Senior Employee Relations Manager
| Posting date: | 12 May 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £42,614 to £45,081 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 25 May 2025 |
| Location: | Leeds |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 402240/2 |
Summary
The work will include development and maintenance of an Employee Relations Strategy & Framework, providing expert advice and supporting the careful handling of our Trade Union relationship. This will be within the context of DWP’s responsibilities as a major government employer, and wider workings across the Civil Service.
Decision making, leadership, excellent ER knowledge and experience, resilience, and excellent engagement building abilities with key stakeholders are critical skills required to be successful in the role. An understanding of the key challenges in the Employee Relations space is important as is detailed knowledge as you will be an ER specialist advising and supporting senior leaders.
The role is within the Employee Relations Team in HR People Services. The team supports senior leaders, change programme and HR Business Partners in their engagement with the recognised trade unions in DWP. The team also works closely with and supports senior stakeholders across the department, including Directors General and Ministers, providing strategic advice and supporting leaders to engage effectively with DWP’s recognised Trade Unions.
The team acts as the main conduit between DWP, the Departmental Trade Union Sides and the three recognised trade unions: Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), the Association of First Division Civil Servants (FDA), and Prospect.
The successful candidate will have responsibility for the following:
- Leading on all Employee Relations issues, primarily in the Corporate Functions, and taking the lead for some Corporate Transformation projects.
- Meeting Trade Union Side and the three recognised trade unions, both formally as part of consultation, and informally to help maintain the overall relationship.
- Supporting high level consultation at departmental level.
- Acting as an Employee Relations policy expert, dealing with complex queries and providing advice and guidance to senior managers and HR Business Partners who need to engage with the trade unions.
- Supporting the Business through delivery of joint up-skilling sessions to increase local confidence and competence when dealing with trade union reps and queries.
- Supporting the management of trade union facility time within the guidelines set out in the Cabinet Office Facility Time Framework and DWP Employee Relations Framework. Helping to ensure that facility time returns are made to the Cabinet Office accurately and on time.
- Ensuring the DWP Employee Relations Framework, industrial action guidance and associated products are fully accurate and up to date.
- In the event of industrial action, taking action for the ER team, including liaison with Business Continuity, and drafting Ministerial Submissions.
- Progressing Ministerial Submissions and drafting responses to PQs and FOIs relating to employee relations.
- Representing DWP in cross-government employee relations forums.
- Liaising with the trade unions over disciplinary cases involving trade union officials.
- Providing insight and intelligence to senior stakeholders on wider industrial relations developments which may impact DWP, such as industrial action or other union-related activities.
- Line management of 1 HEO and the DTUS chair.
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