Employee Relations Specialist

We are seeking an experienced Employee Relations Specialist to join our Infrastructure Division on a 12-month fixed-term contract .

This is a highly visible, commercially focused role responsible for driving improvements in absence management, reducing employment-related risk, and supporting managers in the effective resolution of employee relations matters.

Working closely with divisional leadership and HR stakeholders, you will lead on a varied ER caseload while delivering measurable improvements in absence rates, manager capability, and case resolution outcomes.

This role offers the opportunity to make a significant commercial impact within a friendly, pragmatic, and down-to-earth HR team, supported by dedicated HR administration resources.

Key Responsibilities

Employee Relations Case Management

• Manage a broad range of employee relations cases across multiple operating companies.
• Provide expert advice and guidance on:
• Absence management
• Wellbeing-related cases
• Disciplinary matters
• Grievances
• Appeals
• Performance-related issues
• Ensure cases are managed consistently, fairly, and in line with company policies and employment legislation.
• Support managers through formal employee relations processes, hearings, and investigations.

Absence Reduction & Performance Improvement

• Lead initiatives aimed at reducing absence levels across the division.
• Analyse absence trends and identify opportunities for intervention and improvement.
• Partner with operational leaders to implement practical absence management strategies.
• Deliver measurable cost savings through improved attendance management.

Manager Capability Development

• Build management capability across employee relations and attendance management processes.
• Coach and support managers to confidently handle first-stage absence meetings and other ER processes.
• Develop and deliver training, guidance materials, and practical tools.
• Establish and track capability metrics to demonstrate improvements in manager effectiveness.

Reporting & Commercial Impact

• Maintain accurate ER case records and management information.
• Track case volumes, closure rates, outcomes, and key performance metrics.
• Produce regular reporting for divisional leadership.
• Demonstrate clear return on investment and business impact through measurable outcomes.

About You

Essential Experience

• Proven experience in a dedicated Employee Relations role.
• Strong track record of managing complex ER cases from start to finish.
• Experience supporting both blue-collar and professional employee populations.
• Strong absence management expertise with evidence of delivering measurable improvements.
• Excellent knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
• Experience using HR metrics and data to demonstrate business impact.
• Ability to influence, challenge, and coach managers at varying levels of experience.
• Strong organisational and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable

• CIPD qualification (or equivalent experience).
• Experience working across multi-site or decentralised organisations.
• Experience within industrial, infrastructure, engineering, manufacturing, services, or similarly operational environments.

Why Join Us?

• Opportunity to make a genuine commercial impact within the Group's largest UK division.
• Exposure to a broad and varied ER remit.
• Collaborative and supportive HR team environment.
• Hybrid working model based in Leicester.
• Access to HR administration support, allowing focus on value-added ER activity.