Search for more NHS jobs in Southampton
Job requirements
Essential
14 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- Trust Values
Patients First
- Trust Values
Always Improving
- Trust Values
Working Together
- Knowledge and Experience
Substantial senior HR leadership experience in a large, complex organisation, including leadership of an employee relations service or function
- Knowledge and Experience
Expert current knowledge of UK employment law and its application to complex employee relations matters
- Knowledge and Experience
Significant experience of managing highly complex, sensitive and contentious employee relations cases, including cases with no clear precedent
- Knowledge and Experience
Experience of employment tribunal case management and working with legal advisers
- Knowledge and Experience
Significant experience of formal consultation and negotiation with recognised trade unions.
- Knowledge and Experience
Experience of developing and implementing organisation-wide employment policy and leading major organisational change
- Knowledge and Experience
Experience of analysing complex workforce information, identifying trends and risks, and presenting recommendations to senior governance forums
- Knowledge and Experience
Experience of managing teams, service performance and delegated budgets
- Qualifications, Training and Memberships
Degree-level education or equivalent demonstrable knowledge and experience.
- Qualifications, Training and Memberships
Chartered Membership of the CIPD
- Qualifications, Training and Memberships
Masters-level specialist HR knowledge, acquired through postgraduate study or equivalent advanced training and substantial relevant experience.
Desirable
8 listedAdditional qualities the employer would prefer.
- Knowledge and Experience
NHS senior People/HR experience
- Knowledge and Experience
Experience leading complex medical employee relations cases in line with Maintaining High Professional Standards
- Knowledge and Experience
Experience of recruitment and selection assessment methods
- Qualifications, Training and Memberships
Chartered Fellow of the CIPD
- Qualifications, Training and Memberships
Formal management or leadership qualification
- Qualifications, Training and Memberships
Training or accreditation in psychometric or development tools
- Qualifications, Training and Memberships
Employment law qualification
- Qualifications, Training and Memberships
Qualified Agenda for Change job evaluator
Job overview
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.
Job Title: Head of Employee Relations Contract Type: Permanent
Please be advised that this vacancy may close earlier than stated if we receive a large number of applications.
Main duties of the job
Passionate about Employee Relations? Commercially astute, with an excellent grasp of employment law, and the ability to manage complex medical ER cases? Shrewd negotiator who can translate complex information into digestible papers? If this sounds like you then our Head of Employee Relations role may be just the opportunity you are looking for.
Our ten-strong ER team provides a proactive and compassionate service to c.13000 staff at UHS. It also delivers advice to our Subsidiary companies (e.g. UHS Estates Limited, UHS Hospital Pharmacy) and hosted services (e.g. Wessex Cancer Alliance, Health Innovation Wessex), who mainly work under NHS terms and conditions. We’re seeking a leader to continue to develop the service, building on excellent foundations, focusing on providing fair, consistent and constructive ER, linked to strong partnership working with our Union colleagues.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
You’ll be a seasoned ER professional, ideally with experience of Medical ER. Your passion for employment law and willingness to try innovative means to resolve issues will be clear, as will your ability to work with highly intelligent stakeholders, creating and delivering strategies to resolve tricky MHPS cases.
An authentic leader who supports and challenges their team in tandem, you’ll enjoy working in a varied and challenging role. We operate hybrid working with approximately half time spent onsite, flexibility is required in order to support our clinical colleagues.
This role will offer you an interesting personal caseload, working on our most challenging cases, as well as the opportunity to mould and develop our excellent ER team. Strong leadership skills, high intellect and a sense of humour are essential!
Interviews will consist of two stages and will commence the week of November 9th 2026
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
WhatsApp job alerts
Get instant WhatsApp alerts for Band 8 Human resources manager roles in Southampton
Create your Job Clerk account first. We'll collect your alert preferences during onboarding and help you turn on WhatsApp notifications for matching healthcare roles.
Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Head of Employee Relations with University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust in Southampton, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Human resources manager role. The advertised salary is £79,504 - £91,609 per annum pro rata. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 01 Nov 2026.
Before you apply, compare the job description with the person specification and mirror the employer's essential criteria in your supporting information. Use the vacancy title, employer, location, salary, contract type, closing date and posted date (13 Oct 2026) to decide whether this role fits your current NHSjob search. If the employer can close applications early, prepare the application before the stated deadline rather than waiting for the final day.
For more context, review related Job Clerk pages for the same profession, band or location where they exist, then use the application-support guides to tailor your statement and prepare for interview.