Industrial Relations Lead

Caraffi; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Caraffi in Southampton is seeking an Industrial Relations Lead on a 9-month fixed-term contract. The role shapes the client’s approach to trade union engagement, governance, and legislative readiness, working with senior stakeholders to establish frameworks and capability to respond confidently to a changing landscape.

You will develop internal positions, briefing materials, and escalation routes, translate external developments into practical actions, and build training to strengthen

Qualifications

• Strong industrial relations experience in a large, complex org.
• Deep understanding of trade union engagement and UK employment relations.
• Ability to interpret legal/regulatory developments into practical actions.
• Credible stakeholder manager with senior leaders and HR teams.
• Ability to create structure, governance and momentum in emerging work.
• Excellent written communication for briefing packs and leader updates.
• Commercially aware with sound judgement balancing legal and business needs.
• Comfortable handling ambiguity and sensitive topics.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and delivery of trade union engagement strategy.
• Prepare internal positions, objectives, outcomes, flexibility, and red lines.
• Create briefing materials, packs and guidance for senior leaders.
• Coordinate governance with a regular trade union working group.
• Handle stakeholder planning across the business and leadership forums.
• Analyze external market intelligence and translate into practical recommendations.
• Support legislative readiness with practical frameworks and scenario planning.
• Develop monitoring indicators for emerging trade union activity and sentiment.
• Identify capability-building needs and training for negotiation and relationship management.

Skills

Industrial relations

Trade union engagement

Stakeholder management

Regulatory awareness

Governance

Communication

Strategic thinking

Ambiguity handling

Job description

Industrial Relations Lead (9 Month FTC) - Hybrid (3 days WFH)

This role will play a key part in shaping and delivering our client’s approach to trade union engagement, and legislative readiness. Working closely with senior stakeholders, the role will help establish the frameworks, governance, insight and capability required to respond confidently and consistently to an evolving trade union landscape.

You will provide recommendations on trade union engagement approach, governance, internal positions, and briefing materials. As well as escalating sensitive, legal, strategic or high-risk matters through agreed governance routes for senior decision-making.

Key Accountabilities / Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and delivery of our trade union engagement strategy, including preparation for initial and future engagement with trade unions.
• Develop clear internal positions, objectives, desired outcomes, areas of flexibility and red lines ahead of any trade union discussions.
• Create practical briefing materials, meeting packs and guidance to equip senior leaders and attendees for effective trade union engagement.
• Coordinate governance arrangements, including a regular trade union working group, clear escalation routes and aligned decision-making processes.
• Lead stakeholder planning and engagement across the business and senior leadership forums, ensuring leaders are informed, prepared and aligned.
• Gather and analyse external market intelligence, translating insight into practical recommendations.
• Support readiness for legislative changes, including new trade union access provisions, by developing practical frameworks, processes and scenario plans.
• Develop monitoring and early warning indicators to identify emerging trade union activity, colleague sentiment trends, local issues and external developments.
• Identify capability-building needs and training to build confidence in trade union engagement, negotiation and relationship management.

Required Skills & Experience:

• Strong industrial relations experience, ideally gained in a large, complex, multi-site organisation.
• Good understanding of trade union engagement, collective consultation, colleague voice and the UK employment relations landscape.
• Ability to interpret legal, regulatory and external developments and translate them into clear, practical business actions.
• Confident stakeholder manager, able to work with senior leaders, HR teams and cross-business groups with credibility and discretion.
• Strong planning and delivery skills, with the ability to create structure, governance and momentum in an emerging area of work.
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear briefing packs, stakeholder updates, leader guidance and decision papers.
• Commercially aware and pragmatic, with sound judgement and an ability to balance legal, cultural, colleague and business considerations.
• Comfortable working with ambiguity, managing sensitive topics and maintaining confidentiality.
• Collaborative, resilient and proactive, with the confidence to influence constructively and build trusted relationships.