People/Employee Relations and Change Specialist

NHS; Manchester; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

NHS pension

Remote work

Annual leave 27 days

Blue Light Card

Learning & development

Career progression

Job summary

NICE in Manchester is seeking a resilient People/Employee Relations and Change Specialist to lead end-to-end ER cases, advise managers, and support organisational change within the People Relations and Culture Team.

This permanent role supports flexible hybrid working, including home working and compressed hours, with occasional office days for meetings and training; CIPD qualifications and strong communication are highly valued.

Qualifications

• Significant experience managing complex, multi‑stranded People Relations cases.
• Experience leading organisational change initiatives such as restructures, redundancy, TUPE.
• Strong understanding of current and future employment legislation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication for hearings and consultations.

Responsibilities

• Manage a varied employee relations caseload end to end, including sensitive matters.
• Provide specialist coaching and challenge to managers to ensure fair, compliant decisions.
• Support organisational change activity including restructures and TUPE.
• Develop, review and implement people policies, procedures and toolkits.
• Identify and escalate people-related risks using data and case trends.
• Maintain accurate case records and produce high‑quality documentation.
• Champion NICE's Just and Restorative Culture and positive colleague experiences.

Skills

Communication skills

Change processes

Employment law

Education

CIPD Level 5 or equivalent

Degree or equivalent experience

CIPD Level 7 (or working towards)

Job description

Go back NICE – The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

People/Employee Relations and Change Specialist

The closing date is 27 September 2026

Join NICE as a People/Employee Relations and Change Specialist, an ideal opportunity for someone who thrives in a fast paced and evolving environment.

You will be a resilient employee relations professional who is adaptable and comfortable working through ambiguity, often balancing multiple priorities and complex situations where there may not always be a clear or straightforward solution.

Organisational change is a significant part of this role, requiring the confidence to influence, guide and support others through periods of uncertainty while remaining calm, pragmatic and solutions focused.

We offer extremely flexible hybrid working; such as, home working, compressed hours, and flexible start and finish times giving you freedom to do your best work, while staying connected with colleagues in person when needed.

There will be times when you'll need to attend the office in the heart of Manchester Piccadilly for meetings, workshops, training and key business priorities, helping you build relationships and make a real impact.

Our interview process may involve more than one stage, giving you the opportunity to learn more about the role and decide whether it's the right fit for you.

While this is a permanent position, we also welcome applications from colleagues interested in a secondment opportunity to broaden your experience, develop your skills and try something new!

Previous applicants need not re-apply.

Main duties of the job

As a People/Employee Relations and Change Specialist, you will play a key role in delivering a high quality People Relations service that supports colleagues, managers and organisational priorities across NICE.

Working as part of the People Relations and Culture Team, you will:

• Manage a varied employee relations caseload end to end, including complex grievance, disciplinary, capability and other sensitive people matters.
• Provide specialist advice, coaching and constructive challenge to managers, helping them make fair, consistent and legally compliant decisions.
• Support organisational change activity, including restructures, redundancy processes and TUPE.
• Contribute to the development, review and implementation of people policies, procedures, guidance and manager toolkits, ensuring alignment with employment law, best practice and NICE values.
• Identify, assess and escalation people related risks, using data, insight and case trends to inform decision making and continuous improvement.
• Maintain accurate case management records and prepare high quality documentation, reports and correspondence relating to people relations and change activity.
• Champion NICE's Just and Restorative Culture, promoting early resolution, psychologically safe workplaces and positive colleague experiences.

About us

We are passionate and proud of the work we do and the impact we make.

NICE offer:

Secure your future with one of the most rewarding pension schemes in the UK

Enjoy a healthy work-life balance with options like remote working, compressed hours and flexible start/finish times

Save on shopping, dining and more with a Blue Light Card

Time to recharge

Start with 27 days' annual leave plus bank holidays

Inclusive staff networks

Join supportive communities like Women in NICE, Race Equality Network, Disability Advocacy and NICE and Proud - we celebrate diversity.

Tailored development

Grow your career with personalised learning and development opportunities

Job responsibilities

To be considered for this role, you should be able to particularly demonstrate the person specification criteria in the job advert in your application. However, applicants should be able to demonstrate all essential criteria through the entirety of the recruitment process to be considered for the job. Please see job description attached for full list of responsibilities.

Wondering what it's like to work in this team? Hear from Olivia Priestley on why she loves her job!:

"What I love most about working at NICE is the culture of the team.People genuinely take the time to check in with each other, recognise a job well done and offer support when it is needed."

"The role also gives you the opportunity to work with colleagues at all levels, including senior and executive stakeholders, which is a great opportunity if you are looking to broaden your experience and influence."

"I also really value the flexibility NICE offers. Being able to work from home most of the time, and work a nine-day fortnight, helps me balance work with life outside of work - including spending more time with my dog, Rolo, who is very much part of the wider teams love of pets!"

"No two days are the same. The work can be complex and varied, but it is different from the pace and intensity you might experience in an acute trust. If you enjoy employee relations work but are looking for a role that is still challenging, varied and meaningful, with a supportive and flexible culture, NICE is a brilliant place to work."

Please note that this role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route, please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information with regards to eligibility.

We reserve the right to close adverts early should we receive sufficient applications so please dont delay your submission.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

• CIPD level 5 or evidence of an equivalent qualification.

Education/Qualifications

• Degree level education or equivalent demonstrable experience in a similar role

Education/Qualifications

• CIPD level 7 (or working towards).

Experience

• Significant experience of managing complex, multi-stranded People Relations cases (such as disciplinary, grievance and capability matters) alongside leading and delivering organisational change initiatives (such as restructures, redundancy, TUPE).

Experience

• Resilience to cope with conflicting demands and working to tight deadlines with the ability to act on own initiative.

Experience

• Experience of developing and implementing people policies, procedures, guidance or manager toolkits.

Skills/Knowledge

• Highly developed communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly in both written and verbal formats, including preparation of formal documentation for hearings, consultation processes and other forums.

Skills/Knowledge

• Understanding of workforce change processes, including restructures, consultation requirements, and the people relations implications of organisational change.

Skills/Knowledge

• Sound understanding of relevant employment legislation and the impact of future legislative changes.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

NICE – The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

Full-time,Flexible working,Home or remote working,Compressed hours