Senior Employee Relations Casework Adviser

UKRI; Swindon; Hybrid; GBP 46,000; Full time

Job summary

UKRI is seeking a Senior Employee Relations Casework Adviser to join their HR Operations team. The successful candidate will provide expert advice on employee relations matters, manage complex casework, and support a high-quality service in a virtual-first environment. This role requires strong knowledge of employment law and the ability to foster collaborative relationships across the organization.

Benefits

Defined benefit pension scheme

Employee shopping/travel discounts

Salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme

Excellent holiday entitlement

Qualifications

• Minimum CIPD level 5 qualified or equivalent experience.
• Ability to manage complex employee relations casework.
• Experience in a high-pressure environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage complex cases in employee relations including bullying and grievance.
• Ensure compliance with policy and provide guidance to managers.
• Lead on continuous improvement of ER processes.

Skills

Strong interpersonal skills

Knowledge of employment law

Negotiation skills

Management skills

Analytical skills

Education

CIPD level 5 qualification

Job description

UK Research and Innovation

Salary: £45,272 per annum.
Hours: Full time
Contract Type: Open Ended.
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire/Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot/Daresbury, Cheshire (Hybrid Working).

Closing Date: 22nd June 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Employee Relations Casework Advisers to join the ER Team within the HR Operations function.
ER roles are not Council aligned and operate in a ‘virtual-first’ environment to optimise efficiency and use of resource; however, occasional attendance on site may be necessary on a case-by-case basis.
The successful candidates will have demonstrable experience of managing complex casework across a range of employee relations processes and have an enthusiasm for continuous improvement and learning to support a high-quality ER offering across UKRI.

Job Description

The purpose of the Employee Relations (ER) Team is to provide managers and staff with timely, legally compliant high-quality advice to support managers with ER matters and formal / complex casework, as well as providing specialist ER advice to broader HR teams. The UKRI Redeployment Pool and associated processes are also managed by the Employee Relations team.
The Senior ER Casework Advisers will work collaboratively to provide effective operational management to the ER team to ensure maintenance of a high-quality service and effective delivery of casework activity and support for HR projects across all areas of UKRI, providing professional guidance and support for managers and staff.
As well as potentially having line management responsibility, the Senior ER Advisers will also deputise for the HR Employee Relations Casework Lead to ensure appropriate levels of support and management are always available, in conjunction with the Head of Employee Relations.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Ensuring compliance with policy, manage and/or supply support as appropriate for:
  • Bullying & harassment cases
  • Complex grievance cases
  • Disciplinary cases, including gross misconduct disciplinary cases.
  • Complex cases relating to capability, sickness absence and probation cases.
  • Appeals
  • Managed exits (including ill-health retirement, efficiency exits and single case redundancies).
  • Support the ER Casework Lead with litigation activity.
  • Provide timely, accurate and robust advice and guidance to managers and members of staff on a full range of ER casework issues.
  • Lead with a continuous improvement mindset, supporting the Employee Relations Casework Lead and Head of Employee Relations in evolving a best practice case management approach.
  • Maintain a cohort of suitably trained managers across grades, councils and corporate functions who are able to undertake investigations and to chair formal hearings (including appeals). Identify gaps and assist in identifying and training new investigators.
  • Work closely with the HR Operations Team, HR Business Partner Teams and the Centres of Expertise to deliver a joined-up HR Service across the organisation, providing specialist ER Policy advice / support on broader HR initiatives as required (e.g., TUPE / Change programmes)
  • Lead on developing a suite of ER Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and template letters / documentation to support ER activity to share with the HR teams across UKRI, and ensure they are kept up to date regularly.
  • Work with HR colleagues across UKRI to support the development, maintenance and improvement of best practice ER policies and procedures.
  • Participate as appropriate in the delivery of ER related upskilling (e.g. MDP Employment Law module)
  • Lead, or support, on corporate or localised ER-related projects and initiatives, as necessary.
  • Ensure cases on the ER casework tracker are updated and engage HR colleagues across UKRI to effectively, and consistently, utilise the central casework tracker, keeping the system, guidance and upskilling up to date.
  • Use MI data to analyse trends and make appropriate recommendations feeding into wider HR initiatives, including shaping training material to enhance ER elements of Line Manager capability across UKRI.
  • Provide effective first line management to ER Casework team members. Support their development through coaching and mentoring, to help develop their skills, knowledge, expertise and to achieve their potential.
  • Provide ‘ad hoc’ cover for the Employee Relations Casework Lead and deputise when necessary, making decisions and resolving problems.
  • Provide ‘ad-hoc’ cover for the Redeployment Manager and relevant processes, when necessary.

Essential Skills/Qualifications/Experience

(S) – Assessed at shortlisting (I) – Assessed at interview (S&I) – Assessed at both shortlisting and interview

• Minimum CIPD level 5 qualified or equivalent experience working in similar roles (S)
• Ability to evidence a sound knowledge, understanding and application of employment law, data protection, best practice, and people management processes, with a commitment to staying up to date with changes (S&I)
• Strong experience of dealing with a range of complex formal casework relating to the whole employee cycle (S&I)
• Highly flexible, tenacious, and resilient; able to work flexibly in a time-pressured environment (I)
• A strategic and commercial focus mindset, ensuring a high level of consistency and teamworking within your team (S&I)
• Persuasive interpersonal skills and ability to maintain constructive relationships. Evidenced through ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with senior leaders and a wide range of internal and external stakeholders (I)
• Ability to manage and inspire teams to deliver a quality service in a fast-paced environment (I)
• Experience of presenting information to a range of stakeholders, including to senior managers (S&I)
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to assimilate complex information, communicate in different formats and present to various audiences (S&I)
• Negotiation skills and the ability to present constructive challenge in a manner which overcomes differences in opinion and delivers outcomes (I)
• Ability to delegate effectively (I)

About UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI launched in April 2018, UKRI is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

Our organisation brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England, which is responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher education institutions in England, and the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK. Together we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. More information can be found atwww.ukri.org.

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit Benefits of working for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.