People Relations Specialist

Paragon Banking Group Plc; Metropolitan Borough of Solihull; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

Share Save Scheme

Profit related pay

Pension plan

Family friendly policies

Employee discounts

Volunteering day

Life Assurance and Personal Accident

Job summary

Paragon Banking Group Plc is seeking a People Relations Specialist to coach People Managers on complex employee relations matters across the UK. You will manage high‑risk ER cases, advise on health-related issues, and partner with Occupational Health and HR to drive compliant policies.

The role includes travel to Paragon offices and delivering ER training. We value diversity and offer a supportive environment with hybrid working, flexible hours, and ongoing development to help you reach your

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing varied employee relations caseloads with UK employment law knowledge.
• Ability to provide clear, practical HR advice to People Managers.
• Confident handling sensitive conversations with empathy and professionalism.
• Strong written and verbal communication with clear case documentation.
• Excellent organisation with ability to manage competing priorities.
• Analytical skills to interpret ER data and spot trends.
• Valid UK driving licence for travel to Paragon offices.
• Experience supporting organisational change.

Responsibilities

• Coach People Managers on complex employee relations matters (conduct, performance, absence).
• Manage high-risk and sensitive ER cases from investigation to outcome.
• Support managers to address conduct and performance concerns proactively.
• Advise on health-related matters including welfare meetings and medical referrals.
• Coordinate with Occupational Health for adjustments and return-to-work efforts.
• Collaborate with HR to develop policies, procedures and letters aligned with legislation.
• Keep up to date with employment law and share knowledge through training.
• Analyse ER data to identify trends and recommend interventions.

Skills

Employee relations

Advisory to managers

Empathy in conversations

Communication skills

Organisation

Data analysis

Driving licence

Change management

Education

CIPD Level 5 or equivalent

Job description

About The Role

Let’s grow together!

A Platinum Investors in People employer and an award-winning UK bank, focused on growth. Our customers include savers and businesses across the UK and, working together, we use our specialist expertise to help them achieve their ambitions and build a sustainable future. If you’re a People Relations Specialist looking for an opportunity to grow in a friendly environment, we’re looking for you!

We’re flexible, inclusive, committed to your wellbeing and passionate about you reaching your potential. Let’s grow together …

What you’ll be doing

• Coach People Managers on complex employee relations matters, including conduct, performance and absence, enabling them to lead their teams confidently.
• Manage high-risk and sensitive employee relations cases, including disciplinary, grievance and whistleblowing matters, from investigation and hearing through to outcome.
• Support People Managers to address conduct and performance concerns proactively and consistently.
• Advise on complex health-related matters, including welfare meetings and medical referrals.
• Work closely with Occupational Health and external providers to identify appropriate adjustments and support effective returns to work.
• Partner with the HR team to develop and implement clear, practical policies, procedures and letters aligned with employment legislation and best practice.
• Keep up to date with employment law and best practice, sharing knowledge and delivering training to colleagues.
• Analyse employee relations data to identify trends and recommend targeted interventions that improve retention and engagement.

About You

What you’ll bring to the team

Essential

• Proven experience managing a varied employee relations caseload, with sound knowledge of UK employment legislation and HR best practice.
• The ability to provide People Managers with clear, practical and commercially balanced advice on complex employee relations matters.
• Confidence in handling sensitive and challenging conversations with empathy, professionalism and sound judgement.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, accurate and appropriate case documentation.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining quality and attention to detail.
• Analytical skills, with the ability to interpret employee relations data, identify trends and recommend appropriate action.
• A valid UK driving licence, as travel to other Paragon offices will be required.
• Experience supporting organisational change

Desirable

• CIPD Level 5 qualification or above, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Experience working in a regulated or financial services environment.
• Experience using employee relations data to inform improvements, training or preventative interventions.

At Paragon, we value diversity and we’re excited to hear from passionate individuals like you!

Further information on the role can be found in the Purpose and Performance Profile (PPP), which is downloadable on this page.

Please note, applicants must have the right to work in the UK. We do not offer visa sponsorship.

Working hours

37.5 hours per week, hybrid working, Monday to Friday 08:30 - 17:00 (1 hour lunch)

Inclusion

As a Disability Confident Employer, we want to ensure that our vacancies are accessible for everyone. If you have a disability, long term health condition or are neurodiverse and need us to adjust our recruitment process please get in touch with our recruitment team.

About Us

What can we offer you?

• Generous Holiday Allowance: Starting from 27 days and climbing to 30, you also get to enjoy a day off for your birthday, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve. You can also buy or sell up to a week’s leave
• Share Save Scheme: Annually, you have the opportunity to buy shares in Paragon at a discounted rate
• Profit Related Pay: We share some of our annual profit with our eligible employees
• Pension Plan: We contribute up to 10% of your annual salary towards your pension
• Family Friendly policies: We offer enhanced parental pay and paid time off for fertility treatment
• Employee Discounts: Enjoy exclusive discounts on entertainment, travel, shopping, motoring and more
• Volunteering Day: Contribute to causes you care about with one volunteering day per year
• Life Assurance and Personal Accident Cover

Be flexible

We promote flexibility around how and where we work so that you can achieve a healthier work-life balance. We operate hybrid working, splitting our week between the office and home.

As an equal opportunities employer, we welcome diversity and care about inclusion. That’s why we want you to be your whole self at work. We believe an inclusive workplace is good for each of us, great for our customers and better for our business. Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Network meets regularly to share challenges, experience, and ideas to build a more equal, diverse, and inclusive business.

Be heard

We listen to your point of view, with our People Forum and regular employee surveys making sure you can use your voice and influence our future.

Be well

We will give you access to a range of tools and resources to support your wellbeing. This will include a digital GP service via our free Employee Assistance Programme, access to our Wellbeing team to connect you with the help you need to get more out of life and our Vitality at Work programme to provide you with discounted gym membership, fitness equipment and another multitude of wellbeing services.

Be better

We want you to reach your potential and, as a Platinum Investors in People employer, we’ll encourage you to learn and develop by building a personalised development plan together with your manager.