Head of Employee Relations

The Methodist Church in Britain; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a senior leader to head the employee relations service. The role blends strategic oversight with a personal caseload and works on a hybrid basis with roughly half onsite.

You will lead a ten-strong ER team, handle complex medical ER and MHPS cases, advise subsidiaries on NHS terms and conditions, and build strong partnerships with trade unions.

Chartered CIPD membership and Masters-level HR expertise are essential.

Qualifications

• Degree-level education or equivalent demonstrable knowledge and experience.
• Chartered membership of the CIPD.
• Masters-level specialist HR knowledge, through postgraduate study or equivalent advanced training and substantial relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the ER service and develop it further on its existing foundations.
• Provide a proactive, compassionate ER service to around 13,000 staff.
• Manage a personal caseload of the most challenging ER cases.
• Create and deliver strategies to resolve complex medical ER and MHPS cases.
• Lead, support and challenge the ten-strong ER team and help develop it.
• Advise subsidiary companies and hosted services, mainly on NHS terms and conditions.
• Build strong partnership working with trade union colleagues.

Skills

ER leadership

UK employment law

Stakeholder management

Education

Degree-level education

CIPD Chartered membership

Masters-level HR knowledge

Job description

This permanent post leads the ten-strong employee relations team at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, which supports about 13,000 staff and advises subsidiary companies and hosted services. The core of the work is leading the service and handling complex, contentious cases, including medical ER and MHPS matters, alongside trade union partnership. The role mixes team leadership with a personal caseload, on hybrid working with roughly half of time onsite. Chartered CIPD membership is essential, and interviews run in two stages from the week of 9 November 2026.

What the job involves

• Lead the ER service and develop it further on its existing foundations
• Provide a proactive, compassionate ER service to around 13,000 staff
• Manage a personal caseload of the most challenging ER cases
• Create and deliver strategies to resolve complex medical ER and MHPS cases
• Lead, support and challenge the ten-strong ER team and help develop it
• Advise subsidiary companies and hosted services, mainly on NHS terms and conditions
• Build strong partnership working with trade union colleagues

Qualifications

• Degree-level education or equivalent demonstrable knowledge and experience
• Chartered membership of the CIPD
• Masters-level specialist HR knowledge, through postgraduate study or equivalent advanced training and substantial relevant experience

Experience

• Substantial senior HR leadership in a large, complex organisation, including leading an ER service or function
• Significant experience of highly complex, sensitive and contentious ER cases, including cases with no clear precedent
• Employment tribunal case management and working with legal advisers
• Formal consultation and negotiation with recognised trade unions
• Developing and implementing organisation-wide employment policy and leading major change
• Managing teams, service performance and delegated budgets

Skills & knowledge

• Expert current knowledge of UK employment law and its application to complex ER matters
• Analysing complex workforce information, identifying trends and risks, and presenting recommendations to senior governance forums

Other

• Demonstrates the Trust value Patients First
• Demonstrates the Trust value Always Improving
• Demonstrates the Trust value Working Together

Nice to have

• Chartered Fellow of the CIPD
• Formal management or leadership qualification
• Training or accreditation in psychometric or development tools
• Employment law qualification
• Qualified Agenda for Change job evaluator
• NHS senior People/HR experience
• Experience leading complex medical ER cases in line with Maintaining High Professional Standards
• Experience of recruitment and selection assessment methods

What’s offered

• Learning and development opportunities
• Flexible working requests considered in line with service needs
• Access to a range of NHS discounts
• Minimum of 35 days paid holiday, pro rata
• Generous pension scheme