People Partner (Employee Relations)

Dunelm; Stoke-on-Trent; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Dunelm is seeking an Employee Relations People Partner to provide expert guidance to leaders across our Distribution and Home Delivery Network operations, ensuring fair, consistent and legally compliant application of people policies.

Working field-based roles across Stoke and Cannock and five Home Delivery Network depots, you’ll coach leaders, handle complex ER matters and use data to drive improvements in colleague experience and operational performance.

Qualifications

• Proven experience handling complex employee relations cases with fair, compliant outcomes.
• In-depth knowledge of employment law and practical application in business.
• Strong stakeholder management and ability to influence at senior levels.
• Experience coaching leaders to improve capability and performance.
• Analytical, data-driven approach to identify risk and opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Provide leaders with expert guidance on employee relation matters, ensuring cases are managed effectively and in line with policy and employment law.
• Manage and mitigate people-related risks, escalating issues and protecting the business from exposure.
• Ensure consistent application of people policies and processes and employment practices.
• Coach and challenge leaders to manage performance, absence, conduct and ER matters, building capability.
• Hold leaders to account for following correct people processes with clear ownership.
• Provide oversight of compliance areas, including right to work and mandatory training.
• Analyse people data to identify risks, trends and opportunities, and recommend actions.
• Partner with the wider People team to align day-to-day management with policy and strategy.

Skills

Employee relations

Employment law

Stakeholder management

Coaching & development

Analytical skills

Change management

Cross-site collaboration

Job description

Overview

As an Employee Relations People Partner, you'll provide expert people advice and support to leaders across our Distribution and Home Delivery Network operations, ensuring the fair, consistent and legally compliant application of people policies and processes. Acting as a trusted partner, you'll help leaders navigate complex people matters, manage risk and achieve positive outcomes for colleagues and the business.

This field-based role supports our Distribution Centres in Stoke and Cannock, alongside five Home Delivery Network depots across the UK.

Working closely with operational leaders, you'll build management capability through coaching, guidance and constructive challenge within fast-paced logistics and home delivery environments. You'll support a wide range of employee relations matters, including performance, attendance, conduct, grievance and disciplinary cases, helping leaders apply policies consistently while fostering a culture of accountability and high performance.

Using people data and insight, you'll identify trends, risks and opportunities, driving targeted interventions that improve colleague experience, strengthen leadership effectiveness and support operational performance. You'll also ensure robust people practices are embedded, enabling the successful delivery of business objectives across the network.

What you'll be doing

• Provide leaders with expert guidance and oversight on employee relation matters, ensuring cases are managed effectively, consistently and in line with policy and employment law.


• Manage and mitigate people-related risks, escalating issues appropriately and protecting the business from legal and reputational exposure.


• Ensure consistent application of people policies and processes and employment practices across the business.


• Coach, support and challenge leaders to confidently and effectively manage performance, absence, conduct and employee relations matters, building leadership capability and driving high performance teams.


• Hold leaders to account for following correct people processes, ensuring clear ownership and effective case management.


• Provide oversight of key compliance areas, including right to work, mandatory training and people process adherence, identifying gaps and driving corrective action.


• Analyse people data (e.g. absence, ER trends, compliance, turnover and engagement) to identify risks, performance opportunities and areas of inconsistency, recommending actions that improve colleague and business outcomes.


• Partner with the wider People team to ensure alignment between day-to-day people management, policy and broader people strategy

What we'll look for in you

• Strong employee relations expertise, with experience managing complex cases and delivering fair, consistent and legally compliant outcomes.


• In-depth knowledge of employment law, with the ability to apply this in a pragmatic and commercially focused way.


• Experience identifying, assessing and mitigating people-related risks, balancing colleague experience with business needs.


• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the confidence to challenge, coach and hold leaders accountable at all levels.


• Proven ability to build management capability through coaching, developing confidence and effectiveness in handling people matters.


• Analytical and insight-driven, with the ability to interpret people data, identify trends and drive actions that improve performance and colleague outcomes.


• Strong attention to detail, with a focus on governance, compliance and ensuring high standards are maintained.


• Experience working in a multi-site operational environment, supporting leaders across diverse teams and locations.


• Experience supporting organisational change, helping leaders and colleagues navigate change effectively.


• Ability to shape thinking and influence decision-making at a senior level, bringing confidence, credibility and constructive challenge.


• Experience designing and implementing scalable, practical people solutions within fast-paced and complex environments.


• A proactive and curious mindset, always looking for opportunities to improve people practices, simplify processes and deliver better outcomes for the business and colleagues.