Employee Relations Business Partner

Employee Relations Business Partner

Location

Milton Keynes, GB

Department Name

Human Resources

About Network Rail

Key Vacancy Information

Duration: Fixed Term Contract or Secondment for one Year with the potential to become permanent.

Location: This role is based at The Quadrant:MK. For roles based in the Quadrant:MK, you must live within 75/90 minutes. Flexible working patterns will be considered.

Closing date: 29th January 2024. On occasions, we may need to close the advert early based upon application volumes. Late applications may not be accepted. Interviews will be held W/C: TBC

Band & Salary: 4C £43,588 - £49,037

Hiring Manager & Resourcer: Nicky Hand and Dominic Jeffs.

About Network Rail…

🌟 Join Our Team at Network Rail! 🌟

Are you ready to make a difference in people's lives? At Network Rail, we connect passengers and freight customers, ensuring safe and efficient transportation across the country. We're an organisation where people truly matter, and when you join us, you matter to us and millions of others. Click here to watch our inspiring video to learn more about us!

We're dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that reflects the passengers we serve. To achieve this, we're committed to becoming an open, diverse, and inclusive workplace, leveraging the skills and expertise of our talented workforce. Together, we strive to create a safe and accessible railway for everyone. Discover more about the importance of Diversity and Inclusion at Network Rail by clicking here.

Investing in our people is key to enhancing the safety, reliability, and efficiency of our railway system. If you're passionate about making a meaningful impact, then this opportunity is for you!

About our people and the recruitment process - We're an inclusive employer of choice and we welcome applications from everyone! We encourage our colleagues to work flexibly, as we know traditional working patterns don't always fit. If you want to consider working flexibly, just let us know and we'll do our best to help and invest in your career with us, whilst you have a healthy work life balance.

We're also a Disability Confident Leader employer and we'll try our best to adapt the process and offer a reasonable alternative to help support people with disabilities access, apply and interview for roles.

About the function…

Human Resources (HR) provides support on all people-related issues for Network Rail. We’re responsible for creating an environment that attracts and engages high-performing individuals to deliver engineering and operational excellence for Britain’s railway. Our approach is a pragmatic one, challenging where appropriate and professional in all areas of delivery.

Brief Description

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for an employee relations specialist to be the subject matter expert of choice for our HR community on complex employee relations issues. Responding with national guidelines, principles and documents on key topics. Engaging with our trade unions to support on consulting changes with our industrial relations teams.

Providing training and information to our devolved employee relations advisors and business partners through regular meetings, briefings and continuous improvement projects.

Acting as a true collaborator with key stakeholders such as Health and Safety, Legal, Ethics and Data Protection to enable cross functional delivery at pace.

Whether you have a background as a HR Business partner with a focus on employee relations or whether you have an employee relations advisory experience, this role requires a competent, confident and adaptable approach in a fast and changing environment.

About the role (External)

What does the average day look like?

In this role you will provide professional, expert, face-to-face Human Resources advice, coaching and supporting clients when dealing with escalated complex Employee Relations cases in line with Network Rail policies and procedures. You will be initiating reviews and redesigns of procedure, guides, and documents to continuously improve our collateral. This includes designing and delivering data insights on the performance of employee relations to allow forecasting on trends and action plans on improvements. As well as proactively managing and developing relationships and communication channels with Business Partner teams and the HR Direct advisory service regarding employee relations issues and development requirements.

You will also help the development and delivery of targeted client up-skilling working closely with the HR Business Partners on company-wide initiatives. As well as providing value add information on changes to case law or tribunal outcomes to the HR Community in briefings and communication bulletins. Also maintaining and tracking case records and documentation through HR Direct and Network Rail systems in a timely manner. Day to day you will be managing the flow, records and outcomes of Employment tribunals and ACAS requests, looking to improve processes and management information insights through data reporting. Meaning you will provide coaching, guidance, and support to clients to formulate pragmatic and business focussed solutions which are balanced with policy application and compliant with employment legislation. As well as proactively maintaining your own knowledge on Employment Legislation and Organisational awareness. You will also have a lead responsibility for our Mediation Service.

What essential skills and experiences are required?

·A proven track record in a previous HR Advisory role, in particular experience of dealing with numerous and highly complex Employee Relations cases, up to and including Tribunal stage across a number of organisation functions within a large complex organisation.

·Demonstrates strong commercial approach and understanding of business needs.

·Experience of development and delivery of manager up-skilling both individually and through workshops/formal development interventions.

·Up to date Employment Law knowledge and practical application of legislation.

·Passionate about customer service and delivering professional HR support to the business.

·Capability to establish professional credibility quickly.

·Experience of coaching and influencing line managers and senior business leaders.

·Strong time management, organisation and prioritisation skills and the ability to work under pressure and to deadlines.

·Strong analytical and diagnostic skills.

·Experience of working within a Unionised environment.

·Resilient, Adaptable and Flexible.

·CIPD qualified or relevant experience to demonstrate level of competence.

·Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively across a broad spectrum of managers with varying levels of capability.

We would also like, but not essential.

·Experience of advising managers and others on a variety of Network Rail terms and conditions of employment.

·Experience of providing advisory support across a number of Network Rail functions.

·Experience of working in a remote capacity, independently and on own initiative.

How to apply (External)

We're an inclusive employer of choice, Disability Confident Leader employer, encourage people to work flexibly and we welcome applications from everyone.

“We’re delighted to have been named as one of The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality 2023 .”

🌞 Generous annual leave (28 days plus statutory days), with the option to buy/sell days.

Defined benefit pension scheme

🚂 75% subsidy on train tickets.

🎟️ Interest-free travel loan for train and car park season tickets.

🎁 Discounts at stations with your Network Rail pass.

🌍 Flexible/hybrid working arrangements.

🕊️ Volunteer leave to make a positive impact.

Plus more….

Drugs and Alcohol Standard:

Our Drugs and Alcohol Standard is changing as of 16.01.2023. All prospective candidates who have not been offered a conditional role by 16.01.2023 will be required to undergo and pass a drugs and alcohol test. Your application will be rescinded if you record a positive test. All positive drugs and alcohol test results for prospective candidates will be securely held on Sentinel database and a 5 year suspension from applying for a safety critical role, a role which requires PTS certification or a Key Safety role on Network Rail Managed Infrastructure will be enforced.

We're an inclusive employer of choice, Disability Confident Leader employer, encourage people to work flexibly and we welcome applications from everyone.

If you have any questions about this role or if you have an HR related questions or require any reasonable adjustments/modifications, please contact IREC Support ([email protected]) . You must have the vacancy/IREC number ready as you will be asked for this.