Senior Employee Relations Partner

Arriva UK Bus Limited; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Arriva UK Bus Limited seeks a Senior ER Partner to shape employee relations across London operations. You will advise senior leaders, lead on complex cases, and drive policy and governance improvements to reduce risk and improve employee outcomes.

In this senior role, you will coach ER colleagues, partner with trade unions, and steer organisational change initiatives, ensuring a commercially focused and legally compliant people strategy.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in senior Employee Relations or ER leadership roles.
• Extensive experience handling high-risk ER cases including disciplinaries and tribunals.
• Strong understanding of UK employment law and case law.

Responsibilities

• Lead highly complex and high-risk ER cases with policy & legal compliance.
• Act as escalation point for ER Partners and HR teams to achieve compliant outcomes.
• Develop proactive ER strategies aligned with business objectives and change programmes.
• Analyse ER data to identify trends and reduce case volumes.

Skills

Senior ER experience

UK employment law

Stakeholder management

Coaching & mentoring

Data analysis

ER frameworks governance

Communication

HR policy advisory

Education

CIPD Level 5 or 7

Equivalent professional experience

Tools

HRIS platforms

ER case management systems

MS Office

Job description

Senior ER Partner

We are looking for a Senior ER Partner to partner with Operational stakeholders across our London UK Bus Operation. The Senior ER Business Partner plays a pivotal role in shaping and delivering the employee relations agenda across the business. Acting as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, this role leads on complex, high-risk and business-critical employee relations matters, ensuring a consistent, commercially focused and legally compliant approach to people management. As a senior subject matter expert, you will provide strategic guidance, challenge and coach leaders and ER colleagues to drive effective resolution of employee relations issues whilst minimising organisational risk. You will lead the development of ER frameworks, governance and best practice, using data and insight to proactively identify trends, influence decision-making and improve people outcomes. This role is instrumental in fostering positive employee relations, strengthening management capability and supporting transformational business initiatives, including organisational change programmes and employee engagement strategies.

Main Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the management of highly complex, sensitive and high-risk employee relations cases, providing expert guidance and ensuring consistent application of policy, process and employment legislation.
• Act as the senior escalation point for ER Business Partners, HR teams and operational leaders, coaching and supporting stakeholders to achieve commercially balanced and legally compliant outcomes.
• Partner with senior operational and business leaders to develop proactive employee relations strategies that support business objectives and enhance organisational effectiveness.
• Analyse employee relations data, trends and risk indicators to provide strategic insight, identifying opportunities to reduce case volumes, improve manager capability and strengthen employee engagement.
• Develop, implement and continuously improve ER policies, frameworks, governance and manager toolkits to ensure best practice and consistency across the organisation.
• Drive a proactive, risk-based approach to case management, including early intervention and resolution strategies, to minimise legal exposure, operational disruption and financial cost.
• Lead on the management and continuous improvement of ER case management systems, processes and reporting, ensuring accurate record keeping, robust governance and meaningful performance metrics.
• Build and maintain highly effective relationships with senior stakeholders, Trade Union representatives and employee forums, fostering a culture of positive employee relations and constructive partnership working.
• Provide strategic ER support for organisational change programmes, restructures, consultations, acquisitions and other significant people initiatives.
• Coach, mentor and develop ER Business Partners and wider HR colleagues, building organisational capability and promoting best practice across the employee relations landscape.
• Influence and support managers to take ownership and accountability for employee relations matters whilst developing their confidence and competence in people management.
• Monitor developments in employment legislation, case law and industry best practice, ensuring organisational readiness and compliance through timely advice and policy updates.
• Lead or contribute to cross-functional projects aimed at improving employee experience, organisational culture and people-related business performance.

About You

• Significant experience in a senior Employee Relations, HR Business Partner or specialist ER position within a complex, unionised and fast-paced environment.
• Extensive experience managing complex, high-profile and high-risk employee relations cases, including disciplinaries, grievances, absence management, whistleblowing, organisational change and employment tribunal preparation.
• Demonstrable experience partnering with senior leadership teams and influencing decision-making at a strategic level.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law, legislation, case law and employee relations best practice, with the ability to apply this knowledge pragmatically and commercially.
• Proven experience of working collaboratively with Trade Unions and employee representatives to achieve positive business and employee outcomes.
• Excellent coaching, influencing and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build credibility and challenge constructively at all levels.
• Strong commercial acumen and sound judgement, with the ability to balance legal risk, employee experience and business priorities.
• Experience in developing ER frameworks, policies, guidance and governance processes that drive consistency and continuous improvement.
• Highly analytical, with the ability to interpret complex data, identify trends and provide actionable recommendations to support strategic decision-making.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, capable of managing multiple priorities, competing deadlines and business-critical initiatives.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex ER issues clearly and confidently.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, HRIS platforms and employee relations case management systems.
• CIPD Level 5 or Level 7 qualification, or equivalent professional experience, desirable.

Arriva is a leading provider of passenger transport across Europe, employing around 34,400 people and delivering around 1.6 billion passenger journeys. With buses, trains, coaches, trams, waterbuses, bike-sharing systems, on-demand transport solutions and a rolling stock leasing company, Arriva proudly connects people and communities safely, reliably and sustainably across 11 countries, delivering these services in a better way, every day. The activities of Arriva are divided into four business units: UK Bus, UK Trains, The Netherlands and Mainland Europe. Arriva has passenger transport operations in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom, and also operates a rolling stock leasing company in Romania.