Head of ER & Policy - Hertfordshire, HPYL

Head of Employee Relations & Policy Strategy

Hemel Hempstead (Hybrid – 3 days/week in office)

Part Time Working Considered – 4 full days or 5 shorter days

Annual salary + bonus and benefits

At Haven, great guest and owner experiences start with great people decisions, and Employee Relations plays a critical role in shaping both.

We’ve created the role of Head of Employee Relations & Policy to lead a high-impact ER & Policy function shaping how we manage employee relations across more than 40 parks and our support office. This is a senior People leadership role that sits at the heart of how we manage organisational risk, strengthen leadership capability and prepare for an increasingly complex employment landscape, combining strategic oversight with close connection to the issues that shape everyday working life across our business.

Reporting to the Director of People Operations, you’ll influence senior leaders, provide clarity and recommendations on complex ER matters, and ensure our policies support fair, consistent, and commercially sound outcomes.

Partnering with stakeholders at every level, you’ll combine employment law & generalist HR expertise with market insight to provide clarity, foresight and confident recommendations - helping the business navigate complexity while creating an environment where both our teams and the organisation can perform at their best.

This role is ideal for someone who wants to make a meaningful organisational impact while building the breadth of experience that naturally leads to broader People leadership in the future.

What you will be doing

• Leading a high performing ER & Policy team - setting the direction, continuously developing the team and creating an environment where good judgement, pace and pragmatism are the norm.
• Acting as a senior voice on ER risk and complex people matters - providing calm, commercially grounded recommendations to Exec leaders and Operations while protecting both our team and the Haven brand.
• Shaping our approach to employment risk in a changing external landscape - staying close to legislative developments, union dynamics and market practice so we are anticipating change and adapting our strategy at a fast pace.
• Overseeing case management, Employment Tribunal and ACAS strategy , providing support to your team when required, while trusting them to run the detail.
• Ensuring our people policies are clear, modern and usable , striking the right balance between legal robustness and real-world application.
• Raising leadership confidence across the business , equipping managers with the tools and guidance they need to make fair, timely and well-judged people decisions.
• Using data and insight to spot patterns early , address root causes and continuously strengthen how we manage employee relations across Haven.
• Working closely with the wider People operations leadership team , contributing to broader organisational thinking, not just ER.

What we’d like you to bring:

You’re likely already operating in a senior ER leadership or senior HR generalist role and looking for a position that gives you broader exposure and influence.

Just as importantly:

• You bring deep expertise in generalist HR ,
  UK employment law and employee relations , underpinned by strong commercial judgement. You know how to weigh risk against real-world practicality and don’t default to the most conservative path when a better option exists.
• You build strong, authentic relationships quickly and are known for being approachable, fair and consistent. Senior leaders trust you not just for your expertise, but for the way you show up.
• You care about doing the right thing, for both people and the business, and are motivated by making a tangible difference to how work feels and functions.
• You’ve led teams before and understand that high performance comes from clarity, trust and giving capable people the space to deliver . You create environments where good judgement thrives.
• You communicate exceptionally well,
  translating technical or legal detail into clear, practical guidance
• You’re naturally curious about the external landscape and stay close to changes in…