Job description
Employee Relations Projects Manager
Base Location: Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester & Watford
KPMG in the UK is part of a global network of firms that offers Audit, Legal, Tax and Advisory services. Through the talent of over 16,000 colleagues, we bring our creativity, insight and experience to solve our clients’ and communities’ biggest problems. We’ve been doing this for more than 150 years.
Group Corporate Services (GCS) is the home for all internal support services that support the combined firm. Working with our Capability-led matrix and throughout the whole firm, GCS executes on our Group's strategic goals by enabling growth, protecting the firm and running operations effectively and efficiently, resulting in improved profitability. We do this using a ‘We are Group’ mindset.
The People and Resourcing domain’s purpose is to enable the Group’s business strategy through its people. We maintain our position as an employer of choice by fostering a Values-led culture, enabling our people to thrive, and delivering a positive experience through the employee lifecycle. We are a strategic HR function that leverages digitisation, automation, and data-driven insights to enhance decision-making and productivity.
Summary of Role Purpose
The ER Projects Manager is an agile role working across the Employee Relations (“ER”) and wider People teams. The role leads the coordination and delivery of key ER projects across KPMG, ensuring consistent planning, governance, and outcomes. Projects may include the introduction of new ways of working, policy change, as well as high-profile firmwide change programmes.
The role provides oversight and subject matter direction to ensure effective project execution and risk mitigation. Working with senior business leaders, the HR Projects Team, Employment Law Advisory Team (ELAT), HRBPs and other stakeholders, this role sets priorities, drives delivery, maintains clear reporting and communication, and ensures appropriate documentation and controls.
The role also supports the Head of ER, Head of HR Projects and ER Lead with programme planning and delivery, managing escalations and providing ad hoc expertise to the wider ER team and individuals involved with projects.
What will you be doing?
1. Drive the ER projects portfolio forwards, providing strategic direction, prioritisation, and project leadership aligned to ER and People priorities.
2. Be pivotal to the planning, execution, and closure of ER projects and programmes (including TUPE and redundancy programmes), creating and maintaining detailed project plans and ensuring quality, pace, and legal compliance.
3. Partner with senior leaders and stakeholders across the business and People function, facilitating clear decision-making, communication and collaboration throughout the project lifecycle.
4. Identify, assess, and proactively manage risks related to ER initiatives, agreeing mitigation plans and escalating where appropriate.
5. Support leaders and impacted colleagues through transitions, ensuring appropriate consultation and communications.
6. Ensure project activities adhere to employment laws, regulations and internal policies, and that governance requirements are designed, met and evidenced for all policy/process changes.
7. Set reporting standards, monitor progress, prepare updates for ER and HR leadership/ELAT as required, and use data to improve delivery and outcomes.
8. Provide clear guidance, direction and coaching to colleagues supporting ER projects, ensuring delivery meets agreed requirements and building capability
9. Provide ad hoc support to the Head of ER/ER leadership team, including on speak-up and formal investigation workstreams.
What will you need to do it?
10. Significant experience leading complex projects/programmes within HR or ER domains, including end-to-end delivery and governance.
11. Strong Employee Relations knowledge and experience including TUPE and redundancy, with confidence advising and influencing senior stakeholders.
12. Deep understanding of UK employment legislation, dispute resolution, and best-practice ER approaches, with proven ability to apply this knowledge to programme design and delivery.
13. Excellent written and verbal communication; able to engage and influence at all organisational levels, and to lead and coach others through change.
14. People leadership experience (formal or matrix), including coaching, performance management, and building capability across a delivery team.
To discuss this or wider Central Services roles with our recruitment team, all you need to do is apply, create a profile, upload your CV and begin to make your mark with KPMG.
Our Locations:
We are open to talk to talent across the country but our core Central Service hubs for this role are:
15. Birmingham
16. Leeds
17. Manchester
18. Watford
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