Employee Relations Manager

London Borough of Sutton; London; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 60,000; Part time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking council that values flexibility and collaboration, working as an Employee Relations Manager in a dynamic team. You will engage with schools to foster leadership and employee engagement while managing complex HR challenges. This role offers a unique opportunity to be part of significant projects, such as the London Cancer Hub and housing regeneration initiatives. With a commitment to personal development and a supportive work environment, you will contribute to shaping a positive culture that prioritizes the needs of borough residents. Embrace this chance to make a real impact in the community while enjoying a flexible work-life balance.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Volunteering days

Flexible working arrangements

Learning and development programme

Discounts on local shops

Interest-free season ticket loans

Local Government Pension Scheme

Bicycle loan facilities

Zip car scheme

Free eye tests

Qualifications

• Significant experience in employee relations and HR casework.
• Expertise in change management and restructuring.

Responsibilities

• Engage with headteachers and governors to shape HR strategies.
• Provide expert advice on restructuring and employee relations.

Skills

Employee Relations

Change Management

Policy Development

Collaboration

Advising Management

Education

Degree in Human Resources or related field

Tools

Google Apps

Google Chromebooks

Job description

Per annum, pro rata'd to part-time working hours

Leave Entitlement: 30 days

Application Deadline: 12/02/2025, 23:55

Anticipated Interview Date(s): 18th February 2025

About the Borough:

Joining us, you get to work for not just one high performing London Borough, but two. Kingston and Sutton councils have a number of shared services serving both authorities, with some teams and roles more focussed on one council than the other, but the majority are shared across both, meaning you get multiple opportunities to learn from a wider pool of activities and two different political bodies.

We work flexibly in both Kingston and Sutton offices, and support working at home or flexible working patterns that enable you to tailor your working and personal life. We provide the equipment and tools to enable you to work flexibly, and in return ask you to use that flexibility to be creative and ambitious in the services we deliver.

There are some really exciting things happening in both boroughs. In Sutton, we are developing the London Cancer Hub, a world leading cancer research and treatment hub that will bring together professionals from across different sectors to identify and test new treatments and therapies. Over in Kingston, we are undertaking the largest housing regeneration programme ever delivered in the borough, building new energy efficient housing that will transform some of our oldest Council owned housing. Both boroughs have publicly committed to doing what they can to tackle the climate emergency and are investing in new technologies and societal change that will help bring carbon emissions down and improve our climate impact.

You should choose Kingston and Sutton if you are looking for an opportunity that will challenge you to deliver more, support you to achieve personal ambitions, and expect you to put borough residents at the heart of what you do.

About the Role and our Ideal Candidate:

This role isn’t about managing a team but about working as part of one. You’ll engage with headteachers and governors, school business managers helping to shape proactive HR strategies that foster great leadership, employee engagement, skills development and positive outcomes for the staff, their pupils and schools performance. Your responsibilities will include providing expert advice on restructuring, employee relations casework, interpreting and writing policies, whilst contributing to the ongoing development of HR practices, that align with strategic and cultural goals across schools and traded partners. You will be part of a Council HR & OD shared service.

We’re looking for a forward-thinking, people-focused professional with a deep understanding of employee relations and a proven track record of managing restructures and HR challenges in diverse and complex environments. The ideal candidate will:

• Have significant experience in employee relations casework and advising at all levels of management.
• Be confident in fostering strong relationships with unions, staff, and leadership teams.
• Demonstrate expertise in change management, including restructuring and TUPE.
• Develop strategies and enable cultural development, with a focus on EDI, engagement, leadership and collaboration.
• Work effectively within a team of ER Managers to deliver a high-quality, customer-focused HR service.
• Update and write policies and guidance, to meet legal requirements and set out clear roles and responsibilities.
• Embrace technology and innovation to enhance service provision and create efficiencies.

About Us:

As Employee Relations Manager - Schools Team, you will play a key role in a team of skilled ER Managers, working together to support schools and academies in creating excellent working environments. This is a collaborative position where you will contribute to delivering professional, balanced, legal and policy-aligned advice on a range of complex HR issues.

Our Offer To You:

As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop your career and skills. We’re constantly striving to improve our ways of working so putting your ideas across however big or small; will be fully encouraged and supported by your colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.

In addition we offer a modern and flexible working environment for our staff supported by our IT infrastructure, Google Chromebooks and Google Apps, which have acted as a key enabler for collaborative and streamlined working. We operate hybrid working, a flexible working model which allows staff to work from a variety of locations and staff are not required to work within the office 5 days a week. It enables staff to achieve a work life balance whilst still meeting the needs of the organisation.

Employees have access to a wide range of benefits, including:

• Generous annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply)
• Three volunteering days per year in Kingston or Sutton
• Flexible and agile working arrangements
• Comprehensive learning and development programme
• Discounts on a range of local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
• Zip car scheme
• Free eye tests and contribution towards glasses
• Confidential wellbeing and counselling support
• Subsidised gym membership

Application Process:

Please apply online outlining what skills, abilities and experience you can bring which makes you an ideal candidate for this role. Please ensure you refer to the requirements outlined in the job profile when completing your application.

We are committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) so all personal information that can identify job applicants e.g. name, title etc is completely anonymised during the shortlisting process. Our hiring managers review applications based on the knowledge, skills and experience demonstrated in your application, and how well these match the job profile.

Additional Information:

We are proud to be a diverse and welcoming Borough. Our aim is to create a workforce which reflects the community we serve, and staff feel a sense of belonging. We celebrate and respect differences and appreciate the value of having a diverse workforce. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, and disabled candidates, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce.