Employee Relations Lead

Atomic Weapons Establishment; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 61,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

9-day fortnight

270 hours annual leave

Pension scheme (9%–13%)

Family-friendly policies

Professional development funding

Employee Assistance Programme

Life Assurance 4x salary

Discounts

Special Leave policy

Hybrid working (3 days onsite)

Job summary

Atomic Weapons Establishment in Reading seeks an Employee Relations Lead to head a HR ER team, delivering compliant ER services aligned with SLAs and the people plan.

You will coach a diverse group, manage personal caseloads and projects, ensure policy consistency, and drive performance improvements across the ER function.

Qualifications

• Chartered CIPD member or equivalent with ER expertise.
• Experience leading HR teams, service delivery, and change in a business-facing HR environment.
• Experience with tribunals, mediation, and trade union consultation.
• Ability to manage SLAs and KPIs and deliver HR projects.
• Data-informed decision-making with strong analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee delivery of a high-quality HR service aligned with people plan and SLAs.
• Lead and coach an ER team; manage workload and priorities.
• Provide expert ER analysis and reporting on HR data.
• Collaborate with Heads of HR CoEs to meet business needs.

Skills

ER experience

Stakeholder management

Mediation

Coaching

MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

ER metrics reporting

Commercial mindset

Communication

Education

Chartered CIPD member

Tools

Co-Pilot

Job description

AWE is currently recruiting for an Employee Relations Lead to lead and develop a team of HR professionals to deliver high quality HR/ER services to the business, ensuring the supply of services is meeting business demands.

Location: Reading, with free onsite parking.

Package: From £61,040 to £85,000 (depending on your suitability, qualifications, and level of experience)

Working pattern: AWE operates a 9-day working fortnight. We will consider flexible working requests so that your work may fit in with your lifestyle. Just let us know your preferred working pattern on your application.

Ready to play your part? At AWE it's not just a job, it's far more than that. Our shared purpose is to help keep the nation safe.

Could this role be the opportunity for you to play your part?

As the Employee Relations Lead, you will oversee the delivery of a high-quality, legally compliant HR service aligned with the company’s people plan and SLAs, while leading and managing a personal caseload and/or related projects.

You will coach and develop an experienced and diverse team, setting clear direction and ensuring they have the skills and resources to deliver results now and in the future.

• Ensuring consistent application of HR policies and practices, aligning with legal requirements and best practice, managing risk appropriately and driving continuous improvement and change.
• Embedding a service led approach to manage business demand, coordinate resources, and collaborate with Heads of HR CoEs to ensure services meet business needs.
• Providing expert analysis and reporting on HR data, supporting employee communications, and maintaining strong external relationships to ensure compliance and alignment with industry standards.
• Promoting a culture of safety, quality, and collaboration, maintaining high personal and professional standards.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for a candidate with strong experience in employee relations (ER) within a large organisation. You will be able to manage your own workload and priorities effectively, while demonstrating excellent facilitation, mediation, and stakeholder management skills.

The ideal individual will be a confident communicator with strong presentation abilities and expert coaching skills that inspire trust and collaboration.

Proficiency in HR information systems and intermediate-level MS Office skills, particularly Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Co-Pilot.

The candidate should be fluent in developing and interpreting ER metrics and reporting, with strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

A commercial mindset and business acumen are key, along with the ability to design and deliver impactful ER solutions at pace, with measurable return on investment.

Requirements

• Chartered Member of the CIPD or equivalent
• Experience leading HR teams and initiatives, including service delivery, change management, and process improvement within a business-facing HR environment.
• Background in employment tribunals, mediation, and trade union consultation, with a solid understanding of employment law and third-party management.
• Managing teams to SLAs and KPIs, delivering HR projects, and driving results in complex, demand-led environments.
• Skilled in identifying strategic HR issues, developing solutions, and using data to inform decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Working within and leading initiatives, including the development and implementation of SLAs and KPIs.
• Active in-house mediator/mediation skills.
• Ability to work calmly and constructively in a priority changing environment and be able to manage your own workload.
• Initiative, enthusiasm, a flexible approach, and ability to work to tight deadlines.

Benefits

• 9-day working fortnight - meaning you get every other Friday off work, in addition to 270 hours of annual leave.
• Market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your contributions).
• Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay.
• Opportunities for Professional Career Development including funding for annual membership of a relevant professional body.
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.
• Life Assurance (4 x annual salary).
• Discounts - access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending.
• Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring.

Hybrid working is available for this role on an informal, non-contractual basis. Typically 3 days onsite per week.

Inclusion and Equality

We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. We're committed to celebrating differences and creating workplaces where people feel able to be themselves at work.

Any inclusion information you provide will be stored in accordance with GDPR and kept separate from your application form and CV, and the information will not be shared with anyone involved in interviewing or making hiring decisions.

Security Clearance

You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE.

The nature of our work does mean you need to be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.

Please note that you must be a British Citizen to apply for a role with us.

We want you to feel comfortable and able to shine during our recruitment process.

Our interviews typically take place over Teams and for most roles are a 1 stage process.

Programme

We are at the start of a once in a generation, possibly two generations, programme to design and produce a replacement warhead for the UK's continuous at sea deterrent. We will do this while continuing to deliver the Trident programme as well as managing ambitious state-of-the-art capital and construction projects - some of which have never been done before.

Service Leavers, Veterans and Reservists

We are an Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award Employer.