Employee Relations Specialist

About the Role

Join KPMG UK as an Employee Relations Specialist, with base locations across Glasgow, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, and Manchester. KPMG is a global professional services network offering Audit, Legal, Tax, and Advisory services with over 16,000 employees worldwide and a legacy spanning more than 150 years. Within Group Corporate Services (GCS), this role supports the firm's internal operations, focusing on sustainable growth, risk mitigation, and operational efficiency through strategic HR initiatives.

The People and Resourcing domain drives the firm's business strategy through its workforce by promoting a values-based culture and leveraging digital tools to optimize decision-making and productivity. The new Employee Relations (ER) function prioritizes constructive workplace relationships, aiming to enhance employee well-being and organizational outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver timely, solutions-oriented ER support to People Leaders, Project Managers, and HR Business Partners across diverse ER issues, ensuring policy adherence, fairness, and alignment with KPMG values.
• Lead or assist consultations and employee engagement activities related to restructures, redundancies, and TUPE transfers.
• Offer practical ER advice, clarifying potential risks, mitigation strategies, and recommendations to stakeholders.
• Coach managers through performance management processes, including Reaching Performance Plans, ensuring appropriate documentation.
• Advise on complex health-related capability and sickness absence matters, including Occupational Health referrals and workplace adjustments.
• Promote early resolution methods such as facilitated discussions and mediation to address issues proactively.
• Generate and interpret ER Management Information to highlight caseload trends and outcomes.
• Support disciplinary and grievance processes by informing stakeholders and collaborating with the ER Investigations Team for formal inquiries.
• Participate in HR panels and contribute to decision-making and outcome communications.
• Manage ethics champion duties by conducting fact-finding and escalating issues to formal investigations where necessary.
• Implement learnings from ER cases alongside business leaders and HRBPs.
• Contribute to the development of standardized templates, playbooks, and knowledge resources to enhance consistency and efficiency.
• Design and deliver training sessions to enhance managerial and leadership competencies in ER matters.
• Maintain confidential and accurate case files with timely data recording in case management systems.
• Prepare and review Settlement Agreements as part of case resolution.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Proven expertise in Employee Relations with experience managing both formal and informal casework including capability coaching.
• Comprehensive knowledge of UK employment legislation, dispute resolution mechanisms, and ER best practices.
• Excellent verbal and written communication abilities, capable of influencing at all organizational levels.
• Skill in translating employment laws and policies into clear, actionable guidance for leadership.
• Capacity to manage competing priorities effectively in a high-volume, dynamic environment.
• Strong analytical aptitude for interpreting case data and identifying thematic insights.
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
• Established ability to build confident professional relationships across all business levels.
• Experience coaching and mentoring others, promoting a culture of continuous learning and service excellence.
• Collaborative mindset with a willingness to share knowledge and support team objectives.

Additional Information

This role is a strategic HR function embedded within a values-led culture. KPMG fosters open communication and supports personal and professional development within its workforce through innovative and evolving ER practices. The role offers meaningful career growth opportunities in a professional setting dedicated to enhancing employee engagement and organizational trust.