Employee Relations Manager

Grant Thornton; Dublin; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Grant Thornton Ireland is seeking an Employee Relations Manager to partner with the ER/People Experience team, Risk, Regulatory and Legal Affairs. You will lead end-to-end investigations, manage disciplinary and grievance processes, and advise senior leaders on risk and compliance across Ireland and related territories.

The role requires strong judgement, multi-jurisdictional experience, and a capability to balance business needs with employee experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university.
• CIPD qualification or working towards it preferred.
• 7+ years' experience in Employee Relations / HR in a professional services/matrixed environment.
• Strong verbal, written and presentation skills.
• Experience with case management systems and HR tech.

Responsibilities

• Manage employee relations matters and investigations end-to-end with clear reports and updates.
• Lead investigations for highly complex, sensitive matters across service lines.
• Conduct interviews, gather and analyse information, present findings clearly.
• Provide balanced recommendations aligned to policy and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with leaders to identify root causes and mitigate risks.
• Analyse data to identify trends and inform decisions.
• Improve investigative processes and risk controls.
• Partner with People Experience, Risk, Regulatory and Legal Affairs for consistency.

Skills

Investigations

Stakeholder management

Communication

Analytical thinking

Negotiation

Leadership

HR knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree

CIPD qualification

Tools

Case management systems

HR technologies

Job description

Employee Relations Manager

The Employee Relations Manager serves as a key partner to the broader ER/People Experience team, Risk, Regulatory and Legal Affairs, and business leaders in managing complex employee relations matters and investigations across the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Bermuda, and Gibraltar.

Operating within a fast-paced professional services environment, the role is responsible for leading investigations end-to-end, producing detailed documentation and ensuring timely, fair and commercially balanced case resolution.

The successful candidate will manage a broad range of employee relations matters including performance management, disciplinary and grievance matters, policy and compliance issues, workplace investigations and crisis management situations. The role requires sound judgement, strong stakeholder management and the ability to balance commercial considerations with employee experience and organisational risk.

By championing a positive employee relations experience and aligning with the firm's culture and values, the Employee Relations Manager will support equitable outcomes, provide trusted guidance to stakeholders and contribute to a high-performing People & Culture function.

The Employee Relations Manager serves as a key member of the People & Culture team in support of firm-wide goals and objectives and will report to the Head of People Experience.

Core Responsibilities - Investigation Management

• Manage employee relations matters and investigations end-to-end, including producing clear and concise investigation reports, executive updates, disciplinary documentation and utilising a centralised case management system.
• Serve as lead investigator for highly complex and sensitive employee relations matters across various service lines, driving fair and commercially balanced outcomes aligned to firm culture, values and Inclusion & Diversity priorities.
• Conduct investigation interviews and gather, analyse and synthesise information from multiple sources, presenting findings verbally and in writing in a clear and concise manner.
• Exercise sound judgement to assess issues, determine appropriate outcomes and make balanced recommendations.
• Partner with business leaders to identify root causes, mitigate employee relations risks and support positive organisational outcomes.
• Make balanced and commercially informed recommendations and decisions in compliance with internal policies and external regulatory requirements.
• Analyse employee relations data and trends to support informed decision-making and identify emerging themes or risks.
• Continuously identify opportunities to improve investigative processes, strengthen risk controls and enhance employee relations guidance and education.
• Collaborate with business leaders, the broader People Experience team and Risk, Regulatory and Legal Affairs to ensure a consistent and high-quality employee relations experience across the firm.

Core Responsibilities - Risk Operations

• Manage complex and sensitive employee relations and crisis management matters while adapting to competing priorities.
• Lead high-impact employee relations and people risk initiatives across the firm.
• Serve as a trusted HR subject matter expert by applying Irish employment law, firm policy and compliance knowledge to mitigate organisational risk.
• Advise and consult on performance management matters, including ensuring appropriate supporting documentation is in place.
• Deliver project management activities with a strong focus on collaboration across stakeholder groups.
• Provide coaching, guidance and subject matter expertise to People & Culture stakeholders and business leaders across the firm.
• Stay up to date on developments in Irish employment legislation, WRC best practice and relevant case law, updating firm policies and practices as appropriate.
• Support senior leadership in navigating complex employee relations matters and organisational risk considerations.

