Head of Employee Relations | South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Posting date:	15 July 2025
Salary:	Not specified
Additional salary information:	£64,455 - £74,896 per annum
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	20 August 2025
Location:	Crawley, RH10 9BG
Company:	South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	7351178/278-HofER-0725-SBW

Summary

Head of Employee Relations

Band 8b | Based in Crawley : required regularly at SECAmb Regional Locations | Minimum 40% On-Site

Be the trusted voice. Shape the culture. Champion fairness.

At SECAmb, we’re on a bold journey of cultural transformation — and we need a Head of Employee Relations who’s ready to lead from the front.

This is not a role for the faint-hearted. It’s a rare opportunity to shape the future of employee relations in one of the country’s most vital NHS services. You’ll be stepping into a complex, high-pressure environment where legacy practices need to evolve — and where your leadership can unlock lasting, meaningful change.

We’re looking for someone who thrives in ambiguity, sees beyond the status quo, and brings both strategic vision and pragmatism. You’ll need to balance the demands of reactive ER work with the drive to embed proactive, values-led approaches that support our people and strengthen our culture.

If you’re ready to take on a big challenge for big impact — and you’re passionate about creating a fair, supportive, and inclusive workplace — we want to hear from you.

Apply today via NHS Jobs / Trac Jobs and start your next meaningful leadership chapter at SECAmb.

You’ll be a key player in our People Directorate, working closely with senior leaders and operational teams to:
• Lead and modernise our ER function, ensuring it’s fit for the future.
• Champion fairness, inclusion, and early resolution in everything we do.
• Build capability and confidence across the organisation to manage people issues well.
• Influence and shape the wider transformation agenda through expert ER insight

At SECAmb, we're not just managing ER casework. We're actively shaping a compassionate, resolution-focused, people-first organisation. You’ll:
• Lead a talented, specialist Employee Relations team, supporting over 4,500 staff.
• Be a strategic partner to senior leaders and trade union colleagues.
• Champion early resolution and meaningful partnership working.
• Influence and design organisational policy and people strategies.
• Manage complex and high-profile ER cases, change programmes and employment legal matters.
• Play a key role in workforce transformation, cultural initiatives and NHS-wide developments.
• Option to join NHS pension scheme
• A minimum 27 days' holiday each year, increasing after 5 years’ service.
• Personal and professional development and training opportunities.
• Salary Sacrifice schemes for cars or push bikes.
• Access to occupational health and counselling services.
• Award winning wellbeing hub
• Back up buddy App
• Access to NHS discounts, offering NHS employees a range of money-saving deals.

Other than in exceptional circumstances, the starting salary for staff new to the NHS will be the bottom point of the band to which they have been appointed.

Reporting directly to ourDeputy Chief People Officer, you’ll:
• Deliver expert, forward-thinking advice on complex ER issues.
Lead on high-risk employment matters, including Employment Tribunals.
• Shape and modernise our ER framework and case management approach.
• Build collaborative, proactive partnerships with trade union colleagues.
• Lead ER aspects of organisational change, TUPE, and restructures.
• Design, deliver and embed innovative people management training for leaders.
• Use data insights to identify ER trends and develop prevention strategies.

We’re looking for a bold, confident, people-focused leader who can:
• Inspire trust and confidencein senior colleagues, staff, and union partners.
• Think strategically and act decisivelyin a high-pressure, public sector setting.
• Provide expert advice on complex, sensitive employment law matters.
• Balance compassion, fairness, and commercial risk management.
• Be an outstanding communicator, negotiator, and relationship-builder.

Essential:
• Chartered Member of the CIPD (or working towards it).
• Significant, senior-level ER experience in a large, unionised, complex organisation (NHS or public sector experience welcome but not essential).


This advert closes on Tuesday 29 Jul 2025

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

About Disability Confident

A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.