Senior HR Advisor (Employee Relations)

SHOOSMITHS LLP; Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Shoosmiths LLP is seeking a Senior HR Advisor (Employee Relations) to act as the ER subject matter expert. You will lead on complex people matters, provide risk-aware guidance to managers, and collaborate with senior HR colleagues to ensure compliant, fair outcomes across the firm.

You will handle investigations, advise on disciplinary and performance issues, and support organisational change while maintaining high standards of data and governance.

Qualifications

• Experience in employee relations within HR and handling complex cases.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and practical application.
• Experience conducting investigations and advising on disciplinary matters.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end investigations into complex and sensitive cases.
• Provide clear, commercially focused ER guidance to managers.
• Manage escalated matters including Employment Tribunals and settlement agreements.
• Analyse ER data and translate into actionable improvements.

Skills

Employee relations

Investigation management

Disciplinary advising

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Communication skills

HR policies

Education

CIPD qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office

HR systems

Job description

The role As a Senior HR Advisor (Employee Relations), you will act as a subject matter expert in employee relations, leading on the management of complex and sensitive people matters across the firm. You will provide clear, commercially pragmatic and risk-aware advice to managers, balancing legal compliance, employee experience and business outcomes.

Working closely with Senior HR Business Partners, Senior HR Advisors and specialist teams, you will play a key role in ensuring a consistent, fair and legally compliant approach to employee relations, while identifying opportunities to proactively reduce risk and improve organisational effectiveness. Level of role is subject to experience, skills and knowledge.

As a Senior HR Advisor (Employee Relations), you will act as a subject matter expert in employee relations, leading on the management of complex and sensitive people matters across the firm. You will provide clear, commercially pragmatic and risk-aware advice to managers, balancing legal compliance, employee experience and business outcomes.

Working closely with Senior HR Business Partners, Senior HR Advisors and specialist teams, you will play a key role in ensuring a consistent, fair and legally compliant approach to employee relations, while identifying opportunities to proactively reduce risk and improve organisational effectiveness. Level of role is subject to experience, skills and knowledge., Employee relations case management & specialist advice

Act as a trusted adviser and ER specialist, supporting managers on a wide range of employee relations matters, including disciplinary, grievance, absence, performance and conduct issues.

Lead end-to-end investigations into complex and sensitive cases, ensuring thorough, impartial processes and high-quality documentation.

Provide clear, consistent and commercially focused guidance, including constructive challenge where required, to support robust and fair decision making.

Manage and support escalated matters including Employment Tribunals, COT3 agreements and settlement agreements, liaising with ACAS and external legal advisers as appropriate.

Risk, governance & legal compliance

• Identify, assess and mitigate employee relations risks, ensuring proportionate and defensible outcomes that protect the firm's reputation and minimise legal exposure.
• Ensure consistent application of HR policies, procedures and employment law across all business areas.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of employment legislation and best practice, proactively recommending updates to policies, procedures and guidance.

Stakeholder capability building

• Build strong relationships with managers and stakeholders, developing their confidence and capability in managing people issues effectively.
• Provide practical coaching and guidance to support early intervention, appropriate escalation and consistent handling of employee matters.
• Facilitate resolution discussions, mediations and informal interventions to resolve issues at the earliest opportunity.

Data, insight & continuous improvement

• Analyse employee relations data and trends to identify recurring themes, root causes and emerging risks.
• Provide insight and reporting to Senior HR Business Partners and stakeholders, translating data into actionable recommendations and preventative strategies.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of ER processes, templates and ways of working to enhance efficiency, consistency and employee experience.

Organisational change & project support

Provide expert ER input into organisational change initiatives including restructures, redundancies, TUPE transfers and changes to terms and conditions.

Support the delivery of change programmes, ensuring a legally compliant, fair and well-managed approach to employee impact.

Collaborate with wider People teams to ensure a joined-up, consistent approach across the employee lifecycle.

Culture, engagement & inclusion

Support the promotion of a culture of fairness, respect and inclusion, aligning with the firm's Responsible Business and DEI objectives.

Use ER insights to inform engagement activity and identify opportunities to improve employee experience and retention.

Experience and skills

• Demonstrable experience in employee relations within HR, with proven capability managing complex cases independently.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and experience applying it in a practical, business-focused way.
• Experience conducting investigations and advising on disciplinary, grievance and performance matters.
• Confident stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and provide constructive challenge.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret data and generate meaningful insight.
• High levels of discretion, judgement and emotional intelligence when handling sensitive matters.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Strong IT and AI capability including Microsoft Office and HR systems.

Desirable

• Experience in professional services, ideally with multi-site and/or international exposure, and regulated environment.
• Experience supporting Employment Tribunals, settlement agreements or complex litigation.
• Exposure to organisational change programmes (e.g., redundancies, TUPE).
• Working towards or holding CIPD qualification

Shoosmiths is the law firm clients choose for excellent service, incisive thinking and above all for our ability to focus on what matters. From offices across the UK and Brussels, we support some of the world's most exciting and ambitious businesses; amazing clients making an impact. We empower our people to be their authentic selves and deliver together in supportive teams committed to excellence and innovation. The first top 50 law firm to achieve 'Platinum Standard' Investors in People, our values and culture are not just words on our website but are the heartbeat of the firm.

We have an outstanding benefits package to complement our competitive remuneration system. In addition to the competitive salaries, great working environment and high-quality work, we believe that all staff should be rewarded for their commitment to the continued success of the firm through a comprehensive and flexible range of benefits.

To discover more about our benefits, please visit: Benefits Package

Shoosmiths is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. Disability Confident is a government scheme designed to encourage employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term conditions. The Disability Confident scheme replaced the Two Ticks Positive about Disabled People scheme. We had been accredited as a two tick employer for many years - Disability Confident broadens and develops that original commitment, and demonstrates we have adopted a proactive approach to employing disabled people and developing their abilities.

As part of our accreditation, we commit to interviewing any applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria for each vacancy. In some circumstances we may only be able to interview those that best meet the essential criteria due to the volume of applications received.

Further information on the Disability Confident scheme is available at

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to and usable by everyone. If you have a disability or long-term condition and would like to receive information in a different way, or need us to make any adjustments, changes or do anything differently during the recruitment process, please get in touch with the Talent Acquisition team on . We can consider your needs and requirements, and how we can assist you to apply for our roles. For example we can provide a copy of our application via email so that you can complete it using your own accessibility software.

Equal opportunities Our approach to our people is underpinned by our approach to diversity, inclusion and well-being. Our ambition is to build a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and talents, and a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and has a strong sense of community between colleagues.

This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.

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