Description UK Research & Innovation Salary: £56,745 per annum Band: UKRI Band F Contract Type: Open ended Hours: Full-time Preferred/Part Time considered (minimum 0.8 FTE) (flexible working available) Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire/Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxon (Hybrid working available) Closing Date: 2nd November 2025 About the role To provide Employee Relations expert advice and guidance on Employee Relations (ER), HR queries and ER casework across UKRI. To initiate and lead the governance and delivery of a programme or group of significant projects, bringing ER subject matter expertise and using appropriate project management approaches to give assurance that intended HR outcomes are identified and achieved. To deputise for the Head of ER to ensure appropriate levels of support and management are always available to the ER Team. Your responsibilities: HR Leadership Community • Work together with HR colleagues to ensure that ‘One HR’ culture is role modelled and ensure that HR initiatives and proposed changes are prioritised, appropriate, well planned and well delivered. Casework • Establish good practice methodologies for all types of casework across the HR Operations and ER team – and provide coaching and support to Advisors and Senior Advisors managing cases – to ensure that cases are consistently and appropriately managed. • Create opportunities to improve communication and guidance to staff and line managers – working with the HR Policy Lead to ensure up to date, clear and consistent information on HR policies and processes and answers to routine questions is available. • Lead on the more complex casework, working with line managers to conduct investigations and lead (and coach) them through processes that carry more risk or may lead to tribunal (e.g. disciplinaries, complex grievances) • Lead on casework where litigation is likely or has been initiated, liaising with ACAS, Legal Advisers (internal and external), Tribunals (as appropriate). • Provide support to witnesses and assist in preparation of document bundles, requests to settle claims. • Attend tribunals as appropriate and initiate “lessons learned”. • Support Head of ER in overseeing the whole casework portfolio for the team, and identifying risks, themes, and interventions required. • Liaising with HR Policy team where guidance needs improving or updating and liaising with HR Business Partners (HRBPs) and Centres of Expertise (COEs) to identify opportunities to reduce or prevent further cases arising. • Working in accordance with the HR Delegation Framework to escalate cases as appropriate, advising the UKRI Communications function of cases that might gain media attention. • Build relations with Trade Union leads and work collaboratively with trade union representatives, as appropriate, on casework activity. • Maintain a cohort of suitably trained managers across managerial grades, councils and corporate functions who are able to undertake investigations under the provisions of UKRI and MRC Policies. • Identify gaps and assist in identifying and training new investigators. Centres, Institutes and Units (CIUs) • Provide professional advice, guidance and support to local HR teams on complex people management issues. • Ensure that all HR actions are planned and undertaken in a manner that minimises organisational exposure and financial risk. • Support the delivery of any future MRC/NERC CIU restructuring/change programmes, including advising on business cases and ensuring that requests for DSIT and Cabinet Office approval are produced and submitted, in line with agreed HR processes and ways of working. • Oversee MRC redundancies ensuring that cases are submitted in a timely manner for internal approval and for sighting or approval as appropriate by DSIT. Planning and Organising • Ensure that casework is monitored and that appropriate trackers are maintained. • Ensure that tribunal deadlines for litigation are recorded and adhered to. Projects • Provide technical ER support to HR projects and initiatives to support HRBPs and/or COE leads (for example running a TUPE process), supporting research or the running of focus groups / working sessions within a project. • Support the UKRI HRBP teams on restructuring programmes (including redundancies), advising on the construction of business cases and change requests and ensuring that proper approvals are obtained (internal, DSIT and Cabinet Office), in line with agreed HR processes and ways of working. • Ensure project scope is agreed and understood, with clear deliverables and plan, and roles and responsibilities for ER / HR Operations are understood, resourced and agreed. • Manage delivery of projects and involvement of ER / HR Operations staff (bringing in other staff to support), and coach and support team members to deliver project work. Team leadership • Manage a small team of ER Advisors and provide coaching and mentoring support to support service delivery, capability and personal development. Personal Specification The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I). Essential • CIPD membership and/or equivalent relevant professional experience (S) • Line Management experience (S&I) • Demonstrable experience in dealing with complex and challenging HR casework, managing the associated risks and making recommendations to managers and HR on options for resolution. (S&I) • Excellent communication, customer service, stakeholder management, influencing and negotiation skills – and experience of effecting change across a complex group of stakeholders. (S&I) • Using a coaching approach, able to apply effective communication, influencing and analytical skills in situations which present significant complexity. (I) • Experience of leading and managing projects, and of supporting coaching others who are supporting projects. (S&I) • Experience of advising on significant Employee Relations activities, including TUPE and organisational change, managing the associated risks and making recommendations to managers and HR on options for resolution. (S&I) • Demonstrable experience of planning and organising service delivery in situations where there is conflicting and competing service demands. (I) • Open to change, continuous improvements and proactive in delivering improved outcomes for customer. (I) Benefits We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning! A list of benefits below: • An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme • 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent) • Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities • Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice • Flexible working options Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance! For further information on our benefits please see: Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact Recruitment@ukri.org Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact Recruitment@ukri.org.