Employee Relations Specialist

A long standing partner; Portsmouth; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fantastic benefits

Job summary

Dynamite Recruitment is supporting an established organisation in Portsmouth to appoint an Employee Relations Specialist/HR Manager. The role blends ER expertise with strategic HR projects, reporting to the Head of HR and supporting senior leaders.

The successful candidate will handle complex ER cases, advise managers, drive business transformation, and influence people strategies across the organisation with strong commercial and legal awareness. Hybrid role, some travel.

Qualifications

• Extensive HR generalist experience.
• Strong ER case management experience.
• Solid knowledge of UK employment law and ACAS guidance.
• Ability to work with senior managers and stakeholders at all levels.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Commercially minded with a solutions-focused approach.

Responsibilities

• Act as a senior escalation point for complex Employee Relations matters.
• Manage Employee Relations cases through to resolution with a commercially focused, legally compliant approach.
• Provide expert advice and coaching to senior managers and operational teams.
• Lead HR projects including organisational change and workforce planning.
• Review and develop HR policies and ER frameworks.
• Analyse workforce data and provide meaningful insights to the business.
• Deputise for the Head of HR when required.

Skills

HR generalist

ER casework

UK employment law

ACAS guidance

Stakeholder management

Communication

Coaching & mentoring

HR project delivery

Change management

Commercial acumen

Emotional intelligence

Attention to detail

HRIS

MS Office

Education

CIPD qualification (desirable)

Tools

HRIS

Microsoft Office

Job description

Employee Relations Specialist

Location: Portsmouth with Travel required to other sites
Working pattern: Hybrid, with occasional travel to other business premises
Salary: £50000 - £55000
Plus Fantastic benefits

Dynamite Recruitment is currently supporting a growing and highly established organisation with the appointment of an experienced HR Manager/ ER Specialist to join their HR function.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced HR professional who enjoys working across both Employee Relations and wider strategic HR projects, and who wants a role where they can genuinely influence the business.

As HR Manager / ER Specialist

Reporting to the Head of HR, you will play a key role in delivering a proactive, commercially focused and legally compliant HR service.

A significant part of the role will focus on Employee Relations, acting as a senior escalation point for complex and potentially high-risk cases. You will work closely with senior leaders and operational managers, providing expert advice, coaching and practical support to ensure people matters are handled fairly, consistently and in line with current employment legislation.

Alongside this, you will have the opportunity to get involved in a wide range of exciting HR projects, including business transformation, employee engagement, talent mapping, succession planning, workforce planning, organisational development and continuous improvement.

This is a varied role where you will act as an important link between the HR function, operational teams and senior stakeholders, deputising for the Head of HR when required.

Key responsibilities

• Act as a senior escalation point for complex Employee Relations matters including disciplinary, grievance, capability, performance, absence, flexible working, organisational change, TUPE, redundancy and settlement agreements.
• Manage Employee Relations cases through to resolution, ensuring a consistent, commercially focused and legally compliant approach.
• Work alongside external legal advisers where appropriate and support Employment Tribunal preparation, settlement negotiations and employment risk management.
• Provide expert advice and coaching to senior managers and operational teams.
• Support and lead strategic HR initiatives including organisational change, engagement, wellbeing, DE&I, talent mapping and succession planning.
• Review, develop and implement HR policies, procedures and Employee Relations frameworks.
• Analyse workforce data and provide meaningful insight and recommendation to the wider business.
• Coach and mentor managers, helping them develop their confidence and capability when dealing with people issues.
• Work collaboratively with the wider HR team to improve processes, systems and service delivery.
• Contribute to the wider HR strategy and deputise for the Head of HR when required.

About you

We are looking for an experienced HR Manager who has strong Employee Relations experience and is confident dealing with complex and sensitive people matters. You will ideally have:

• Extensive HR generalist experience.
• Strong experience managing complex Employee Relations casework.
• Good knowledge of UK employment legislation and ACAS guidance.
• Experience working with senior managers and stakeholders at all levels.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong coaching and mentoring ability.
• Experience delivering HR projects and supporting organisational change.
• A commercially minded and solutions-focused approach.
• High emotional intelligence and resilience.
• Excellent attention to detail, particularly around documentation, reporting and written correspondence.
• Experience using HR Information Systems (HRIS).
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• The ability to work autonomously, prioritise effectively and take ownership.

CIPD qualification is desirable but not essential as we are keen to find those qualified by their experience

The opportunity

This is much more than a traditional HR Manager position. You'll have the opportunity to work closely with senior stakeholders, influence people strategy and make a genuine difference across the organisation. The role offers a strong balance of hands-on Employee Relations, HR business partnering and strategic project work.

If you are an experienced HR professional who enjoys being solutions-focused, commercially aware and hands-on, and you're looking for an opportunity where your expertise will genuinely be valued, we'd love to hear from you.

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