Employee Relations Manager

Biffa; High Wycombe; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading waste management company in the UK is seeking an experienced People Advice Manager to provide expert guidance on complex employee relations matters. This role involves acting as the first point of escalation for high-risk cases, overseeing the People Advice team, and ensuring compliance with UK employment law. Ideal candidates will have significant ER experience in fast-paced environments and strong coaching skills. This is an influential position that allows for impactful contributions to employee experiences.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in employee relations within a complex business.
• Experience in a central ER advisory service.
• Confident advising senior managers and leaders.

Responsibilities

• Act as the first point of escalation for complex ER cases.
• Provide strategic advice to senior leaders on sensitive cases.
• Oversee the People Advice phone line and business change requests.

Skills

Employee relations experience

Knowledge of UK employment law

Coaching and mentoring

Stakeholder management

Decision making

Commercial awareness

Education

CIPD Level 5

Job description

We are looking for an experienced People Advice Manager to play a crucial role in delivering a high-quality, consistent, and proactive People advisory service across our diverse business.

Reporting to the Head of People Advice, you will act as the first point of escalation for complex employee relations (ER) and business change matters, providing expert guidance, coaching, and oversight to the People Advice team. You will also manage your own portfolio of senior and complex cases, including those involving Senior Managers, Leaders, and Group Business Functions.

As deputy to the Head of People Advice, you will lead the team in their absence and ensure continuity of service, while helping to drive continuous improvement, capability building, and best practice across the function.

This is a great opportunity to step into a senior, influential ER role where you can help shape service delivery, support leaders, and make a real impact on employee experience.

Some of your key responsibilities:

• First point of escalation for complex ER cases (disciplinary, grievance, absence, capability, whistleblowing)
• Provide strategic employee relations advice to senior leaders on high-risk and sensitive cases
• Oversee the People Advice phone line, inbox, and business change requests
• Help coach and mentor People Advisors and support their continuous development
• Manage the governance for our People policies and ensure they comply with UK employment law
• Analyse ER data to identify trends, risks, and suggest proactive interventions
• Help design and deliver ER training for managers

What you'll need to be successful:

• Significant ER experience in a complex, fast-paced business
• Experience working in a central ER Advisory service
• Strong practical knowledge of UK employment law
• Confident advising senior managers and leaders
• Experienced in settlement agreements and tribunal preparation
• Experienced in business change including TUPE and redundancy
• Strong coach, communicator, and stakeholder manager
• Proactive in approach and able to make decisions
• Commercially minded
• CIPD Level 5 desirable
• Experience in an operational and unionised environment

Biffa - we're changing the way people think about waste

At Biffa, we love working with waste. Whether we're turning it into sustainable power, finding new ways to recycle it or simply keeping it off the streets, we believe every day is an opportunity to improve the lives of millions. It's a view that's shared by our 11,000+ people around the country, who trust us to provide them with a career that's always rewarding, often challenging, but never dull.

We believe different ideas, perspective and backgrounds are key to developing a creative and effective working environment which is why you'll find us championing diversity and equality at every turn.