Employee Relations Specialist
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By 2050, the planet could be using twice as much electricity compared to today. Are you interested in contributing and helping to shape the future of the world’s energy? If so, read on.
Fusion, the process that powers the Sun and Stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs.
UKAEA leads the way in realizing fusion energy, partnering with industry and research for groundbreaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid, supported by tomorrow's power stations. In pursuit of our mission, UKAEA embraces core values: Innovative, Committed, Trusted, and Collaborative.
Benefits
* Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme, details of which can be found at the end of this advert.
* Corporate bonus scheme up to 7% and a Relocation allowance (if eligible).
* Flexible working options including family friendly policies and the right to request flexible working from the start of your employment.
* Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders.
* Generous annual leave allowance starting with 25 days, plus 3 days Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days, in addition to UK bank holidays.
* Wide range of career development opportunities.
* A vibrant culture committed to equality and being fully inclusive.
What to expect in our recruitment process
For a step-by-step overview of how we hire from application to offer please see our Recruitment Process page: careers.ukaea.uk/join-us/recruitment-process.
Job Description
The salary for this role is £50,311 + Excellent benefits package. This position is offered as a Fixed-Term Appointment (FTA) for a duration of 12 months. Onsite working is expected for 3 days each week; however, we support requests for flexible working.
This role can be based at any of the following sites: Culham, Oxfordshire.
This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions and possibly a search of open source data.
The Role
As an Employee Relations specialist you will work as part of the Policy and Employee Relations Team responsible for UKAEA’s employment policy framework, the Employee Relations strategy, and for providing advice and guidance on all people-related matters. The team are the subject matter experts on employee relations and policy. You will deliver an ER service across the employee lifecycle, including disciplinary, grievance, probation, performance, long-term sick leave, etc., ensuring that ER support and advice is delivered in line with policy, best practice and legislative requirements to mitigate risk and escalation. You will manage complex cases from commencement to case conclusion, which may involve attending an Employment Tribunal on behalf of UKAEA.
Additional Responsibilities
* Work with People Business Partners and People Specialists to provide advice and counsel on policy interpretation and employment practices, ensuring knowledge transfer on a case-by-case basis. Use ER data insights and trends to diagnose root causes, identify changes to guidance and policy, and share learning with the business partners and People Specialists.
* Maintain the required standard of detailed ER case documentation, including investigation reports and outcome letters, with robust controls in place to maintain data and information security.
* Develop trusted and effective working relationships across People and Culture and with internal and external partners such as Trade Unions, UKAEA’s legal team, and external legal partners.
* Manage and control spend on external legal advice ensuring that this does not exceed budget.
Qualifications
* Professional certificate in Employment Law or HR (e.g., CIPD Level 5 desirable or working towards).
* Significant experience working in a dedicated employee relations role, handling complex casework.
* Ability to handle high‑pressure situations and maintain resilience and composure.
* Deep legal expertise in UK employment law and employment case law.
* Ability to effectively coach and mentor less experienced colleagues on employee relations and case law matters.
* Excellent written communication skills demonstrated by the ability to draft clear and concise documentation.
* Experience of working with Trade Unions.
Additional Information
A full list of our benefits can be found here: https://careers.ukaea.uk/life-at-ukaea/employee-benefits/.
UKAEA's mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds who want to help us achieve our mission. We are under-represented from some groups and so want to encourage applications in particular from women in STEM, people from Black British Caribbean and African backgrounds, and from Pakistani and Bangladeshi British backgrounds. Our Executive team, supported by our Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Wellbeing, and our EDI Networks actively promote inclusion and take steps to increase diversity within our organization. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.
UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to being accessible. Please email talent@ukaea.uk if you have any questions or require help or adjustments to compete on a fair basis, for example, changes to the way we interview or share information.
Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications.
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