Employee Relations Specialist - Casework

Nottingham City Council; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 44,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading local government organization in Nottingham is seeking an Employee Relations Specialist - Casework to develop a casework strategy and ensure compliance with employment law. Candidates should have strong expertise in HR casework, analytical skills, and a commitment to equality and inclusion. This full-time position offers a salary of £44,711 – £47,754 per annum and supports a culture of well-being and fairness.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading complex HR casework and advising at a senior level.
• Strong understanding of employment law and its practical application.
• Excellent judgement and influencing skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Council's employee relations casework strategy and frameworks.
• Provide expert advice on complex ER cases.
• Oversee governance for Employment Tribunals.

Skills

Leadership in complex HR casework

Understanding of employment law

Data analysis for policy development

Collaboration with unions

Judgement and influencing skills

Education

CIPD Level 5 or 7

Job description

Join Our Team as an Employee Relations Specialist - Casework

Grade I | Salary: £44,711 – £47,754 per annum ((pro-rata for part-time) | Location: Nottingham | Full-time

Are you passionate about people, fairness, and driving meaningful change through positive employee relations? Are you ready to shape best-practice HR casework in one of the UK’s most dynamic councils? If so, we want to hear from you.

Nottingham City Council is seeking a skilled Employee Relations Specialist - Casework to lead the development and delivery of our casework strategy. You will work closely with senior managers and HR partners to drive a fair, inclusive, and high-performing workplace.

About the Role

In this pivotal position, you will be Nottingham City Council’s go-to expert for employee relations casework. You will develop the organisation’s frameworks for managing complex and high-risk matters such as grievances, disciplinary action, absence management, and employment tribunals. Your work will ensure our approach reflects legal compliance, best practice, and our organisational values.

You will work at a senior level to influence, advise, and empower managers and HR colleagues, supporting confident decision-making and consistent, fair outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Council’s employee relations casework strategy and frameworks
• Provide expert advice on complex and sensitive ER cases, ensuring consistency and fairness
• Oversee governance for Employment Tribunals, Early Conciliation, and Judicial Mediation
• Use data and analytics to identify patterns, inform policy, and improve performance
• Develop manager training programmes on investigations, conflict resolution, and mediation
• Support organisational risk management and legal compliance across all casework
• Collaborate with trade unions, employee networks, and internal stakeholders to promote positive working relationships
• Ensure all casework-related policies are current, legally compliant, and aligned with organisational goals

What You’ll Bring

We are looking for a confident HR professional with deep expertise in employee relations and casework in a complex organisational setting.

You will need:

• Proven experience leading complex HR casework and advising at a senior level
• Strong understanding of employment law and its practical application
• Excellent judgement, influencing, and risk management skills
• Ability to analyse data to shape policy and identify trends
• Experience working collaboratively with unions and senior stakeholders
• A strong commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in policy and practice
• CIPD Level 5 or 7 or equivalent experience

Why Nottingham City Council?

At Nottingham City Council, our mission is to put citizens at the heart of everything we do. You will join a values-driven organisation that champions:

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Innovation and continuous improvement
Collaborative working across services
A focus on wellbeing, fairness, and learning

You will be supported by a forward-thinking HR team working to deliver real change, both within the Council and across the city.

Ready to Make a Difference?

This is your opportunity to play a critical role in building a fair, inclusive, and effective working culture for a workforce making a real difference to the people of Nottingham.

Apply now to become our Employee Relations Specialist - Casework and help shape the future of employee relations in a dynamic public sector environment.

For an informal chat, please contact Kirsty Spencer, HR Delivery Manager at [e-mail]

You can find the job description for this post here

At Nottingham City Council we believe that work is what you do, not where you do it. We offer different working arrangements, depending on the role, including hybrid working. Further information on Worker Types and what these mean in terms of how and where you work can be found on the additional information for applicants page.

Closing Date: 24th August 2025

Please note there may be occasions where we close the advert before the closing date and we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Interviews will be held: TBC

If you have any technical issues when completing your application, please contact our Employee Service Centre: https://emss.org.uk/support

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