Employee Relations Specialist
4 days ago
Leicester
Employee Relations Specialist (12-Month Fixed-Term Contract) Location: Leicester (Hybrid Working) Contract: 12-Month Fixed-Term Contract Division: Infrastructure Division Reporting to: HR Business Partner Lead (or HR Director) About Phenna Group Phenna Group is a global provider of testing, inspection, certification and compliance services. With a decentralised operating model and a strong entrepreneurial culture, Phenna Group supports a diverse portfolio of specialist businesses across multiple sectors. This opportunity sits within our Infrastructure Division, our largest UK division, comprising 18 operating companies working under a common set of people policies and procedures. The Opportunity We are seeking an experienced Employee Relations Specialist to join our Infrastructure Division on a 12-month fixed-term contract. This is a highly visible, commercially focused role responsible for driving improvements in absence management, reducing employment-related risk, and supporting managers in the effective resolution of employee relations matters. Working closely with divisional leadership and HR stakeholders, you will lead on a varied ER caseload while delivering measurable improvements in absence rates, manager capability, and case resolution outcomes. This role offers the opportunity to make a significant commercial impact within a friendly, pragmatic, and down-to-earth HR team, supported by dedicated HR administration resources. Key Responsibilities Employee Relations Case Management • Manage a broad range of employee relations cases across multiple operating companies., • Provide expert advice and guidance on: Absence management, Wellbeing-related cases, Disciplinary matters, Grievances, Appeals, Performance-related issues, • Ensure cases are managed consistently, fairly, and in line with company policies and employment legislation., • Support managers through formal employee relations processes, hearings, and investigations. Absence Reduction & Performance Improvement • Lead initiatives aimed at reducing absence levels across the division., • Analyse absence trends and identify opportunities for intervention and improvement., • Partner with operational leaders to implement practical absence management strategies., • Deliver measurable cost savings through improved attendance management. Manager Capability Development • Build management capability across employee relations and attendance management processes., • Coach and support managers to confidently handle first-stage absence meetings and other ER processes., • Develop and deliver training, guidance materials, and practical tools., • Establish and track capability metrics to demonstrate improvements in manager effectiveness. Reporting & Commercial Impact • Maintain accurate ER case records and management information., • Track case volumes, closure rates, outcomes, and key performance metrics., • Produce regular reporting for divisional leadership., • Demonstrate clear return on investment and business impact through measurable outcomes. Success Measures The successful candidate will be expected to deliver tangible and measurable outcomes, including: • Reduction in absence-related costs, with a target of delivering approximately £150,000 in annualised savings., • Effective management and closure of an average caseload of approximately 20 employee relations cases per month., • Improved ER process consistency and case resolution metrics., • Demonstrable improvements in manager capability across absence and employee relations management., • High-quality case documentation and reporting. About You Essential Experience • Proven experience in a dedicated Employee Relations role., • Strong track record of managing complex ER cases from start to finish., • Experience supporting both blue-collar and professional employee populations., • Strong absence management expertise with evidence of delivering measurable improvements., • Excellent knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice., • Experience using HR metrics and data to demonstrate business impact., • Ability to influence, challenge, and coach managers at varying levels of experience., • Strong organisational and stakeholder management skills. Desirable • CIPD qualification (or equivalent experience)., • Experience working across multi-site or decentralised organisations., • Experience within industrial, infrastructure, engineering, manufacturing, services, or similarly operational environments. Why Join Us? • Opportunity to make a genuine commercial impact within Phenna Group's largest UK division., • Exposure to a broad and varied ER remit., • Collaborative and supportive HR team environment., • Hybrid working model based in Leicester., • Access to HR administration support, allowing focus on value-added ER activity.