Job Description
Employee Relations Partner
Application Deadline: 10 July 2026
Department: Human Resources
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Wigan & Leigh College
Compensation: £42,540 - £45,119 / year
Full Time, Permeant
One of our managers has a problem with someone in their team but no idea how to raise it. That's when you step in. You'll advise our managers on absence, conduct, capability, grievance, performance and workplace concerns, and help them act fairly and confidently.
You’ll bring judgement to complex and sensitive situations and know when an early conversation could resolve an issue. You’ll know when we need a formal process where we carefully need to manage risks.
You’ll coach managers, create clear guidance, improve our documentation and support better conversations before issues escalate.
If you can combine technical employee relations knowledge with practical judgment and keep fairness at the heart of everything then this is the role for you.
What you'll do
- Advise our managers on absence, conduct, capability, grievance, performance and workplace concerns.
- Help managers resolve people issues early, fairly and confidently.
- Support formal meetings, hearings and casework with a clear process.
- Coach managers for difficult conversations and to make sound decisions.
- Advise on occupational health, phased returns, reasonable adjustments and absence management.
- Draft and review clear, accurate employee relations documents.
- Identify risk early and provide practical options and recommendations.
- Use casework themes to improve guidance, policy and manager confidence.
What you'll bring
- Experience advising managers on employee relations matters.
- Strong knowledge of employment law, HR policy and good practice.
- Experience supporting disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence or performance processes.
- Good judgement about when to resolve issues informally and when formal process is needed.
- Confidence coaching and challenging managers professionally.
- Strong written communication and accurate case documentation.
- The ability to manage sensitive situations calmly and fairly.
- Experience working with trade unions, education or regulated sectors is helpful.
What you’re like
- Fair. You care about process, consistency and treating people properly.
- Confident. You give clear advice and challenge professionally when needed.
- Calm. You stay steady when situations are sensitive, pressured or emotional.
- Practical. You help managers move from concern to action.
- Curious. You ask good questions and get underneath the issue.
- Balanced. You can balance employee support, organisational need and legal risk.
- Trusted. You build confidence through good judgement, clarity and follow up.
- Clear. You explain options and next steps in plain English.
Essentials
- You’ll need an enhanced DBS check. If you get the job, we’ll do this for you.
- You’re committed to safeguarding, inclusion and equality.
- You can travel across college sites when needed.
- You’re flexible and happy to support key HR and college activity when required.
Why work for us
A manager needs to address a concern but isn’t sure how to start. An employee is anxious about a formal process. A sickness absence needs careful handling. You’ll help our managers approach those moments fairly and confidently.
You’ll be part of a team improving how our college handles people. You’ll have the opportunity to shape that work.
If you understand that great employee relations is both technical and human, then this is the role for you.
T ime to recharge
- Generous annual leave entitlement, including bank holidays, depending on your role
- Family-friendly leave policies
Wellbeing as well as work
- 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
- Medicash healthcare plan
- Occupational health support
- Confidential counselling
- Specsavers eye test vouchers
- A culture where people look out for each other
F inancial peace of mind
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Salary sacrifice schemes, including Cycle to Work and buy tech
- Railcard and Tusker Green Car Scheme
- Local and national discount schemes
Clear progression routes
- Ongoing professional development
- Opportunities to build experience across HR, recruitment, payroll, systems and employee relations
- Opportunities to step up, specialise or move across college teams
- Support to develop your HR career
Please complete our application form in full. We can’t accept CVs.
Employee Relations Partner. Apply now.
