Employee Relations Advisor

We are recruiting for the following position for our Darlington office.

Type: Part-time/Permanent

Location: Darlington

Role Profile: Employee Relations Advisor Reports to: HR Business Partner

About the role:

Do you enjoy helping managers navigate tricky people situations? Are you someone who understands employment law but also knows that real life doesn't always sit neatly inside a policy? Do you like building relationships, guiding managers, and being the calm, practical voice when things get complicated? If that sounds like you, you might be exactly who we're looking for!

You'll work closely with managers across the business to help them confidently manage people matters, from early conversations through to formal processes. Our managers value practical guidance and support, so this is a role for someone who enjoys being visible, approachable and involved, helping managers navigate people challenges while ensuring fair, consistent and legally compliant outcomes.

You'll work closely with the HR Business Partner, who will support you with more complex matters, but we're looking for someone who brings solid ER experience and can confidently add value from day one.

What you'll be doing:

• Managing a wide range of employee relations matters, including absence management, probation, performance management, disciplinary cases, grievances and wellbeing conversations.
• Providing practical guidance to managers on employment legislation, HR policy and best practice
• Supporting managers with early intervention conversations to help resolve issues before they escalated
• Attending formal meetings, investigations and hearings, ensuring processes are followed fairly and consistently
• Drafting letters and documentation such as invitations, warnings and outcome correspondence
• Supporting the management of absence cases, including monitoring triggers, return to work processes and Occupational Health referrals
• Helping managers manage probation reviews and performance concerns, ensuring issues are addressed early and constructively
• Acting as a point of contact for initial wellbeing conversations, helping colleagues access appropriate support and signposting where needed
• Working with the HR Business Partner to identify trends or themes in ER cases and highlight potential risks or improvement opportunities
• Supporting managers with interviews and selection decisions, using your understanding of people management and employee relations to help identify candidates who demonstrate the behaviours, capability and values needed to succeed

About You:

• Have strong Employee Relations experience and feel confident supporting a range of people cases
• Are comfortable interpreting employment legislation and HR policy in practical situations
• Enjoy working closely with managers and helping them build confidence in managing their teams
• Are calm, pragmatic and solutions focused when handling sensitive or complex situations
• Understand the importance of process and fairness, but also know when practical judgement is needed
• Are organised, professional, and able to manage confidential information with care
• Enjoy being part of a supportive P&C team where your advice and experience make a real difference

We're looking for someone who brings sold ER knowledge, sound judgment and a supportive approach, and who enjoys helping managers get things right.

Working Pattern:

This is a part time role, and we're happy to consider a range of working patterns for the right person, including reduced hours across the week, specific days worked and school friendly hours. We're also open to discussing how many hours work best, however we would be looking for someone to work a minimum of 22.5 hours per week, to ensure consistent support for managers and the wider team.

If you enjoy supporting people, helping managers navigate situations and being the person who brings clarity and calm to challenging conversations, we'd love to hear from you!

CALL US

Please note: we are not accepting CV submissions from recruitment agencies for this role.