Employee Relations Consultant (Corporate, Schools and Resolutions) – 12 Month Fixed Term Contract
London Borough of Merton
Merton Civic Centre, London (Hybrid – 3 days on site)
Salary: £48,003 - £52,194pa

We are pleased to be working with The London Borough of Merton as they seek an experienced HR professional to join its People and Culture division as an HR Consultant on a 12-month fixed term contract. This role provides an opportunity to work across corporate services, schools and the council’s developing HR resolutions function, delivering professional HR advice and supporting managers to manage people issues effectively.

You will play a key role in providing high quality HR guidance, supporting employee relations casework and helping managers navigate complex workforce challenges while ensuring compliance with employment legislation and council policies.

About the role

As an HR Consultant (Employee Relations), you will deliver a comprehensive HR advisory service to managers across the council. The role involves supporting a wide range of employee relations matters including attendance management, performance management, disciplinary and grievance procedures, as well as contributing to organisational change programmes.

The position is designed to provide a resilient HR service across different areas of the organisation, including corporate departments, schools and early conflict resolution activity where required.

Key responsibilities

·        Provide professional HR advice and guidance to managers and employees on a wide range of employment matters including performance management, disciplinary issues, grievances and organisational change.

·        Support managers through formal HR processes, ensuring procedural fairness and compliance with employment legislation and council policies.

·        Manage a varied caseload of employee relations matters, ensuring cases are documented, tracked and resolved effectively.

·        Work closely with trade union representatives on individual and collective employee matters, maintaining constructive and professional relationships.

·        Support organisational change initiatives including restructures, TUPE transfers and redundancy consultations.

·        Deliver training and guidance sessions to managers on HR policies, procedures and best practice people management.

·        Contribute to the development and review of HR policies and processes to ensure they remain aligned with best practice and legislative requirements.

·        Maintain accurate HR records and provide management information and reporting to support service delivery and improvement.

·        Where required, provide specialist advice to schools on workforce matters, teacher pay and conditions and education sector employment practices.

·        Support early intervention approaches to workplace conflict, helping managers resolve issues before they escalate into formal processes.

About you

We are looking for a confident HR professional with strong employee relations experience and the ability to build effective relationships with managers and stakeholders.

You will bring:

·        Experience in an HR advisory or HR consultant role managing employee relations cases.

·        A strong working knowledge of employment law and HR best practice.

·        Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and advise managers effectively.

·        Experience supporting disciplinary, grievance, attendance and performance management processes.

·        Experience working with trade unions or employee representatives.

·        Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and a varied caseload.

·        The ability to deliver clear and practical HR advice in complex or sensitive situations.

·        Experience within local government is desirable, although applications are welcomed from candidates with wider public sector HR experience.

Why join Merton

This is an opportunity to work within a collaborative People and Culture team that supports a wide range of services across the council. You will gain exposure to diverse HR challenges while contributing to organisational change, service improvement and effective people management.

If this role is of interest and you feel that you have the required experience, then please apply within, or for a further discussion, please reach out to Thomas at thomas@mlcpartners.co.uk