, tailored advice, and facilitation of ER-related training and workshops.

Reporting to the People Operations Senior Manager, you'll play a crucial role in managing day-to-day operations, ensuring excellent service delivery, and driving continuous improvement across HR support services.

What you'll do

1. Partner with senior leaders and HR Business Partners to navigate and resolve complex or sensitive ER matters, ensuring consistent application of policy and best practice.
2. Serve as a trusted advisor to people managers at all levels, delivering expert guidance across a broad spectrum of ER matters.
3. Lead manager support through formal processes, advising on procedural compliance, documentation standards, and outcome management.
4. Develop and implement scalable training resources and toolkits to drive consistent and confident ER practices across the organisation.
5. Participate in internal case reviews and continuous improvement activities, using insights to influence policy evolution, risk mitigation strategies, and process enhancements.
6. Contribute to the review, development, and implementation of ER policies, procedures, and toolkits that are user-friendly, legally compliant, and aligned with Merlin's values.
7. Proven experience in an Employee Relations or Senior Employee Relations role, preferably in a shared service or matrix environment.
8. Demonstrable experience managing a high volume of complex ER cases, including ACAS conciliation and tribunal preparation.
9. Experience of writing policies, developing training materials, and delivering manager upskilling is essential.
10. Experience using HR systems and case management tools (e.g., ServiceNow) is desirable. CIPD qualification at Level 5 is advantageous.
11. Union experience would be advantageous.

Benefits

We're growing fast and offer a fun, friendly environment with a fabulous package and amazing prospects. Benefits include Pension, Life Assurance, discretionary company bonus, 33 days' holiday including bank holidays, Merlin Magic Pass for free attraction visits, Enjoy the Ride pass for unlimited regional attraction entry, retail and restaurant discounts, and more.

Pay Range: Competitive