People Partner - Employee Relations

• Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils
• Address: Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 2BX
• Salary: £46,579 - £54,143 per annum (pro rata for part time)
• Hours: Full Time, 37 hours per week
• Contract: Permanent

This role is open to full-time, part-time and job-share applications, all of which will be assessed equally.

Join our team

We are looking for a People Partner - Employee Relations to join our HR and OD (Human Resources and Organisational Development) team. This is a key role leading a high-quality employee relations service supporting and coaching managers to handle people matters fairly, confidently and consistently.

If you share our values and are motivated to make a difference for our residents, clients and communities, we would love to hear from you.

About the role

Working with the People Relations, OD and Change Lead, you will provide expert employee relations advice, oversee complex casework and lead three HR Advisors. You will promote early resolution, strengthen manager capability, and ensure our advice is legally compliant, value-led and focused on a positive employee experience.

You will:

• Lead the delivery of expert advice on disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence management and probation matters.

• Manage and oversee complex and high-risk employee relations cases, identifying risks and escalating them appropriately.

• Provide leadership, professional supervision, and quality assurance for three HR Advisors.

• Promote early intervention, informal resolution, and restorative approaches to support positive working relationships.

• Coach and develop managers so they can manage people matters confidently and effectively.

• Analyse case trends, metrics and outcomes, turning insight into recommendations for senior leaders.

• Build constructive relationships with trade unions, employee representatives, and key stakeholders.

• Support the review of HR and OD policies and procedures and advise on relevant changes in employment legislation and case law.

About you

You will be an experienced HR professional with sound technical judgement and a practical, people-centred approach. You will confidently advise senior stakeholders, oversee a varied workload, and help others provide a consistent service.

Our ideal candidate will have:

• CIPD Level 7, or equivalent qualification or relevant professional experience.

• Significant experience of managing employee relations casework in a large organisation.

• Experience developing and implementing HR policies and procedures.

• Up-to-date knowledge of employment legislation and the ability to apply it to complex situations.

• A strong track record of providing credible advice and influencing managers and colleagues.

• Excellent communication skills, including clear reports, presentations and recommendations.

• The ability to build trusted and confidential working relationships with stakeholders and trade unions.

• Confidence using Microsoft Word and Excel for reporting, analysis and presenting data.

• The ability to manage competing priorities, projects and casework in a challenging environment.

About us

At Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils we are passionate about building communities that people want to live, work, visit and invest in.

We serve around 200,000 residents across our two districts and are well known for our collaboration and partnership working across public, private and voluntary sectors.

We believe that the heart of Suffolk is an incredibly special place to live and work, with:

• 60 conservation areas
• two National Landscapes
• many picturesque market towns

It is no surprise we are ranked among the top 50 places to live in the UK (United Kingdom).

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Generous leave entitlement (26 days a year, rising to 31 days after 5 years).
• Competitive Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Wellbeing Support and Employee Assistance Programs.
• Private Health Care Options.
• Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme.
• Paid volunteering days.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements (Business needs permitting).
• Great learning and development opportunities.

For more information, visit our Employee Benefits page.

Our ways of working

We believe work is what we do, not just where we go.

We work in a hybrid way, with a mix of office, home, and remote based working (Business need permitting). Our hybrid working arrangements support flexibility and collaboration, helping our teams to thrive.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, providing opportunity and ambition for all, supporting and enabling our people to deliver the best possible services for our residents.

For more information

For an informal discussion or to learn more about hybrid working for this role, please contact Teresa Dedman, People Services, Learning and Insights Lead by emailing teresa.dedman@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk .

Please read the Job Description and Person Specification.pdf before applying for this job opportunity.

Closing date: 5.00pm, 26 November 2026.

How to apply

Please ensure your:

• application form is fully completed, including employment and education history
• supporting statement clearly addresses how you meet the criteria in the Person Specification

Using AI in your application

We value authentic applications that reflect your own skills, experience and achievements. AI can be a useful tool when preparing your application, but the information you provide must be accurate and genuinely reflect your abilities.

Please read our guidance on using AI in job applications to understand what is acceptable during recruitment. Providing false or misleading information, or using AI inappropriately during assessments, may affect your application.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.