Employee Relations Advisor

Maternity Cover – 12 month fixed term contract (with potential for extension)

LOCATION: Remote with occasional travel to sites |
REPORTING TO: Head of People

We believe that everyone owns potential; it’s inside us all waiting to be discovered.

We are a post-16 further education provider delivering high-quality education, inspired through sport and performing arts.

With over 20 years’ experience in the industry, we have evolved to become the home of sports and performing arts education for 16-18-year-olds. We are on a journey to set the standard for education that truly inspires young people to succeed and helps current and future generations of sports and performing arts professionals to unlock their potential.

We are proud to teach, motivate and develop more than 4,000 learners in real sport and performing arts environments every year nationwide, helping them on their journey to the next steps in their career.

The Employee Relations Advisor is a role for an experienced and forward-thinking professional who thinks ‘beyond HR’ but who is also capable of rolling up their sleeves and ensuring operational efficiency, high quality and fair casework and pragmatic, business focused delivery.

You will deliver comprehensive, professional, and business focused operational workforce advice, confidently manage a complex caseload and be independently solution focused, coaching employees/managers on resolution and learning, disciplinaries and attendance, ensuring compliance with employment legislation and internal policies, and aligned with our organizational values.

You will ensure progression of any formal ER cases is both necessary and completed on time, ensuring appropriate support is in place for the individual and witnesses. You will be supporting the wider People function to achieve strategic objectives, thriving in a fast-paced environment with ever changing priorities.

You will be responsible for a range of complex and sensitive cases, as well as working on project-based activities, which include restructures, TUPE, redundancies, policy development and training.

• Provide first-line advice and guidance to managers on employee relations matters, ensuring timely and effective resolution of cases
• Advise and coach managers on how best to handle ER situations effectively, supporting managers in using the full range of HR policies e.g. grievance, disciplinary, to ensure matters are handled appropriately and in line with legislative and organisational requirements
• Prepare documentation, correspondence and meeting packs for employee relations cases
• Attend hearings to provide HR support and ensure fair and consistent application of policies
• Escalate complex employee relations matters to the Head of People where appropriate
• Manage casework relating to sickness absence and participating in each stage of the process
• Collation, interpretation, and analysis of data on key people metrics ensuring accuracy of reporting
• Involvement in ad hoc projects to support business strategic aims
• Provide accurate information to support Payroll Manager in processing monthly payroll
• Manage the Flexible Working Process ensuring consistency and compliance with policies.

• Be the primary technical expert for the HR system, providing technical support, managing system configuration, coordinating upgrades and integrations, troubleshooting issues, and ensuring optimal system performance and data accuracy.
• Maintain accurate employee records within the HR system, ensuring compliance with GDPR and organisational policies.
• Produce contracts of employment, contractual changes and associated documentation.

Requirements:

• Experience working in an HR Advisor role
• Knowledge of up-to-date UK employment legislation and HR best practice
• Evidence of providing professional HR advice and guidance to managers and employees across a broad range of people related matters.
• Experience supporting employee relations cases, including absence management, disciplinary, grievance, capability, performance, and flexible working processes.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment while meeting deadlines and maintaining high levels of service.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.