Employee Relations Business Partner
Contract : 1 x permanent (1FTE), 1 x FTC (12 months maternity cover, 0.8FTE)
Location: You will work from offices in Manchester City Centre and Swinton as required
About the role
We are looking for an experienced and confident Employee Relations Business Partner to join our People Services team at Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in shaping and delivering high-quality employee relations advice, support and policy development across the organisation covering GMCA and Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Services (GMFRS) as required.
You will act as a dedicated point of contact for managers, providing specialist ER advice and practical support on a wide range of people management matters. Working closely with colleagues across People Services, senior leaders, managers, trade unions and partner organisations, you will help managers navigate complex employment issues, build confidence in decision-making and deliver positive outcomes for their teams.
Your role
As the Employee Relations Business Partner, you will provide credible, expert advice on ER casework, employment law risks, policy development, organisational change and complex people management issues. You will coach and support managers to manage their teams effectively, improve employee experience and ensure ER practices are inclusive, consistent and aligned to GMCA’s values.
You will support the design, development and implementation of workforce policies and procedures, contribute to ER strategies and improvement plans, and use data and insight to identify trends, inform decision-making and recommend practical actions. The role will also involve supporting transformation activity, consultation processes, change programmes and initiatives that strengthen manager capability across the organisation.
About you
We are looking for someone with demonstrable experience in employee relations or HR, with a strong understanding of employment law, HR practice and the ability to apply this knowledge to complex and sensitive situations. You will be confident advising and influencing managers, building trusted relationships and balancing a varied workload with professionalism, resilience and sound judgement.
You will bring excellent communication, coaching and stakeholder management skills, alongside the ability to interpret complex information, present clear recommendations and support continuous improvement. You will be comfortable using data and digital systems, working to deadlines and contributing to projects, policy development and organisational change.
Most importantly, you will be inclusive in your approach, committed to high standards of integrity and confidentiality, and passionate about helping managers create fair, supportive and effective working environments.
What you’ll bring
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Experience in employee relations, HR or a similar people-focused role.
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Strong working knowledge of employment law, regulations and best practice.
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Confidence advising, coaching and influencing managers at different levels.
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Excellent communication, relationship-building and organisational skills.
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The ability to manage sensitive and complex matters with professionalism and discretion.
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Experience supporting policy development, change programmes, projects or continuous improvement activity.
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A commitment to inclusion, fairness and improving employee experience
About us:
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) brings together the cityregion’s ten councils and key partners including Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) - to deliver the Greater Manchester Strategy. Our shared vision is to create a thriving city region where everyone can live a good life. We work to grow an inclusive economy and ensure people have what they need to live happy, healthy lives, tackling inequalities. Our policy department include Digital, Economy, Education, Work & Skills, Environment, Place Making, Public Service Reform, and Safer & Stronger Communities - who are supported by our essential corporate functions like Finance, Legal & Governance, People Services, Procurement and Communications.
We value the diversity of our employees, and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects our diverse communities across Greater Manchester. We encourage applications from all suitably qualified individuals, irrespective of people's age, disability, Trans status and Non-binary identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We have guidance in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability.
To find out more about working for us please click here: https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/
Our offer:
In return for your hard work, we offer our employees a competitive package as part of our offer that you can find out more about here:
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