Employee Relations Manager

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is the only acute hospital provider in the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS), which is a system of health and care partners working together for our local population.

Within Mid and South Essex there are 149 GP practices, operating from over 200 sites, forming 27 Primary Care Networks and one Ambulance Trust. There are also three main community and mental health service providers who work together through a community collaborative.

We collaborate with other valuable partners, including three Healthwatch organisations, nine voluntary and community sector organisations and three top tier local authorities, with seven district, borough and city councils, as well as our local universities.

Job overview

The post holder will support the Head of Employee Relations in the delivery of the Advisory Service to the three Acute Hospitals within the MSE providing a highly specialised, quality resource across MSE for all staff groups, facilitating and enabling good employee relations by advising managers and staff on best ER practice in compliance with good employment practice, employment legislation and Trust-wide standards.

Please note the post with be based at our Broomfield site with cross site working when required.

Main duties of the job

The role will be to oversee, support and as necessary, undertake casework investigations in a range of highly complex, sensitive or contentious employment matters including absence management, disciplinary, grievance and bullying and harassment. This will cover a full range of staff groups including both medical and non-medical staff.

Working for our organisation

Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.

We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Interpret, analyse and provide advice on highly complex employment matters with particular regard to effective and timely resolution of discipline, grievance, bullying and harassment casework, often involvi390-COR-MSE-0663 ng complex, contentious and sensitive issues requiring tact and diplomacy.

Deploy appropriate investigative techniques in relation to interview questions, confidentiality issues, report writing, etc., ensuring investigations are completed thoroughly.

To support managers, interview witnesses and complainants in order to obtain evidence and facts in respect of issues which will involve highly developed investigation skills to ensure the facts are clear.

Conduct investigative meetings, which can be contentious and emotive, in a sensitive and professional manner.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Educated to degree level or equivalent
• Post degree CIPD qualification Masters level qualification or equivalent knowledge and experience

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

• Previous extensive experience in a senior advisory HR role within Employee Relations environment in a large, complex organisation
• Experience of working collaboratively with Trade Union representatives at a local and regional level

Desirable criteria

• Project Management experience
• Prior experience of working in the NHS

Please be aware as per the new Immigration guidelines we cannot sponsor candidates with a salary (full time or pro Rata) under the current minimum threshold.

Please note, the selection processes at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right skills and values, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain vigilant against candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn't accurately reflect their skills, and you will be required to declare on your application if AI has been used before submitting your application.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Documents to download

• MSE JD Employee Relations Manger Band 7 (PDF, 341.0KB)
• Privacy Policy (PDF, 441.0KB)
• AFC Pay Poster 25/26 (PDF, 32.3KB)
• Behaviours Framework (JPG, 298.0KB)
• Medical Payscales 2/2025 (PDF, 187.5KB)
• Applicant MS Teams Checklist (PDF, 560.5KB)
• Trust marketing brochure (PDF, 2.1MB)
• General Statements - AFC - V5.1 (PDF, 424.6KB)
• Application Form (DOC, 233.0KB)