HR Resolutions Manager

London Borough of Merton

Merton Civic Centre, London (Hybrid – 3 days on site)

Salary: £57,402 – £61,653pa

We are delighted to be working with The London Borough of Merton as they seek an experienced HR professional to lead and develop a new HR Resolutions function within their People and Culture division. This is an opportunity to shape a service focused on early intervention, mediation and alternative dispute resolution, helping the organisation move away from formal processes and towards constructive, solution-focused outcomes.

About the role

As HR Resolutions Manager, you will lead a team of HR Consultants delivering early conflict resolution across the organisation. You will play a key role in establishing and embedding a proactive resolution service that supports managers and employees to address workplace issues before they escalate into formal procedures.

Working closely with HR Business Partners and senior stakeholders, you will provide expert guidance on complex employee relations matters while promoting mediation, coaching and collaborative approaches to conflict management.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and manage the HR Resolutions Team, providing direction, coaching and development to HR Consultants.
• Establish and embed the council’s HR Resolution service, creating effective alternatives to formal grievance and disciplinary processes.
• Provide mediation and conflict resolution support for complex workplace disputes.
• Work in partnership with HR Business Partners and senior stakeholders to ensure alignment with organisational priorities.
• Develop and deliver guidance and coaching for managers on early conflict resolution and people management.
• Analyse case trends and provide insight to inform HR policy development and organisational improvement.
• Promote awareness of the resolution service across the organisation through engagement, training and stakeholder collaboration.
• Build constructive working relationships with trade unions and employee representatives.

About you

We are looking for a confident HR leader with strong employee relations expertise and the ability to influence across a complex organisation.

You will bring:

• Significant experience in an HR advisory or management role, with extensive exposure to complex employee relations cases.
• Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to manage and develop a professional HR team.
• Experience working closely with trade unions and employee representatives.
• Strong conflict resolution and mediation skills, with the ability to remain impartial in sensitive situations.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with confidence working with senior leaders.
• A strong understanding of employment law and formal HR processes including disciplinary, grievance and capability procedures.
• Local authority experience is desirable, although applications are welcomed from candidates with wider public sector experience.

Why join Merton

This role offers the opportunity to shape a developing HR function that supports early intervention and positive workplace culture. You will work within a collaborative People and Culture team focused on innovation, organisational improvement and effective people management.

If you are interested in this opportunity and feel you have the relevant background and experience, please apply via LinkedIn. If you would like to have an informal conversation about the role before applying, you are welcome to contact Thomas at thomas@mlcpartners.co.uk