Navantia UK is a new force in British industry, supporting the UK’s defence, energy and maritime ambitions. We’re doing this by creating state-of-the-art sovereign defence capabilities, investing in the UK to modernise industrial facilities, and bolstering the nation's energy security. Established in 2022, Navantia UK is a subsidiary of Navantia SA, a Spanish state-owned company with over 300 years of naval shipbuilding history. In January 2025, Navantia UK completed the acquisition of Harland & Wolff and its four historic facilities in Belfast, Appledore, Methil, and Arnish. By combining Harland & Wolff’s proud heritage and facilities with Navantia’s global expertise, Navantia UK is well‑positioned to strengthen Britain’s defence, maritime and energy industrial capabilities, supporting jobs and economic growth across the UK.
Job Description
Employee Relations Advisor
Location: Appledore (with travel as needed)
Department: People / HR
Are you passionate about building positive workplaces, resolving challenges fairly, and working collaboratively with unions? We're looking for an Employee Relations Advisor to help shape a supportive, engaging environment across our unionised manufacturing sites.
What you’ll be doing
As our Employee Relations Advisor, you’ll be the go‑to specialist for all things employee relations. You will:
* Support colleagues and leaders with conflict resolution, grievances, and disciplinary matters
* Partner closely with union representatives to maintain strong, constructive relationships
* Champion consistent application of policies and UK employment law
* Deliver training on ER issues, conflict management, and policy awareness
* Lead thorough, fair investigations into workplace concerns.
* Track ER trends and provide insights to senior leaders
What you’ll bring
You don’t need to tick every box — if you have the core skills and passion, we’d love to hear from you.
* Solid experience working in a unionised manufacturing environment
* Strong communication, mediation, and problem‑solving skills
* Strong working knowledge of UK employment law and ER best practice
Who you are
Someone who is:
* Calm under pressure
* Fair, curious, and committed to doing things the right way
* Comfortable managing multiple priorities
* Keen to learn and grow
You’ll be part of a supportive HR team where your expertise matters. You’ll gain exposure to a range of ER cases, build strong partnerships, and help drive a people‑first culture.
Additional Information
We are an Opening Doors employer, committed to equal opportunity and an inclusive workplace. Our approach, shaped by our values of service, trust, excellence, agility, dedication, and you, we focus on removing barriers and recognising potential. We are committed to fairness at every stage, including providing reasonable adjustments and actively working to eliminate discrimination.
We believe talent is everywhere, and by widening access to opportunity and welcoming diverse experiences, we aim to create a workplace where every person feels valued and has an equal chance.
If you experience difficulties or are unable to apply for a role on-line please contact us at people.skills@harland-wolff.com and one of the team will be in contact to help you.
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