Deputy Head of Employee Relations
NHS, Colchester, VT, United States
Deputy Head of Employee Relations
The closing date is 12 April 2026
We are looking for an experienced and highly motivated Employee Relations professional to join our HR team as a Deputy Head of Employee Relations.
As a senior member of the Employee Relations team, you will support the Head of Employee Relations in delivering a high-quality, responsive and consistent ER service across the Trust. You will lead on complex and sensitive Employee Relations casework and will work closely with the Head of Employee Relations and your peer to ensure a consistent, high-quality service.
This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a busy operational environment, is confident handling complex casework, and can balance competing priorities while maintaining professionalism and attention to detail.
Main duties of the job Employee Relations & Advisor
Lead and manage complex employee relations cases, including disciplinary, grievance, dignity at work and sickness cases
Provide expert, risk-based advice to managers on sensitive and high-risk workforce matters
Support and guide investigations, hearings and Employment Tribunals as required
Ensure consistent application of HR policies, employment law and NHS terms and conditions
Leadership & Service Delivery
Support the leadership and development of a high-performing ER team, ensuring quality and consistency of casework
Deputise for the Head of Employee Relations as required
Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders, managers and trade union representatives
Contribute to the development of a proactive, efficient and customer-focused ER service
Governance & Policy
Lead on the review and development of HR policies in line with best practice, legislation and organisational priorities
Ensure compliance with regulatory standards, including CQC requirements and Trust governance frameworks
Monitor ER activity, identifying risks, trends and areas for improvement
Performance, Insight & Improvement
Analyse ER data and trends to inform decision-making and continuous improvement
Contribute to Board-level reporting, providing insight and recommendations
Promote early resolution and support initiatives to improve management capability and reduce formal casework
About us We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients' own homes.
We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff.
We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options.
Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.
Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.
We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what's widely regarded as the world's best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients.
If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you.
Job responsibilities For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.
Person Specification Experience
Proven experience of working in a management/leadership role (within HR)
Experience of managing /leading a team
Experience of facilitating change in practice to improve services
Project management/co-ordination
Responsibility for a budget
Qualifications
Relevant degree or equivalent qualification or significant experience of working at degree level (CIPD)
Management /leadership qualification or equivalent knowledge at post graduate level (CIPD)
Evidence of continued professional development
Project Management Qualification
Knowledge
Financial procedures including budgetary management
Business planning /annual planning
Good understanding of change management
Use of IT systems (e.g. Word , Excel, Outlook) - standard keyboard skills
Understanding of the NHS and current agenda
Demonstrable knowledge of service improvements and project management
Risk management and governance
NHS IT systems
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer name East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
£49,387 to £56,515 a year per annum pro rata
#J-18808-Ljbffr
We are looking for an experienced and highly motivated Employee Relations professional to join our HR team as a Deputy Head of Employee Relations.
As a senior member of the Employee Relations team, you will support the Head of Employee Relations in delivering a high-quality, responsive and consistent ER service across the Trust. You will lead on complex and sensitive Employee Relations casework and will work closely with the Head of Employee Relations and your peer to ensure a consistent, high-quality service.
This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a busy operational environment, is confident handling complex casework, and can balance competing priorities while maintaining professionalism and attention to detail.
Main duties of the job Employee Relations & Advisor
Lead and manage complex employee relations cases, including disciplinary, grievance, dignity at work and sickness cases
Provide expert, risk-based advice to managers on sensitive and high-risk workforce matters
Support and guide investigations, hearings and Employment Tribunals as required
Ensure consistent application of HR policies, employment law and NHS terms and conditions
Leadership & Service Delivery
Support the leadership and development of a high-performing ER team, ensuring quality and consistency of casework
Deputise for the Head of Employee Relations as required
Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders, managers and trade union representatives
Contribute to the development of a proactive, efficient and customer-focused ER service
Governance & Policy
Lead on the review and development of HR policies in line with best practice, legislation and organisational priorities
Ensure compliance with regulatory standards, including CQC requirements and Trust governance frameworks
Monitor ER activity, identifying risks, trends and areas for improvement
Performance, Insight & Improvement
Analyse ER data and trends to inform decision-making and continuous improvement
Contribute to Board-level reporting, providing insight and recommendations
Promote early resolution and support initiatives to improve management capability and reduce formal casework
About us We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients' own homes.
We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff.
We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options.
Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.
Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.
We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what's widely regarded as the world's best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients.
If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you.
Job responsibilities For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.
Person Specification Experience
Proven experience of working in a management/leadership role (within HR)
Experience of managing /leading a team
Experience of facilitating change in practice to improve services
Project management/co-ordination
Responsibility for a budget
Qualifications
Relevant degree or equivalent qualification or significant experience of working at degree level (CIPD)
Management /leadership qualification or equivalent knowledge at post graduate level (CIPD)
Evidence of continued professional development
Project Management Qualification
Knowledge
Financial procedures including budgetary management
Business planning /annual planning
Good understanding of change management
Use of IT systems (e.g. Word , Excel, Outlook) - standard keyboard skills
Understanding of the NHS and current agenda
Demonstrable knowledge of service improvements and project management
Risk management and governance
NHS IT systems
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer name East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
£49,387 to £56,515 a year per annum pro rata
#J-18808-Ljbffr