Head of ER and Compliance

Oakleaf Partnership; City Of London; On-site; GBP 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading advertising and PR firm is seeking an Employee Relations Director to shape and lead the ER and compliance agenda across a dynamic global organization. This senior leadership role involves strategic oversight of employee relations, compliance with UK employment law, and collaboration with senior stakeholders to drive best practices across the UK and EMEA.

Qualifications

• Seasoned ER and employment law expert with solutions-oriented mindset.
• Extensive experience within a complex matrixed organisation.
• Proven ability to manage sensitive investigations and ER cases.

Responsibilities

• Set and deliver ER strategy, leading complex employee relations matters.
• Provide expert guidance on sensitive ER cases.
• Oversee HR policy compliance with UK employment law.

Skills

Employee Relations

Compliance

Employment Law

Stakeholder Engagement

Policy Drafting

Education

Legal Qualification (LPC or equivalent)

Job description

Employee Relations Director

Advertising and PR Firm

London

Permanent

Up to £120,000

Are you a strategic HR professional with deep expertise in employee relations, compliance, and employment law? Are you looking to join a forward-thinking, people-centric business that’s redefining the future of marketing and media through innovation and technology?

We are partnering with a dynamic global organisation to hire an Employee Relations & HR Compliance Director. This is a rare opportunity to shape and lead the ER and compliance agenda across a complex, fast-paced business with over 4,000 employees in the UK and wider EMEA region.

Role responsibilities/duties:

• This is a senior leadership role, responsible for setting and delivering the ER strategy, leading complex employee relations matters, reviewing and implementing HR policy, and driving best practice across the UK and EMEA. You will partner closely with senior HR Business Partners, legal teams, and business leaders, acting as a trusted advisor and expert on all aspects of ER and HR compliance.
• You’ll spend around 70% of your time supporting the UK population and 30% leading ER best practice across theEMEA region, including managing the triage of Speak Up cases, supporting M&A activity, and ensuring a consistent and compliant approach to contingent workforce management.
  • Provide expert guidance on complex and sensitive ER cases, partnering with senior HR and legal stakeholders.
  • Lead and manage internal investigations, grievance and disciplinary processes, and case resolution strategies.
  • Oversee the review and development of HR policies to ensure compliance with UK employment law.
  • Analyse ER data and trends to identify risks, inform proactive interventions, and enhance organisational culture.
  • Deliver training and development to HR teams and leaders on ER best practices.
  • Lead a small ER team and act as the ER lead for the region, championing consistent standards and process improvement.
  • Collaborate with EMEA stakeholders to manage Speak Up cases, drive policy alignment, and support organisational change initiatives.
  • Serve as the point of contact for legal and regulatory compliance in employment matters.

Key experience:

• You will be a seasoned ER and employment law expert, with a pragmatic, solutions-oriented mindset and the ability to influence at the most senior levels.
• Extensive ER and employment law experience within a complex matrixed organisation.
• Proven ability to manage complex and sensitive investigations and employee relations cases.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment legislation (additional Irish law knowledge is a plus).
• Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement, and policy drafting skills.
• A confident and credible advisor with sound judgement and the ability to make decisions in ambiguous situations.
• Experience leading a small team and driving ER initiatives across multiple geographies.
• Ideally, a legal qualification (LPC or equivalent), though this is not essential if ER experience is strong.