ER Specialist

Primark; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

Pension

Bonus potential

27 days leave + bank holidays

Job summary

Primark is a global retailer that places people first. This role sits in our People & Culture team, operating in a hybrid model with 1–2 days working from home.

You’ll advise managers across a designated region on employee relations and resolve complex cases while ensuring compliance with employment law. You’ll build trusted relationships with stakeholders in Retail, Legal, Occupational Health, and external partners, lead on policy development, and drive continuous improvement in ER processes

Qualifications

• Strong Employee Relations experience within a fast-paced, multi-site environment.
• Excellent knowledge of employment law and ER best practice.
• Ability to influence and coach stakeholders at all levels.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert employee relations guidance and case management across a designated region.
• Act as advisor on disciplinary, grievance, performance, absence, and flexible working matters.
• Build relationships with stakeholders across Retail, People & Culture, Legal, and external partners.
• Lead ER documentation, policies, and training materials reflecting legal requirements.

Skills

ER experience

Employment law

Stakeholder management

Communication

Change management

Analytical thinking

Tools

HR systems

Job description

Because we strive to put people first. Culture, our way.

People and Culture at Primark

What’s a career at Primark all about? The positive impact you’re making, the experiences you’re having and the people you’re with. You’re our inspiration. Embrace what sets you apart, own your career and develop in ways you never expected. Leave your mark. And do it your way.

What You’ll Get

This role is a hybrid opportunity, offering 1-2 days Working from home.

People are at the heart of what we do here, so it’s essential we provide you with the right environment to perform at your very best.

Let’s talk lifestyle: Healthcare, pension, and potential bonus. 27 days of leave, plus bank holidays and if you want, you can buy 5 more. Because Primark is all about tailoring to you, we offer Tax Saver Tickets, fitness centre, and a subsidised cafeteria.

Job Description

What You’ll Do

We want you to feel challenged and inspired. Here, you’ll develop your skills across a range of responsibilities:

• Provide expert employee relations guidance and case management support across a designated region, partnering with managers and stakeholders to resolve complex people matters effectively.
• Act as a trusted advisor on a broad range of ER topics, including disciplinary, grievance, performance, absence management, flexible working, family leave, and probation cases, ensuring compliance with policy and employment legislation.
• Build strong relationships with key stakeholders across Retail, People & Culture, Legal, Occupational Health, Trade Unions, and external partners to manage risk and deliver positive colleague outcomes.
• Review and support the development of ER documentation, policies, procedures, and training materials, ensuring they reflect legal requirements, best practice, and business needs.
• Lead and support employee relations aspects of business change initiatives, organisational design projects, and high-profile or complex cases, providing practical solutions and expert advice.
• Drive continuous improvement by analysing ER trends and metrics, maintaining accurate case records, contributing to audits and reporting, and identifying opportunities to enhance processes and colleague experience.

Qualifications

What You’ll Bring

Here at Primark, we want everyone to feel valued – so please bring your authentic self to work, of course with some other key experience and abilities for this role in particular:

• Strong Employee Relations experience within a fast-paced, multi-site environment, with expertise in managing complex ER cases and supporting organisational change.
• Excellent knowledge of employment law and ER best practice, with the ability to provide clear, practical, and commercially focused advice.
• Proven ability to influence, coach, and build credibility with stakeholders at all levels, fostering strong and collaborative working relationships.
• Outstanding communication, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills, with a professional, diplomatic, and confidential approach.
• Highly organised and resilient, with the ability to prioritise competing demands, work at pace, and deliver high-quality outcomes under pressure.
• A proactive, customer-focused mindset with a passion for continuous improvement, innovation, data-driven decision-making, and personal development.

Additional Information

Excited? Good. Because it’s energising to put your skills to work, in a growing global business committed to encouraging people to express themselves – and feel a sense of belonging.

About Primark

At Primark, people matter. They’re the beating heart of our business and the reason we’ve grown from our first store in Dublin in 1969 to a £9bn+ turnover business a over 80,000 colleagues and over 440 stores in 17 countries today. Our values run through everything we do. In essence, we’re Caring and always strive to put people first. We’re also Dynamic, bravely pushing the boundaries to stay ahead. And finally, we succeed Together.

If you need any reasonable adjustments or have an accessibility request, during your recruitment journey, such as extended time or breaks between online assessments, a sign language interpreter, mobility access, or assistive technology please contact your talent acquisition specialist.

All offers of employment are subject to background checks, including right to work, reference education and for some roles criminal, and financial checks. If you have any concerns, please reach out to our talent acquisition team to discuss.

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