Tech Stack
Leadership
Job Description, Responsibilities & Requirements
About the Position
Employee Relations & Change Senior Manager
Company: Oakleaf Partnership
Location: Hammersmith, London (Hybrid - 3 days per week in the office)
Salary: Up to £90,000 + 17.5% Bonus
Contract: 18-Month Fixed-Term Contract
Start Date: ASAP
Responsibilities
Organisational Change & Transformation
- Lead the people and employee relations aspects of organisational change programmes, including restructures, workforce transformation initiatives, operating model changes and redundancy consultations.
- Provide strategic Employee Relations leadership across complex business transformation projects.
- Identify, assess and mitigate employee relations risks associated with organisational change, ensuring commercially balanced and legally compliant outcomes.
- Develop change plans, risk assessments and people strategies to support successful programme delivery.
- Partner with senior leaders to ensure employee engagement, effective communication and stakeholder management are embedded throughout change initiatives.
- Collaborate across HR, Legal and wider business functions to successfully deliver strategic People programmes.
Employee Relations Strategy & Governance
- Lead the Employee Relations Centre of Excellence, driving consistency, governance and best practice across the organisation.
- Develop and deliver the Employee Relations strategy and roadmap aligned to business priorities and organisational values.
- Analyse Employee Relations data and trends to identify risks, drive proactive interventions and enhance the employee experience.
- Review, develop and implement Employee Relations policies, frameworks and procedures, ensuring legal compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
- Monitor changes in employment legislation and provide practical, commercially focused recommendations to the business.
- Build strong partnerships with Legal, Reward, People Operations and senior business leaders to proactively manage people risk.
Complex Employee Relations Leadership
- Act as the escalation point for complex and high-risk employee relations matters across multiple European countries.
- Lead and advise on sensitive investigations, disciplinary, grievance, performance, absence and executive-level cases.
- Balance legal risk, business priorities and employee experience to deliver pragmatic and commercially sound solutions.
- Ensure the consistent application of policies, procedures and employment legislation across all Employee Relations activity.
Coaching & Capability Building
- Coach, mentor and develop People Business Partners and HR teams to strengthen Employee Relations capability across the wider People function.
- Design and deliver training programmes for managers and People teams on Employee Relations best practice, employment law and organisational change.
- Develop self-service guidance, frameworks and tools that increase manager capability and reduce organisational risk.
- Embed sustainable Employee Relations practices that enable long-term organisational capability and continuous improvement.
Requirements
Essential Experience
- Significant Employee Relations leadership experience managing complex and high-risk casework.
- Proven experience supporting multiple European markets with a strong understanding of employment legislation beyond the UK.
- Demonstrated success leading organisational change, restructuring and transformation programmes.
- Experience delivering strategic People projects from design through to implementation and embedding.
- Strong knowledge of employment law, employee consultation and Employee Relations best practice.
- Experience coaching senior leaders, managers and HR professionals.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to use data and insight to influence decision-making.
- Excellent stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills.
- Comfortable operating within a fast-paced, matrix and international environment.
Desirable
- CIPD qualification (or equivalent).
- Experience supporting Works Councils, collective consultation or employee representative bodies.
- Experience working within a global technology, consulting or highly matrixed organisation.
We Offer
- Competitive salary up to £90,000 + 17.5% Bonus
- 18-Month Fixed-Term Contract
- Hybrid working (3 days per week in the office)
- Opportunity to shape people practices during a significant period of business change
About the Company
Oakleaf Partnership is the UK’s largest independent HR recruitment consultancy. Founded in 2005, we have built enduring relationships with HR functions across every sector; thanks in part to our expertise, but also our collaborative approach. We listen. We share our insights. We take the time to truly understand the culture of an organisation – the person behind a CV.
Apply today or get in touch for a confidential conversation.