Employee Relations Consultant

Waddington Brown is partnering with a major manufacturing organisation in Norwich to appoint an experienced Employee Relations Consultant on an initial 6-month fixed-term contract. This is a high-impact role working closely with the Group HR Director to help shape and strengthen employee and industrial relations across a large, unionised workforce.

Find out if this opportunity is a good fit by reading all of the information that follows below.
This opportunity would suit a commercially minded ER specialist who thrives in complex environments, enjoys building trusted stakeholder relationships, and can confidently influence at both operational and strategic levels. You will lead with confidence, and play a visible and influential role within a large-scale manufacturing operation, helping shape industrial relations strategy during a key period for the business
Whats on offer
Flexible working arrangements available
Option to work part-time (4 days per week, MondayThursday)
23 days annual leave pro rata
Medical single cover
1 day off for birthday
Pension 3% employer contribution
Access to recognition and benefits platform with high street discounts
Opportunity to work within a well-established, values-led organisation
Key responsibilities as Employee Relations Consultant
Lead the delivery of the industrial relations strategy across the manufacturing division, supporting the successful implementation of collective agreements
Develop credible, collaborative relationships with trade union representatives and operational stakeholders to support positive workforce engagement and minimise industrial relations risk
Act as a trusted advisor on complex individual and collective employment matters, balancing legal compliance, operational priorities and employee engagement
Support the design and facilitation of industrial relations training for managers and internal stakeholders
Oversee workforce data, reporting and governance activity, ensuring robust audit and compliance standards are maintained
About you
You will bring:
CIPD qualification or degree-level education in a relevant discipline
Proven experience managing industrial relations within a unionised environment
Strong working knowledge of employment law and collective consultation processes
A track record of building credible and constructive relationships with trade unions
Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills
Due to the relationship-focused nature of the role, regular on-site presence is important, although there is flexibility to work from home on occasion. xwzovoh The role can also be undertaken on a part-time basis, with Friday as the non-working day. If this role sounds of interest to you and you are able to start at short notice, please reach out to Eithne Sanders at Waddington Brown for an informal conversation.