Employee Relations Specialist

Kerry; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Kerry is seeking an Employer Relations Specialist to provide expert employee and employer relations support across the UK, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. The role manages complex ER cases end-to-end, balancing business needs with compliance and employee experience.

Based in a hybrid setup with regular onsite engagement and travel to sites, primarily across the Midlands. This fixed term maternity cover requires strong investigation skills, stakeholder engagement, and in-depth

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Employment Law, Business, or related discipline.
• CIPD qualification (Level 5 minimum, Level 7 preferred) or equivalent.
• Minimum 3 years' experience in employee/employer relations.
• Strong working knowledge of employment legislation in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
• Proven experience managing complex employee relations cases independently.
• Experience conducting workplace investigations and preparing reports.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.

Responsibilities

• Disciplinary matters
• Grievances
• Performance and capability issues
• Attendance and absence management
• Investigations
• Bullying, harassment, dignity at work, and employee conduct matters
• Conduct risk assessments and provide recommendations on appropriate courses of action.
• Ensure consistent and compliant application of company policies and procedures.
• Draft and review investigation reports, outcome letters, settlement documentation, and other ER correspondence.
• Maintain accurate case documentation and records in HR systems.
• Act as the primary point of contact for managers on employee relations matters.
• Coach managers through formal and informal processes to build confidence and capability.
• Provide pragmatic, commercially focused advice while ensuring legal compliance and adherence to company values.
• Partner with HR Business Partners on complex, sensitive, and high-risk situations.
• Identify legal, financial, operational, and reputational risks and accelerate as appropriate.
• Partner closely with Legal Counsel on tribunal claims, external legal matters, and high-risk cases.
• Support audits, governance reviews, and compliance reporting activities.
• Support the development, review, and implementation of employee relations policies, procedures, and guidance materials.
• Analyse ER trends and case data to identify opportunities for proactive interventions.
• Deliver training and education sessions for managers and HR teams.
• Contribute to projects relating to employee experience, responsible employer initiatives, policy harmonisation, and organisational change
• Support engagement with employee representatives, trade unions, and consultation bodies where applicable.
• Provide guidance on collective consultation processes, organisational change programmes, and workforce restructuring activities.
• Assist with employment-related aspects of acquisitions, transfers, and business transformations when required.

Skills

Employee relations

Investigation skills

Stakeholder management

UK & ROI employment law

HR partnering

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related

Job description

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About The Role

The Employer Relations Specialist is responsible for providing expert employee and employer relations support across the UK, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland. The role partners with people managers, HR Business Partners, Legal, and business leaders to ensure fair, consistent, and legally compliant management of employee relations matters.

The role owns and manages complex employee relations cases from intake through resolution, providing practical advice and guidance while balancing business needs, employee experience, and employment law requirements. The Employer Relations Specialist also contributes to the development of a strong Responsible Employer culture through policy application, manager capability building, risk mitigation, and continuous improvement initiatives.

This is a hybrid working opportunity with regular onsite engagement and travel to sites, primarily across the Midlands.

Applying candidates should note that this is a fixed term maternity cover position.

Key responsibilities

• Disciplinary matters
• Grievances
• Performance and capability issues
• Attendance and absence management
• Investigations
• Bullying, harassment, dignity at work, and employee conduct matters
• Conduct risk assessments and provide recommendations on appropriate courses of action.
• Ensure consistent and compliant application of company policies and procedures.
• Draft and review investigation reports, outcome letters, settlement documentation, and other ER correspondence.
• Maintain accurate case documentation and records in HR systems.

Manager and HR Advisory Support

• Act as the primary point of contact for managers on employee relations matters.
• Coach managers through formal and informal processes to build confidence and capability.
• Provide pragmatic, commercially focused advice while ensuring legal compliance and adherence to company values.
• Partner with HR Business Partners on complex, sensitive, and high-risk situations.

Compliance and Risk Management

• Identify legal, financial, operational, and reputational risks and accelerate as appropriate.
• Partner closely with Legal Counsel on tribunal claims, external legal matters, and high-risk cases.
• Support audits, governance reviews, and compliance reporting activities.

Policy and Continuous Improvement

• Support the development, review, and implementation of employee relations policies, procedures, and guidance materials.
• Analyse ER trends and case data to identify opportunities for proactive interventions.
• Deliver training and education sessions for managers and HR teams.
• Contribute to projects relating to employee experience, responsible employer initiatives, policy harmonisation, and organisational change

Employee Representative Relations

• Support engagement with employee representatives, trade unions, and consultation bodies where applicable.
• Provide guidance on collective consultation processes, organisational change programmes, and workforce restructuring activities.
• Assist with employment-related aspects of acquisitions, transfers, and business transformations when required.

Essential

Qualifications and skills

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Employment Law, Business, or related discipline.
• CIPD qualification (Level 5 minimum, Level 7 preferred) or equivalent.
• Minimum 3 years' experience in employee/employer relations.
• Strong working knowledge of employment legislation in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
• Proven experience managing complex employee relations cases independently.
• Experience conducting workplace investigations and preparing reports.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.

Desirable

• Experience supporting manufacturing, operations, FMCG, or unionised environments.
• Experience working across multiple jurisdictions.
• Knowledge of collective consultation and industrial relations frameworks.
• Experience working within a shared services or centre of excellence model.

Why Kerry?

In Kerry we benefit from the knowledge of our colleagues who bring a diverse range of cultures, backgrounds, lifestyles, and experiences. One team fostering an inclusive culture that, above all, inspires food and nourishes life. One culture where everyone brings their unique perspectives and experiences to help make us better, together. We are committed to nurturing an environment of positivity and inclusiveness, where everyone can be at their best, both personally and professionally.

Our recruitment, selection and assessment process are based on the skills and competencies of the specific roles and based entirely on merit. We are committed to and value Diversity and Inclusion in all recruitment processes within Kerry and do not discriminate based on gender, race, class, economic status, ethnic background, sexual orientation, age, political beliefs, veteran status, marital status or any other protected characteristic.

Please note We do not accept CVs or candidate profiles from recruitment agencies where Kerry terms of business have not been signed. Additionally, we will not consider or agree to payment of any recruiter fee under these circumstances. This also applies to CVs or candidate profiles sent directly to any Kerry Hiring Managers.