ER Business Partner

Clyde & Co; Manchester; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading international law firm in Manchester is seeking an experienced Employee Relations Business Partner to enhance business performance and manage legal risks. The successful candidate must be CIPD qualified with solid knowledge of UK employment law and possess excellent communication and analytical skills. The role involves advising on ER matters, coaching HR team members, and supporting change initiatives across the firm. This position offers an opportunity to work collaboratively in a diverse and inclusive environment.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Inclusive workplace

Qualifications

• Solid understanding of UK employment law and case law.
• Practical experience in employee relations and project management.
• Ability to influence and build effective relationships.

Responsibilities

• Work with the Senior ER Manager to develop the ER function.
• Provide advice on ER matters such as restructures and consultations.
• Coach and train UK HR team members on ER issues.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Employment law knowledge

Analytical skills

Project management

Communication skills

Education

CIPD qualified

Graduate or equivalent

Job description

The HR team in the UK consists of over 60 people. We have specialist teams in Resourcing, Graduate Recruitment and Management, Learning and Development, Systems and MI and Reward. The HR Operations team are based in offices across the UK, working as one team to deliver a business partnering service to our fee earning and business services teams. The ER Business Partner role will sit within the Employee Relations Advisory team, which itself is a Centre of Excellence within the wider HR Operations team. The role's purpose is to work with and influence key stakeholders and partners to improve business performance by identifying areas for improvement and facilitating change initiatives, while identifying and managing legal, commercial and reputational risks.

Key Responsibilities Business Partnering

• Work with the Senior ER Manager and Senior ER Advisor to develop the ER function and ensure that it is meeting the strategic objectives of the Firm.
• Support positioning ER as a strategic function within the wider HR team and therefore across client groups across the UK offices. Providing pragmatic, commercial and informed advice and support on all ER matters. These include but are not limited to:
• Collective activities such as restructures and re-organisations, consultations, TUPE;
• Individual cases including capability, performance, absence and wellbeing, conduct, grievances, disciplinaries, equality and discrimination issues, SARs, dismissals and managed exits;
• Complaints and claims, including Employment Tribunal claims
• Advising on changes in legislation, implications of recent Court and Tribunal decisions etc
• Drafting, updating and policies and related processes, guidance notes and training, with a view to a global approach to all.
• Develop and sustain strong business relationships with key stakeholders and contacts both within the HR team and in functions partnering with HR such as Risk, IT, Finance and Tax, Procurement etc, fulfilling the role of trusted advisor and ensuring that ER considerations are understood and addressed.
• Coach and support members (including more formal training as needed) of the UK HR team in order for them to maintain and development their knowledge and expertise in the day to day management of ER matters.
• Develop and deliver training to audiences outside of the HR team, on topics where ER is an element. These may include courses for newly promoted managers, courses about managing more difficult situations etc.
• Work with the wider business to ensure initiatives and solutions have full support ahead of implementation. Influencing and supporting change management across the firm. This will include working on multi-functional project groups as needed.
• Propose new ideas that may lead to better strategic decisions to ER team members, the wider HR team and other stakeholders as appropriate. Monitoring and acting on legislative changes in good time as well as identifying relevant trends and court/tribunal decisions that may impact the firm.
• Proactively managing own continuous professional development and supporting that of the ER team and wider team.
• Working with the ER team on analysing and reporting on ER activities and trends across the UK.

Projects

• Working with the senior HR team and the business on various projects including returning to working in office spaces, strategic initiatives and re-organisations etc.
• Providing project support and working closely with the Senior HR Manager on the annual Global Legal Director Promotion process., Clyde & Co is committed to providing extensive, personal and professional development opportunities for our people enabling them to be highly effective in their current role as well as assisting them to fulfil their career aspirations.

Competencies

• Technical Excellence
• People and Team
• Client/Stakeholder Relationships
• Service Delivery and Commercial Awareness
• Personal Effectiveness

Qualifications

This is the job description as constituted at present; however the Firm reserves the right to reasonably amend it in accordance with the changing needs of the business.

• Graduate or equivalent, CIPD qualified and ideally but not essentially with a higher qualification in Employment Law.
• Solid knowledge and understanding of UK employment law, codes of practice, case law etc.
• Practical experience of ER, preferably within a regulated environment. Ideally, this will include experience of complaints and claims e.g. the early conciliation process, ET claims, complaints to the ICO etc.
• HR Professional with previous experience of building effective relationships with senior stakeholders, inspiring confidence and respect at all levels.
• Demonstrable experience of managing heavy caseloads alongside project, policy and reporting activities.
• Strong team player essential.
• An understanding of the wider HR functions and how their activities overlap with those of the ER team.
• The ability to collate and analyse data and to present, at a level of detail appropriate to the audience, the findings and trends.
• Commercial awareness.
• Able to assess and balance opposing risks in ER matters, to identify issues and to construct and present a reasoned and favourable solution to the business. Strong influencing skills are necessary.
• Proactive approach with the ability to identify issues and find the solution
• Ability to think strategically to look at the bigger picture.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Good drafting skills are key.
• Integrity and discretion.

When you work at Clyde & Co, you join a team of 500 partners, 2,400 lawyers, 3,200 legal professionals and 5,500 people in nearly 70 offices and associated offices worldwide. Our values are the principles that guide the decisions we make, unite us in our endeavours and strengthen our delivery, for both our clients and our firm. We work as one, excel with clients, celebrate difference and act boldly. We are committed to operating in a responsible way by progressing towards a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities and clients it serves We are devoted to providing an environment in which everyone can realise their potential, using its legal and professional skills to support its communities. We do this through pro bono work, volunteering and charitable partnerships, and minimising the impact it has on the environment, including through our commitment to the SBTi Net-Zero standard and the setting of ambitious emissions reduction targets.

Our Commitment

Clyde & Co is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. Our values encourage us to support fairness, celebrate diversity and prohibit all forms of discrimination in the workplace to allow everyone to excel at work. Therefore, we welcome and encourage all applications from suitably qualified individuals, regardless of background or identity. Learn more about our interview process.

A Note on Privacy

Please take a moment to read our privacy notice. This describes what personal information Clyde & Co (we) may hold about you, what it's used for, how it's obtained, your rights and how to contact us as a data subject. If you are submitting a candidate as a Recruitment Agency Partner, it is an essential requirement and your responsibility to ensure that candidates applying to Clyde & Co are aware of this privacy notice.