Employee Industrial Relations Partner

Employee Industrial Relations Partner

Location: Orwell Logistics Park, Ipswich (Hybrid Working)

This is a chance to join one of the UK's most significant infrastructure programmes - Sizewell C -a once-in-a-generation development set to provide clean energy to over 6 million homes for the next 60 years.

Working within the Civil Works Alliance (a partnership between Balfour Beatty, Bouygues Travaux Publics and Laing O'Rourke), you will play a key role within a high-performing delivery organisation on a complex, high-value programme.

This role offers the opportunity to operate at the heart of a major project, supporting leaders on complex employee relations matters, driving early intervention approaches, and contributing to a positive and collaborative working environment.

The role is aligned to Orwell Logistics Park, Ipswich, with hybrid working in place and flexibility for candidates based across the UK. Travel and mobility support is provided where required.

About the Role

As an Employee Relations Partner, you will support the Human Resources function by managing a varied and high-volume caseload of employee relations matters, while contributing to wider organisational and operational initiatives.

You will act as a trusted advisor to leaders, providing clear, pragmatic guidance to ensure matters are handled consistently, compliantly, and in line with employment legislation and best practice.

A key focus of the role is promoting early intervention, using coaching and mediation approaches to prevent escalation and support effective resolution.

What You'll Be Doing

• Managing a complex caseload of employee relations matters (typically 15–50 cases), including performance, absence, disciplinary, grievance, redundancy and SOSR
• Providing expert advice and guidance to leaders on employment law, policy, and best practice
• Supporting early intervention approaches, including mediation and coaching
• Working closely with Legal Counsel and Strategic People Leads to ensure compliance and consistency
• Building effective relationships with stakeholders, including Trade Unions
• Supporting organisational change and people-related projects
• Analysing case data, documentation and evidence to inform recommendations and outcomes
• Ensuring high standards of governance, compliance, and control across all ER activity

What We're Looking For

• CIPD Level 5 (or equivalent)
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice
• Proven experience managing complex ER caseloads in a fast-paced environment
• Experience working across geographically dispersed teams
• Experience engaging with trade unions and understanding industrial relations processes
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Key Skills & Attributes

• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
• Analytical and solutions-focused mindset
• Ability to manage sensitive and complex situations with professionalism
• Highly organised with the ability to manage competing priorities
• A proactive and collaborative approach

About Us

Laing O'Rourke are an international engineering and construction company delivering state-of-the-art infrastructure and buildings projects for clients in the UK, Middle East and Australia.

Certainty, reliability, quality – this is what our clients want. And at Laing O'Rourke, we have more than 150 years of experience delivering it. Laing O'Rourke's story is one of energy, passion, ambition, people and teamwork. We harness the power of our experience, stretching back over a century and a half to deliver certainty for our clients.

As part of the Disability Confident scheme, we would like to enable access to candidates with long term conditions and disabilities through the ‘Offer an interview scheme'. This supports applicants that meet the essential criteria by offering an interview for the advertised position. Please let us know if you would like to opt in to this scheme and let us know if you require any adjustments for the interview process.

We want to ensure our recruitment process is accessible to all. If you need the application form in an alternative format or you would like to know more about our recruitment process, please email resourcingteam@laingorourke.com