ER Service Manager

Artis Recruitment; Gloucester; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Artis Recruitment is seeking an experienced Employee Relations Service Manager to lead a five-strong People Partners team within a large, complex organisation. You will provide expert guidance on sensitive cases, ensure fair and consistent handling, and drive HR process improvements while aligning with UK employment legislation.

The role focuses on coaching, escalation support for challenging cases, and collaboration with senior stakeholders to enable effective people support during

Qualifications

• Significant experience in employee relations, including complex and sensitive casework.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and practical application in a business setting.
• Experience leading, coaching or managing HR professionals or People Partners.
• Confident escalation point for challenging people matters.
• Experience in a large, complex or matrix organisation.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of five People Partners, providing guidance, coaching and support on complex people matters.

Skills

Employee relations

UK employment law

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Investigation skills

Job description

Are you an experienced Employee Relations professional with a strong technical background, confident managing complex cases and supporting teams through challenging people situations?

We're looking for an ER Service Manager to lead and develop a team of People Partners within a large, complex organisation. This role will suit someone who enjoys being close to the detail of employee relations, providing expert guidance on sensitive matters and ensuring a consistent, high-quality approach across the business.

The role

You’ll oversee complex employee relations activity, acting as an escalation point for challenging cases and supporting managers with practical, commercially minded advice. You’ll help ensure people matters are handled fairly and consistently, while maintaining compliance with UK employment legislation and internal policies.

Alongside leading and coaching the team, you’ll contribute to improvements in HR processes and support wider organisational change, including restructuring and transformation activity.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of five People Partners, providing guidance, coaching and support on complex people matters.
• Act as an escalation point for sensitive employee relations cases, including investigations, disciplinaries, grievances and performance management.
• Advise managers on employment law, policy application and appropriate approaches to challenging employee situations.
• Support restructuring, redundancy and other organisational change activity.
• Maintain consistent standards across ER case management, ensuring risks are identified and managed appropriately.
• Identify opportunities to improve ER processes, policies and ways of working.
• Work collaboratively with wider HR colleagues and senior stakeholders to deliver effective people support.

About you

• Significant experience in employee relations, including complex and sensitive casework.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and practical experience applying it in a business environment.
• Experience leading, coaching or managing HR professionals or People Partners.
• Confidence acting as an escalation point and advising stakeholders on challenging people matters.
• Experience working in a large, complex or matrix organisation.
• A pragmatic approach, with the ability to balance employee needs, business priorities and risk.

This is an 18-month opportunity for an experienced ER leader who can bring technical expertise, sound judgement and strong team leadership to a busy people function.