Industrial Relations Business Partner

TN United Kingdom; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking an Industrial Relations Business Partner to provide expert guidance and support within the Human Resources community. This role involves managing small to medium-scale projects, maintaining employment contracts, and ensuring compliance with employment law. The successful candidate will have a strong background in HR or Industrial Relations and will be instrumental in enhancing the knowledge of HR Business Partners. With flexibility in location and occasional travel, this position offers a dynamic work environment where your contributions will significantly impact the organization.

Qualifications

• Experience in HR, IR, or Payroll in a large, unionised organisation.
• CIPD qualification or equivalent relevant experience required.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert guidance on Industrial Relations queries.
• Manage and maintain employment contracts and terms.
• Support Industrial Relations projects with research and analysis.

Skills

HR experience

Industrial Relations knowledge

Employment Law expertise

Analytical skills

Database experience

Education

CIPD qualification

Relevant experience

Job description

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Industrial Relations Business Partner, Manchester

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Client:

Network Rail

Location:

Manchester, United Kingdom

Job Category:

Other

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EU work permit required:

Yes

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Job Reference:

bbb46705170a

Job Views:

3

Posted:

26.04.2025

Expiry Date:

10.06.2025

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Job Description:

Brief Description

The successful candidate will offer specialised expertise, support, and guidance to the wider Human Resources community on behalf of the Industrial Relations team. You will take the lead on small to medium-scale projects and provide support to larger projects as required by the Industrial Relations Specialists, ensuring a crucial connection to Network Rail Shared Services.

Location Flexibility: The successful candidate can be based in London, Manchester, or Milton Keynes, with occasional travel required.

About the role (External)

1. Provide expert guidance, responding to Industrial Relations queries from Route & Functional Human Resources colleagues, particularly relating to terms and conditions of employment and the application of collective agreements, to resolve issues and enhance HR Business Partner’s knowledge.
2. Manage and maintain template contracts of employment, updating them as required by legislation, collective agreements, or business needs, liaising with relevant HR teams and Shared Services to keep terms and conditions current and relevant.
3. Maintain and improve the terms & conditions matrix to serve as an accurate reference for the HR community and ensure employees receive current Terms & Conditions.
4. Act as the liaison with Network Rail Shared Services regarding new contract requests and payroll system changes, ensuring updates are recorded and integrated into payroll systems.
5. Manage small to medium Industrial Relations projects using knowledge of Terms & Conditions of Employment and Employment Law to achieve desired outcomes.
6. Support the Industrial Relations team with research, data gathering, and analysis for projects and develop position papers to facilitate effective decision-making.
7. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of employment law, organisational issues, and Industrial Relations trends to provide expert advice and guidance.
8. Maintain the Industrial Relations team tracker and reporting protocols, including scorecards and business reviews.
9. Assist Industrial Relations Specialists in preparing for National Councils, including research and drafting company responses.

To be successful, you should have:

• Successful experience in HR, IR, or Payroll within a large, multisite, unionised organisation
• CIPD qualification or equivalent/relevant experience
• In-depth knowledge of terms and conditions of employment
• Strong understanding of HR policies, procedures, and employment legislation
• Excellent analytical skills and experience with databases
• Proven ability to resolve HR-related management queries
• Expertise in Employment Law (e.g., TULR(C)A, Employment Rights Act, TUPE)

Additional desirable qualities include:

• Experience in a Human Resources generalist role