Employee Relations (ER) Consultant

Employee Relations (ER) Consultant Medway Location: Hybrid (Office & Home)Contract: TemporarySalary - £37,500 £44,000 Hours: Full-time

About the Role

Huntress Recruitment is seeking an experienced Employee Relations (ER) Consultant to join a busy HR function within a large public-sector organisation. This role focuses on providing expert advice, coaching and support to managers-particularly within Children's Services-on a wide range of employee relations matters.

You will play a key role in embedding a new sickness absence policy and improving the organisation's approach to absence management, casework handling and ER capability.

This is an excellent opportunity for an ER professional who thrives in a fast-paced, complex environment and enjoys supporting managers through challenging people-related issues

Key Responsibilities

• Provide specialist advice and support to managers on sickness absence management, helping embed new policies, guidance and processes.
• Manage a varied caseload of sickness absence and ill-health cases, ensuring consistent and fair application of policy.
• Analyse sickness absence data, identify trends, and prepare action plans and recommendations for senior managers.
• Act as client manager for formal investigations and support investigating officers through the process.
• Provide HR advice to chairs of disciplinary hearings, capability panels, grievance meetings and appeals.
• Work with HR colleagues to review and update HR policies, templates and process flows.
• Design and deliver ER-related training in partnership with the Learning & Development team.
• Coach managers to improve confidence and competence in dealing with employee relations issues.
• Build strong working relationships with stakeholders across the organisation.

About You

To be successful, you will have:

• Strong experience handling complex ER casework in a large, unionised or public-sector setting.
• A solid understanding of employment legislation and best practice HR processes.
• Confidence advising senior managers and chairing or supporting formal meetings.
• Excellent communication, coaching and influencing skills.
• The ability to analyse data, prepare reports and translate findings into practical action.
• Experience delivering training or supporting manager development.

CIPD qualification (or equivalent experience) is highly desirable.

Huntress Search Ltd acts as a Recruitment Agency in relation to all Permanent roles and as a Recruitment Business in relation to all Temporary roles.

We practice a diverse and inclusive recruitment process that ensures equal opportunity for all we work with, irrespective of race, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, age or gender. As an organisation, we encourage applications from all backgrounds and will ensure measures are met when required, to allow a fair process throughout.

PLEASE NOTE: We can only consider applications from candidates who have the right to work in the UK.