Employee Relations Lead

Lorien; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Lorien is recruiting on behalf of an insurance client for an Employee Relations Lead on a 6-month contract (Inside IR35). The role is hybrid in the Greater London area, offering oversight of ER specialists and close collaboration with HR and Legal teams.

The successful candidate will oversee complex ER matters, ensure legal and policy compliance, and influence senior leaders while driving proactive ER strategies across the business.

Qualifications

• Significant employee relations experience within a large, complex organisation.
• Experience leading, managing and developing Employee Relations professionals.
• Strong working knowledge of UK employment law and Employment Tribunal processes.
• Experience handling high-risk, sensitive ER issues including investigations and restructures.
• Knowledge of GDPR, SMCR and conduct rules is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide ongoing guidance and quality assurance to Employee Relations Specialists and Advisers.
• Act as the primary ER partner for designated business segments and stakeholders.
• Lead or support complex investigations and ER matters including disciplinary and grievance issues.
• Partner with business leaders and HR teams to identify ER risks and develop proactive solutions.
• Collaborate with Legal, Compliance and other functions to manage regulatory risk.
• Escalate regulatory matters and assist with Employment Tribunal strategy.
• Prepare documentation for ET claims, settlements, and regulatory investigations.
• Contribute to wider HR projects and strategic HR initiatives.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Policy interpretation

Investigations leadership

UK employment law

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related

Job description

We are currently recruiting for a Employee Relations Lead to join one of our insurance clients on a 6-month contract

Inside IR35

Hybrid

• Provide ongoing guidance, lead and have oversight and quality assurance to Employee Relations Specialists and Advisers to ensure effective, consistent and legally compliant outcomes are delivered in accordance with company policies and procedures.
• Act as the primary Employee Relations partner for designated business segment(s), building strong relationships with business leaders, HR Business Partners and Talent Advisors.
• Lead or support complex investigations and employee relations matters, including disciplinary, grievance, capability, performance management, absence management, whistleblowing, harassment, discrimination, conduct rule breaches and other sensitive workplace issues.
• Partner with business leaders and HR teams to identify, assess and mitigate employee relations risks and develop proactive solutions to address emerging issues.
• Collaborate with Legal, Compliance and other specialist functions to ensure appropriate management of legal, regulatory and reputational risk.
• Act as the point of escalation for regulatory matters, including Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR) and conduct rule investigations where applicable.
• Prepare documentation and support strategy development relating to Employment Tribunal claims, settlement discussions and regulatory investigations, working closely with the Head of Employee Relations and Legal teams.
• Contribute to wider HR projects, business initiatives and strategic priorities as required.

Experience

• Significant employee relations experience gained within a large, complex and matrixed organisation, with proven success managing a broad range of employee relations matters.
• Demonstrated experience leading, managing and developing Employee Relations professionals, including performance management, coaching and capability development.
• Strong working knowledge of UK employment law, employee relations best practice and Employment Tribunal processes.
• Experience managing high-risk, sensitive and complex employee relations issues, including investigations, grievances, disciplinary matters and organisational change.
• Experience supporting restructures, collective consultation exercises, redundancies, business transfers and changes to terms and conditions.
• Strong understanding of compliance and regulatory frameworks relevant to HR, including GDPR, SMCR and Conduct Rules.
• Proven ability to influence and build credibility with senior leaders and stakeholders at all levels of the organisation.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret employee relations data, identify trends and make evidence-based recommendations.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Human Resources, Business or a related discipline preferred.