Partner Relations Lead

KPMG Careers; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

KPMG is seeking a PR Lead to oversee Partner Relations within the Employee Relations function. The role provides pastoral support to equity partners, handles high-risk cases with professional judgement, and drives ER standards across the partnership.

The successful candidate will collaborate with senior leaders, ELAT, and HR Directors to shape ER strategy and ensure compliant, timely outcomes while maintaining the firm’s values and governance requirements.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in senior-level Employee Relations roles.
• Deep knowledge of ER and employment law; applies judgement pragmatically.
• Ability to interpret Employment Law and drive commercial outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Act as the key touch-point for equity partner cases with pastoral support.
• Identify ways to resolve matters to avoid escalations.
• Lead the delivery of the ER service for partners with compliant outcomes.
• Line manage the ER Manager-Partnership and provide developmental support.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex partner cases with clear guidance.
• Set and oversee ER standards for the partnership.
• Lead involuntary retirement processes ensuring LLPA compliance.
• Manage communication and partner transitions with compassion.
• Drive risk and values-based decision making with stakeholders.
• Provide senior leadership on ER matters and strategic capability development.
• Engage with external stakeholders and regulatory bodies.

Skills

Senior stakeholder management

Employee Relations

Employment law knowledge

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Analytical thinking

Regulated organisations experience

Dispute resolution & mediation

Job description

The Partner Relations (“PR”) Lead role reports to the Head of Partnership office with a secondary reporting line to the Head of Employee Relations. The PR Lead is accountable for the day-to-day leadership of Partner Relations. The role provides pastoral support and access to confidential support to our partners including wellbeing matters together with oversight of complex and senior case management, ensuring consistent, timely and compliant outcomes. The PR Lead provides deep expertise on partner related ER matters, bringing external market knowledge around competitor activity and industry trends, and acting as an ambassador for KPMG through effective networking.

The PR Lead works collaboratively with the Partnership Office, Employee Relations team, senior business leaders, the Employment Law Advisory Team (“ELAT”), and HR Directors to set Employee Relations (“ER”) standards within the partnership and drive a robust and high-performance culture. The role provides high touch support for Equity Partners, and plays a key role in shaping wider ER strategy, policy and service evolution within the partnership.

Description of therole:

The successful candidate will:

• Act as the key touch-point for equity partner cases, providing pastoral support on a range of matters including wellbeing matters, providing clear direction, challenge and support.
• Identify ways of supporting and resolving matters, in order to avoid unnecessary escalation into formal routes
• Lead the operational delivery of the ER service for partners, ensuring high-quality, timely and compliant outcomes across ER processes
• Line manage the ER Manager-Partnership, ensuring objectives are clear and stretching developmental support is provided.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex, sensitive and high-risk salaried partner cases, providing clear direction, challenge and support
• Set and oversee ER standards for the partnership, embedding consistent practice and accountability
• Lead the delivery and completion of the involuntary retirement process by ensuring compliance with legal and LLPA requirements.
• Managing clear and compassionate communication and supporting Partners through transition out of the partnership.
• Drive consistent risk and values-based decision making, aligning legal compliance, partner experience and commercial outcomes
• Provide senior technical leadership on ER matters, operating with a high degree of autonomy and professional judgement
• Lead the development of ER capability within the partnership
• Take a proactive, consultative and pragmatic approach to managing quality and risk in collaboration with senior stakeholders
• Build strong and credible stakeholder partnerships across the business and HR, acting as a trusted advisor and SME
• Ensure accurate and timely case recording and data quality to satisfy our internal governance and regulatory reporting requirements
• Maintain strong external stakeholder relationships (e.g. Occupational Health and other specialist advisors) to bring insight, knowledge and best practice into the firm
• Undertake proactive and regular review of key ER themes and trends across the partnership, producing data and analytics that drive recommendations and solutions

Leadership & Management:

• Trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, influencing and challenging with confidence and professionalism
• Lead and provide oversight for ER activity within the partnership, aligning to the people strategy and values.
• Build ER capability across the partnership, embracing technology to do so.
• Accountable for ER decision making, standards and outcomes
• Create and analyse ER related data, producing MI and presenting commercially based recommendations and solutions
• Build strong and enduring relationships with senior business leaders and other key stakeholders
• Collaborate with Partnership Office, HR Directors, the ER team and ELAT.

Impact, Risk, Accountability & Governance:

• Demonstrated discretion, integrity, and confidentiality

The Person:

Extensive experience of dealing with and managing senior stakeholders

• Extensive experience in senior-level Employee Relations roles
• Deep knowledge of ER and employment law, with the ability to apply judgement pragmatically
• Ability to interpret Employment Law and apply commercial decision making to drive outcomes
• Strong leadership capability, with a track record of upskilling, coaching and mentoring senior ER professionals
• Strategic and analytical thinker, with the ability to translate data, insight and trends into clear recommendations and actions
• Experience within regulated and matrixed organisations is desirable
• Experience of informal dispute resolution and mediation is desirable

Corporate Services operates as a £multi-million business within our business and, through our combined efforts, we enable the firm to serve our people, our clients and wider society. The internal expertise, advice, support and services we provide to our client-facing business are fundamental to the success of our firm. Through collaboration, agility, fresh thinking and innovation, we help our people across the firm to work in a way that’s smarter and more sustainable.We’re a cross-functional team, bringing together technically knowledgeable experts across a wide range of critical activities to help grow, run and protect our business. Our areas span Corporate Affairs and Marketing, Digital, Finance and Commercial, People and Resourcing, and Risk and Legal.

Our People & Resourcing teams span HR, Talent, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Employment Law Advisory, People Operations, UK Learning, Talent & Performance Development and Recruitment.A career here means working with diverse teams in an exciting and challenging environment. You could be supporting Audit, Advisory, Tax & Legal or Central Services to provide a range of people services. That's likely to include recruiting, resourcing, engaging and developing extraordinary talent, and creating an inclusive environment where all colleagues thrive and reach their potential. In short, this is an opportunity to extend your knowledge, develop new skills and build a truly rewarding and meaningful career across People services.

With offices across the UK, we are part of a global network of firms providing Audit, Tax & Law, Consulting, and Technology Services to diverse clients.

They provide us with a strong sense of identity, ensuring we can grow stronger. They bind us together, across our different backgrounds and cultures, and are common to each of us. Explore more about why Our Values matter.

From role sharing and flexible start and finish times to home working, we'll try and support the flexible work patterns that best suit you.

We’re committed to creating an inclusive environment where all colleagues thrive and reach their full potential, whatever their identity or background.

We're a member of the Business Disability Forum so please get in touch if you'd like to discuss any adjustments that you might need in the application process - and if you are successful beyond this.

We're a recognised leader in the Government's scheme. We offer a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for all experienced professional opportunities.

We don't accept speculative CVs from agencies - you can see our policy on agencies here:

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