Are you an experienced Employee Relations specialist looking for a new opportunity?

We are looking for an experienced Employee Relations Lead to join our busy HR Business Partnering team at SNG on a fixed term contract for 6 months. Based from our office in Basingstoke, you'll combine office and home working in line with our hybrid approach. There may be some travel required with this role to other offices or offsite locations, so you should have access to transport and be happy to travel.

At SNG (Sovereign Network Group), we provide over 85,000 homes and invest in communities across London, the South East, South West and East of England, as well as aiming to create thousands of new affordable homes every year.

The Role

Reporting to the HR Business Partnering Manager, you'll lead a team of 6 HR Advisors to provide a comprehensive employee relations service across SNG, delivering expert advice and guidance to managers and employees. You'll partner with the Employee Relations Capability Partner and HR Business Partners to resolve complex ER cases, delivering solutions that meet desired business outcomes, minimise risk, and upholds the values of the organisation.

Responsibilities include:

• Leading the team to provide expert advice and solutions on matters relating to employment law whilst mitigating any business risk
• Ensuring the offer of sound and practical advice in the areas of grievances, disciplinaries, flexible working, capability, absence and performance while also informally coaching and supporting managers to increase their capabilities in these areas
• Developing the skills and capabilities of the HR Advisors enabling them to confidently lead employee relations case management
• Managing the recording of case activity effectively, using data and insights to identify risks, trends and costs and creating a regular reporting mechanism
• Managing complex, high-risk cases, preparing documentation for employment tribunals and providing technical support to relevant stakeholders
• Supporting changes and implementation of any new HR policies and procedures, providing advice to managers on policy in line with current legislation

What we're looking for

You should have practical experience gained within a similar employee relations role, with demonstrable experience of coaching and developing line managers through sometimes complex ER cases. Ideally, you'll be CIPD qualified or currently studying to achieve this.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Holds in-depth knowledge of UK employment law and awareness of forthcoming legislative changes and their impact on the business
• Has proven experience in supporting the resolution of complex employee relations situations through both internal and external procedures
• Proactively draws on data to identify and analyse trends, assess risk and recommend innovative solutions to improve business performance
• Is an active listener and effective communicator with the ability to build trusted partnerships with key stakeholders
• Has strong influencing and persuasive communication skills to ensure stakeholders understand policy, procedure and the legal implications whilst also supporting mediated outcomes where possible

Your Benefits

We have some great benefits at SNG, including:

• 25 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays (with an extra day every year up to 30 days) - pro rated to the duration of the contract
• Chance to buy or sell holiday as part of our flexible benefits package
• 3 additional wellbeing days and 2 paid volunteering days
• Generous matched pension scheme up to 12% and Life cover at 4x salary
• Options for private medical insurance, dental insurance and critical illness cover
• Wellbeing discounts, including Gym Memberships and access to a 24/7 virtual GP service

At Sovereign Network Group, we are passionate about inclusion for all and creating a workplace where everyone can thrive. We are committed to our Equality Diversity and Inclusion strategy and believe that you can truly be yourself at SNG. Take a look at our careers site to learn more about us and our values.

If you would like the opportunity to make a real impact within our changing and growing organisation, we would love to hear from you!