Lead Employee Relations Business Partner

We’re looking for a dynamic Lead Employee Relations Business Partner to join our UK HR team. This high‑impact role acts as a strategic partner to senior leaders, driving organisational change and delivering expert ER solutions that support our people and business goals.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Partnering: Work closely with HR Directors, HR Business Partners and Executive Leadership Teams to design and deliver ER strategies aligned with business objectives.
• Lead Complex Change: Manage and advise on organisational change programmes including restructures, TUPE transfers, redundancies and performance management initiatives.
• Industrial Relations Leadership: Develop and implement effective industrial relations strategies, lead negotiations and collective bargaining with trade unions, and maintain strong external relationships with professional bodies.
• Expert ER Guidance: Provide pragmatic advice on employment law and ER best practice, ensuring compliance and minimising risk across the business.
• Continuous Improvement: Monitor ER trends and metrics, identify areas for improvement and implement initiatives that enhance processes and policies.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build strong relationships with senior leaders, managers and employee representatives to foster a positive working environment.
• Coaching & Development: Upskill line managers through proactive interventions, training and guidance to improve ER capability across the organisation.
• Project Leadership: Represent ER on working groups and lead projects that drive operational excellence and cultural change.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in senior ER roles within complex, matrix organisations.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and its practical application.
• Exceptional communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience leading organisational change and managing complex ER cases.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to deliver pragmatic solutions under pressure.
• Ability to build credibility and coach senior leaders effectively.

Benefits

• Smart working, giving you more flexibility such as staggered start and finish times, with up to 40% remote working where roles allow.
• 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata).
• Family friendly policies which include 28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave and four weeks full pay for paternity/partners leave.
• Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and much more.

About Us

Balfour Beatty Group Enabling Functions are Legal, Finance, IT and Procurement, Communications, Health Safety and Environment, HR and Sustainability. Together, they support delivery of our Build to Last strategy whilst improving efficiencies and standardising our approach, systems and processes.

Diversity & Inclusion

At Balfour Beatty we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential components of any successful, happy workplace. Through our Value Everyone Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan, we are growing our diverse workforce and developing our inclusive culture where everyone is able to thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of their identity or background. To find out how we are making this a reality, visit www.balfourbeatty.com/diversityandinclusion. We are members of WISE, ENEI, Business Disability Forum and the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE). In 2020, we signed the Audeliss and Involve Open Letter to demonstrate our commitment to taking key long‑term and sustainable actions on Black Inclusion. We are also a Gold Award holder in the Ministry of Defence ‘Employer Recognition Scheme’ and actively encourage applications from Armed Forces personnel, veterans and reservists. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to working with people who have disabilities and long‑term health conditions to remove barriers for them in obtaining employment. We are also committed to offering applicants with a disability an interview if they meet the minimum requirements for the role. For more info, visit https://disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk/. We are looking to continually improve our resourcing process and ensure that it is fair and inclusive for all. If you have any feedback on the process, please share this with us at candidaterecruitmentqueries@balfourbeatty.com.