Senior Employee Relations Advisor

Job overview

This is a great opportunity for an experienced HR professional to join the ER team at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. We are looking for high quality people whose backgrounds, experience and identity will enhance the diversity of our current team. This is an exciting and challenging opportunity for a high achieving HR Professional to provide ER support to improve staff experience and engagement, develop people management skills and capability and ensure efficient workforce utilisation.

Joining us at UHP means being part of a team that is committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical expertise and excellent patient care. The Trust has many ambitious programmes for service transformation and cultural change which will rely heavily on the ER function.

Proposed interview date - 08/10/2026

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***

Main duties of the job

If you are ambitious, innovative and passionate about supporting the implementation of our inspiring workforce and business initiatives, then we want to hear from you.

You will thrive on pace and complexity and have high levels of resilience and energy to support the Divisions/Corporate Teams with their workforce requirements that supports the delivery of excellent and high quality services to patients.

You should be CIPD qualified with significant HR experience in a large complex organisation. You will also be an excellent communicator, able to work collaboratively with colleagues and stakeholders, using highly developed motivational skills to encourage enhanced organisational performance.

The main duties include:

• To provide a customer-focussed, high quality, responsive and comprehensive Human Resources advisory service for the Trust, advising on terms and conditions, HR policies and all matters relating to the employment of staff.
• To support the implementation of organisational change, workforce programmes and policies to enable the organisation to achieve its strategic objectives and increase workforce productivity.
• To support the Business Partner approach to HR management, working in partnership with line management throughout designated directorates to provide a comprehensive and developmental HR service to support the Trust’s business objectives.
• Responsibility for the line management and development of the ER Advisors.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Work to the principles of the Business Partner approach to provide advice, support and facilitation to ensure that the Trust is able to develop and deliver a People strategy that responds to identified service needs and to national and local performance targets.

• Working autonomously, provide a comprehensive, proactive and professional expert HR advisory service to line managers across the Trust. This will include: o Leading and implementing organisational change; o Provision of expert advice and guidance on aspects of employment law and best practice; o Interpretation and application of National terms and conditions; o Enabling managers to understand their duties and to make informed decisions on HR issues; o Advice on HR policies and procedure, including complex employee relations matters.
• Maintain an expertise in employment law and best HR practice, in order to be able to provide accurate advice to managers and staff on employment legislation issues, and their implications for the Trust.
• Support operational managers with the review of departmental structures, the management of change and providing appropriate HR advice, with support from Employee Relations Manager.
• Support the Business Partners with Trust-wide organisational change programmes.
• Provide professional advice and guidance to managers on all HR Policies, working with them in taking action as appropriate, ensuring a consistent approach across other areas of the Trust to ensure fair application of Policy.
• Lead on undertaking disciplinary and grievance investigations and hearings with line managers, providing support and guidance during investigations ensuring that agreed Trust procedures are adhered to and provide support to Employee Relations Advisors in the team on case work, including: o Grievance and Bullying and Harassment o Performance and Conduct o Sickness Absence o Redeployment

Please refer to the attached JD for the full description.