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Head of Employee Relations (UK-wide, Home-Based)
Salary: £85,000-£90,000 + Bonus + Car Allowance + Benefits
Location: Home-Based with Weekly Travel Across the UK
Are you a dynamic HR leader with a passion for Employee Relations (ER) and a track record of partnering effectively with business leaders? Do you have experience working in fast-paced, high-volume environments such as logistics, FMCG, retail, or hospitality? Are you looking for an opportunity to shape and steer a national ER strategy while driving cultural change and organisational growth?
We are recruiting for a newly available Head of Employee Relations position, a senior leadership role created due to internal promotion. This is a fantastic opportunity to step into a business that is ambitious, growing, and deeply committed to fostering a positive, transparent, and forward-thinking workplace culture.
The Role
Reporting directly to the HR Director, you’ll take ownership of the ER strategy across a large, multi-site organisation with around 9,000 employees. This role isn’t just about policy writing or compliance — it’s about influencing, engaging, and guiding leaders and colleagues through change, with strong buy-in and clarity.
You’ll lead a range of critical initiatives across:
•Proactive ER strategy development
•Employee engagement and colleague forums
•Policy design aligned to the EVP
•M&A support, restructuring and due diligence
•Industrial relations planning (including union-readiness)
•Managing key external partnerships, including employment law providers
You’ll be instrumental in developing the ER capability of the broader HR team and advising senior leadership on cultural development, legal risk, and change management.
This role is home-based but requires weekly travel to various sites across the UK, so flexibility and mobility are essential.
About You
You’ll be an experienced senior HR leader, ideally already operating as a Head of Employee Relationsor a Head of People/HR with significant ER expertise. Experience working in complex, matrixed businesses with large frontline workforces will be a distinct advantage.
We’re open on sector, but backgrounds in logistics, FMCG, retail, or hospitality are particularly relevant. Trade union experience is highly desirable, even though the organisation is not currently unionised — they want someone who can help them stay ahead of the curve.
You’ll bring:
•Strong commercial and strategic thinking
•Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder engagement skills
•A track record of leading complex ER cases and projects
•Experience managing legal/compliance risks and external provider relationships
•Confidence working at pace, across multiple priorities and functions
•A collaborative, empathetic leadership style
In return, you’ll join a people-focused business, work with an engaged and switched-on HR Director, and have real influence in shaping the future of ER in the organisation.
Package
•Competitive salary: £85,000-£90,000 ( flexible for the right candidate)
•Bonus scheme & car allowance
•Private healthcare (for you and your family)
•Hybrid home-based role with extensive travel
•Access to high-quality discounted products
•Online perks & wellbeing benefits
•Career growth and development opportunities
If you’re ready to lead ER at a strategic level and want to be part of a dynamic, growing business — we’d love to hear from you.
