Senior IR & ER Business Partner
Location: Birmingham
Salary: circa £70,000 + Benefits
We are supporting a leading, large-scale organisation in the appointment of a Senior Industrial Relations (IR) & Employee Relations (ER) Business Partner. This is a key specialist role, focused on strengthening organisational capability, shaping ER/IR strategy, and ensuring readiness for future change.
This position will suit an experienced ER/IR professional with a strong track record in complex, unionised environments.
Key Responsibilities
* Develop, implement and continuously improve a robust ER framework, ensuring consistency, fairness and legal compliance
* Support delivery of the organisation’s IR strategy in partnership with senior stakeholders
* Analyse ER and IR data to identify trends, risks and emerging issues, translating insight into action
* Act as the subject matter expert on employment legislation and trade union frameworks.
* Build management capability through coaching, guidance and targeted development initiatives
* Partner with senior leaders, HR Business Partners and trade union representatives to drive constructive relationships
* Support collective bargaining, consultation processes and dispute resolution strategies
* Provide expert advice on organisational change (e.g. TUPE, restructuring, redundancy programmes)
* Contribute to the modernisation of policies and agreements in line with business and legislative requirements
Key Requirements
Essential:
* Significant experience in Employee Relations (ER) and Industrial Relations (IR) within a unionised organisation
* Strong knowledge of UK employment law and collective labour relations
* Proven experience managing trade union relationships and collective bargaining processes
* Demonstrated ability to influence and operate effectively at a senior level
* Experience advising on large-scale organisational change programmes
* Strong analytical capability with experience using data to inform decision-making
* CIPD qualified (or equivalent experience)
Desirable:
* Experience within a multi-site or regulated environment
* Broader HR generalist background
* Exposure to sector-specific IR frameworks (e.g. transport, infrastructure or similar)
Key Competencies
* Influencing and stakeholder management
* Strategic thinking and problem solving
* Commercial awareness
* Strong communication and negotiation skills
* Ability to manage complexity and drive change
This is an excellent opportunity to take on a high-impact, specialist role where you will shape ER/IR practices, influence senior stakeholders, and play a critical part in organisational transformation.
To apply or learn more, please get in touch.