Head of Employee Relations - Sopra Steria : Job Details

The People & Culture team at Sopra Steria are currently recruiting for a vitally important role within our shared service function as The Head of Employee Relations. Our HR Shared Service Centre, known as The People Hub, is moving to our Newcastle office. Why not become a part of this exciting move?

As our Head of employee relations, you’ll be part of our People Hub Team and providing expert Employee Relations (ER) advice and case management support as well leading a team of ER Advisors. You will be responsible for providing support across the business on every aspect of ER, Employment Legislation and the application of best practice, making sure the Advice Team always provide the best possible customer service.

We are a large and complex business so you can expect the role to be interesting and varied, and it also means we can offer great training, development and career progression opportunities along with a flexible benefits package which you can tailor to meet your needs.

The role will require some travel on occasion, to attend in-person meetings across the business. There is an expectation to be in the Newcastle office once a week.

What you will be doing:

• Understand and update HR policies in line with employment legislative requirements.
• Provide the business with detailed knowledge and application of best practice ER processes.
• Make recommendations on the ER strategy, making sure that the ER Agenda is continuously moved forward and that the approach taken promotes positive employee relations
• Line manager for the Employee Relations Team and give support on complex and/or high-risk ER cases to ensure appropriate resolution
• Ensure the on-going development and pro-active management of the ER Team, to facilitate the best possible levels of service and continuous improvement
• Manage the ET cases, and maintain the centralised record of employment tribunals and associated costs
• Be responsible for whistleblower responses
• Complete and analyse ER metrics against KPI’s, present data and findings and ensure any relevant corrective action is taken or processes put in place
• Identify trends and patterns from Management Information and make appropriate recommendations
• Liaise with Solicitors, Head of IR etc. as appropriate, to ensure services are provided to the required levels
• Monitor and measure customer service and satisfaction through relevant mediums; ensure pro-active resolution of any customer service issues.

What you’ll bring:

• Experience of dealing with change management and redundancy programmes
• Experience managing and developing team members and providing support
• Experience managing complex and difficult cases ER cases
• Up-to-date knowledge of Employment Legislation and be able to advise the business
• Experience of handling and attending Employment Tribunals
• Experience and evidence of delivering high levels of customer service
• Ability to accurately analyse data and draw conclusions / make recommendations for improvement from findings
• Must have excellent interpersonal skills at all levels of an organisation, excellent communications skills, verbally and in writing
• Be a team player with the ability to build strong working relationships across the business network
• Ability to read and understand metrics, work with other teams to ensure the resolution of issues

It would be great if you had:

• Previous management experience within an Employee Relations team
• Qualified in level 5 or 7 CIPD
• Employment Law Degree or equivalent
• Previous experience in a shared service environment

If you are interested in this role but not sure if your skills and experience are exactly what we’re looking for, please do apply, we’d love to hear from you!

Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent

Location: Newcastle

Security Clearance Level: SC

Internal Recruiter: Alex

Salary: Competitive

Benefits: £6,600 car allowance, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy additional days, private medical, life assurance, pension, and generous flexible benefits fund

Although this role is advertised as full-time, we support many ways of working and can offer a range of flexible working arrangements. So, if you’re interested and need to work flexibly, we encourage you to apply and talk to us about what might be possible.

Loved reading about this job and want to know more about us?

Our business is, first and foremost, about people. And it always has been. The solutions we develop are driven by the connections they make and the problems they solve. Our services only matter if they work for people and if they serve a greater purpose. Known for our collaborative approach, we provide consulting and digital services, creating innovative solutions, at scale, to deliver sustainable growth and services that make life better.

Our work touches many lives in the UK. From helping the Government provide essential public and health services that offer more convenience and choice, to improving financial services to deliver fairer, customer-centric solutions.

Together we are building a better future by delivering real and lasting value.

We are just at the start of what we can achieve together. Come and join us!