Key Skills & Experience

• Demonstrated expertise in investigating complex employee relations matters, with a proven track record of effectively managing organisational risk and delivering balanced outcomes.
• Experience managing highly confidential, complex and sensitive employee relations matters in an objective and balanced manner, aligned to the firm's culture, values and Inclusion & Diversity commitments.
• Strong personal initiative with a proactive, hands-on and solutions-oriented approach.
• A commercial and business-focused mindset, combined with a strong commitment to employee experience and stakeholder support.
• Excellent listening, communication and relationship management skills within a highly collaborative and client-service-oriented environment.
• Credibility and confidence in engaging with stakeholders at all levels, including senior leadership.
• Strong influencing, coaching and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Experience managing competing priorities and supporting multiple business leaders across different areas of the organisation.
• Highly collaborative and solutions-oriented, with the ability to build trusted relationships across a matrixed professional services environment.
• The ability to think strategically while delivering practical and commercially focused solutions.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.

Qualifications & Technical Expertise

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university.
• CIPD qualification (or working towards same) preferred.
• 7+ years' experience in Employee Relations / HR, ideally within a professional services or matrixed environment.
• Strong verbal, written and presentation skills.
• Proven strengths in negotiation, influencing, analysis and problem-solving.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively within a fast-paced environment.
• Experience using case management systems and HR technologies.
• Demonstrated experience defining and implementing detailed employee relations processes and frameworks.
• Demonstrated discretion, sound judgement, integrity and strong attention to detail.
• Experience operating within a matrixed professional services environment.
• Experience managing, mentoring and developing HR professionals and/or teams.
• Strong knowledge of Irish employment legislation and employee relations practices, with exposure to multi-jurisdictional environments considered advantageous.
• Experience managing WRC-related matters, disciplinary and grievance processes.
• Strong understanding of Irish employment legislation including Unfair Dismissals, Protected Disclosures, Dignity at Work and Working Time legislation.
• Experience advising and partnering with senior stakeholders within a fast-paced professional services environment.

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About Us

We are Grant Thornton

Grant Thornton Ireland is rapidly approaching 3,000 people, in 9 offices across Ireland, Isle of Man, Gibraltar and Bermuda. With a presence in over 149 countries around the world and a global network of 73,000 people, we bring our clients the local knowledge, national expertise and global presence to help them succeed - wherever they're located.

At GT, we work as trusted advisors, bringing local knowledge and national expertise, with a global presence, to help businesses succeed - wherever they are located. We make business more personal by investing in building relationships and empowering our clients to make the right decisions for their organisation now and for the future. Whether that is working with the public sector to build thriving communities, with regulators and financial institutions to build trust, or with a diverse range of businesses to help them achieve their goals, Grant Thornton Ireland work hard to support clients to act on the issues that matter.

At GT Ireland we don't just predict your future, we build it.

A Career at GT

Looking for a more fulfilling role in professional services? One where fresh thinking, collaboration and diversity are valued? At Grant Thornton we do things differently.

What does this mean for you?

A career in a more inclusive working environment, a more collaborative work culture, a more supported, flexible working role, more possibilities to grow and more opportunities to help shape the future for your clients. We respect and value your experience. And we want you to bring your authentic self to work and be at your best. It is how it should be.

Grow with us

At Grant Thornton, we care about our people and work hard to make you feel valued. If you are looking to deepen and develop your skills, knowledge, and experience throughout your career, then that is what you will get, and more.

Our Benefits

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About the Team

Equity, diversity and inclusion

At Grant Thornton, we provide equitable opportunities for all our colleagues. We are a responsible, sustainable business where equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) is at the forefront of our workplace culture agenda, and today, we continue to build and develop on our existing ED&I structure and strategy to meet our workplace culture needs. People are at the heart of our business and teams built with varied individuals present diverse viewpoints, which need to be heard and valued.

We are all at our best when we are able to be ourselves and we view integrity and authenticity as integral values to bring to our day-to-day work-life at the firm. We are excited to see the personality and perspectives you will bring to our team because we know we will all benefit from them. Diversity of thought, background and experience enables better decision-making, improves the quality of our delivery, and helps us to meet the needs of our clients. Our firm is built on people and their ideas, so we want to hear all the new perspectives and fresh thinking you have to offer. You form the bedrock of our firm's best-practice principles and we will champion you as leaders from day one.

Recognition

We want to create a culture of recognition and celebrating success, by saying thank you to people who surpass our expectations and recognising the right values and behaviours. Our Shout Out recognition scheme is our way of highlighting and promoting achievements. Whether you simply want to say thank you, celebrate a special occasion or give an award for doing something exceptional, you can do all of this and more through the scheme.