Senior ER Advisor

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Worthing; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 52,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

NHS pension

Annual leave benefits

Hybrid working

Part-time 30 hours

Job summary

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Senior Employee Relations Advisor to join the People Directorate. The role spans East Sussex services, offering autonomous ER guidance to managers and leaders in a large, complex Trust.

We value CIPD qualifications or equivalent experience, with NHS exposure not essential. The role is part-time (30 hours) with hybrid working and weekly office attendance, aiming to reduce escalation and improve people practices across the organisation.

Qualifications

• Significant experience managing complex ER cases autonomously.
• Up-to-date knowledge of employment law.
• Experience supporting disciplinary, grievance, attendance and performance processes.

Responsibilities

• Independently manage complex and sensitive ER casework.
• Provide expert advice and coaching to managers and senior leaders.
• Support organisational change, restructuring and workforce redesign.
• Build relationships with Trade Unions and Staff Representatives.
• Contribute to workforce policy development and continuous improvement.

Skills

ER expertise

Advising managers

Education

CIPD Level 5

CIPD Level 7

Job description

• Permanent | Part time, 30 hours per week
• Hybrid working | Office attendance at least once a week
• Based at Portland House, Worthing, supporting services across East Sussex

Are you an experienced Employee Relations professional who enjoys solving complex people challenges and influencing positive outcomes?

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is looking for an experienced Senior Employee Relations Advisor to join our People Directorate.

This is an opportunity to take on a genuinely senior advisory role, working autonomously with managers and senior leaders across a large and complex organisation.

You'll provide expert, practical and solution-focused ER advice, helping leaders navigate complex situations while promoting early resolution, fairness and positive employee experiences.

The opportunity

As a Senior ER Advisor, you'll be a trusted partner to managers and senior leaders across our services in East Sussex.

You'll manage complex and sensitive employee relations matters including disciplinary, grievance, dignity at work, performance, absence management and organisational change.

But this role is about more than managing cases.

You'll use your ER expertise to identify emerging issues, reduce unnecessary escalation, coach managers and help create better people practices across the organisation.

You'll also contribute to workforce policy development, management capability and continuous improvement, using insight from casework, employment law, workforce data and employee feedback to influence how we work.

What you'll be doing

• Independently managing complex and sensitive ER casework
• Providing expert advice and coaching to managers and senior leaders
• Supporting organisational change, restructuring and workforce redesign
• Building constructive relationships with Trade Unions and Staff Representatives
• Supporting formal investigations, hearings and appeals
• Applying employment legislation, case law and best practice to manage organisational risk
• Using ER data and emerging trends to inform early intervention and improvement
• Developing People policies, procedures and ER processes
• Supporting and developing People Advisors within the wider team
• Championing fair, compassionate and resolution-focused approaches to employee relations

About you

We're looking for an experienced HR or Employee Relations professional who can combine technical expertise with sound judgement, credibility and strong relationship-building skills.

You'll bring significant experience managing complex ER cases autonomously and advising managers on challenging people issues.

You'll also have up-to-date knowledge of employment law and experience supporting areas such as disciplinary, grievance, attendance, performance and organisational change.

You'll ideally hold a CIPD Level 5 or Level 7 qualification, or have equivalent relevant experience.

NHS experience isn't essential. We'd also welcome applications from experienced ER professionals who have worked within other large, complex or unionised organisations and can bring their skills and experience into an NHS environment.

Why join Sussex Partnership?

We're a specialist mental health, learning disability and neurodevelopmental NHS Trust where our people directly influence the quality of care we provide.

This role offers:

• A part-time 30-hour working week
• Hybrid working with office attendance at least once a week
• A high level of professional autonomy
• The opportunity to work with managers and senior leaders across a complex organisation
• An experienced Senior ER Advisor team providing peer support and cross-cover
• Opportunities to influence People policies, processes and management practice
• NHS pension and annual leave benefits
• Ongoing professional development and opportunities to broaden your HR experience

Why this role stands out

If you're an ER professional who enjoys getting underneath complex issues rather than simply applying policy, this role gives you the scope to do that.

You'll have the autonomy to advise, influence and coach leaders while helping us move towards earlier resolution, stronger management capability and a fair and compassionate workplace culture.

Ready for your next ER challenge?

If you're looking for a senior ER role where your judgement, expertise and ability to influence can make a genuine difference, we'd love to hear from you.