Head of Employee Relations

Head of Employee Relations – Merseyside – Permanent – £75,000 - £80,000 per annum

Our client is seeking an accomplished Senior Employee Relations Manager to join their People leadership team and play a key role in shaping a progressive, fair, and commercially focused employee relations strategy.

This is a high-profile opportunity for an experienced ER leader who thrives on navigating complex people challenges, influencing senior stakeholders, and building an environment where leaders feel confident and supported in managing employee matters effectively.

As the organisation's subject matter expert in employee relations, you will provide strategic guidance on complex employment issues, oversee high-risk cases, and ensure decisions are informed by strong employment law knowledge, sound judgement, business insight, and best practice. You will have significant experience operating within a unionised environment, building constructive relationships with recognised trade unions and employee representatives, and confidently managing complex collective employee relations matters.

Working closely with senior leaders, People teams, legal advisers, and employee representatives, you will deliver consistent, effective outcomes while protecting organisational reputation and enhancing the employee experience.

You will also play a pivotal role in strengthening the organisation's wider employee relations approach through policy development, data-driven insights, leadership coaching, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the employee relations strategy, providing expert advice on complex employee matters, employment risk, and best practice.
• Manage complex individual and collective employee relations matters within a unionised environment, maintaining constructive relationships with recognised trade unions and employee representatives.
• Oversee sensitive and high-risk cases, including Employment Tribunal and Early Conciliation matters, from initial assessment through to resolution.
• Act as a trusted adviser to senior leaders, providing pragmatic recommendations that balance legal obligations with business priorities.
• Build leadership capability through coaching, guidance, and practical support to enable confident decision-making.
• Develop and enhance employee relations policies, frameworks, and processes to improve consistency and effectiveness.
• Use data, trends, and insights to identify emerging risks, influence People strategy, and drive organisational improvement.
• Keep up to date with employment law developments and translate legislative changes into practical business actions.
• Support organisational change programmes and wider People initiatives, ensuring employee relations considerations are effectively embedded.

About You

You will be an experienced employee relations professional with a strong understanding of UK employment law and a proven track record of managing complex workplace matters within a large, evolving and unionised organisation.

• Significant experience leading complex employee relations activity, including Employment Tribunal and Early Conciliation processes.
• Demonstrable experience operating within a unionised environment, including managing collective consultation, trade union relationships, and complex negotiations.
• The ability to influence and advise senior stakeholders with confidence, credibility, and sound judgement.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to balance employment risk with operational priorities.
• Experience working collaboratively with recognised trade unions and employee representatives to achieve positive outcomes.
• A proven track record of developing ER policies, improving processes, and embedding effective governance.
• The ability to interpret legislation, case trends, and data to provide practical business solutions.
• Excellent communication, influencing, coaching, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical capability and experience using insight to support decision-making.

A CIPD qualification at Level 5 or above (or equivalent professional experience) is required, with Level 7 desirable.

This is an excellent opportunity for an established employee relations leader to shape strategy, influence culture, and make a significant impact within a forward-thinking, unionised organisation.

Please apply to Leanne Boddy at Macmillan Davies HR.