Employee Relations and Change Specialist

Salary: £58,810
Contract: 6 month FTC, Full Time
Location: Hybrid - UK based with regular travel to offices across the UK.

Merrifield Consultants are delighted to be partnering with one of the UK's largest health charities to recruit an Employee Relations and Change Specialist. This is an exciting opportunity to join a values-led organisation at a pivotal time, supporting managers through complex employee relations matters while playing a key role in delivering organisation-wide change programmes.

If you're an experienced Employee Relations professional who enjoys influencing leaders, navigating complex cases and driving positive organisational change, we'd love to hear from you.

As the Employee Relations and Change Specialist, you will act as the trusted expert for managers across the organisation, providing high-quality advice, coaching and practical support on a broad range of employee relations issues. Alongside managing complex casework, you will partner with leaders to deliver people-focused change initiatives, ensuring best practice, compliance and positive employee experiences throughout.

This is a varied role where no two days are the same, offering the opportunity to influence decision-making, build management capability and contribute to a progressive People and Culture function. Regular travel to offices across the UK will be required to support operational change programmes.

• Manage a varied portfolio of complex employee relations cases, including absence, performance, conduct, grievance, wellbeing and flexible working.
• Provide expert advice and coaching to managers on employment law, policy and best practice.
• Lead investigations, ensuring fair, consistent and timely outcomes.
• Support and influence managers to build confidence in people management and decision making.
• Partner with stakeholders to deliver organisational change programmes, including consultations, employee communications, redeployment and redundancy processes.
• Facilitate consultation meetings and respond to employee queries throughout change projects.
• Maintain accurate case records and ensure compliance with internal processes and employment legislation.
• Build strong relationships across the organisation, promoting a positive, inclusive and people-focused culture.

We're looking for an experienced Employee Relations professional who can confidently balance operational delivery with strategic thinking.

You'll bring:

• Significant experience managing complex employee relations cases from start to finish.
• Proven experience supporting organisational change programmes and formal consultation processes.
• Strong working knowledge of UK employment law and its practical application.
• Excellent coaching, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
• The ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• A collaborative, solution-focused approach with excellent communication skills.
• Confidence working autonomously while building strong relationships across all levels of an organisation.
• CIPD Level 7 qualification (or equivalent) is highly desirable, alongside coaching and/or mediation qualifications. Experience within the charity, healthcare or wider not-for-profit sector would be advantageous.

This is an opportunity to join a highly respected national charity where people are genuinely at the heart of everything they do. You'll work alongside a supportive People and Culture team, contribute to meaningful organisational change and help create an inclusive, high-performing workplace that makes a real difference.

Merrifield Consultants are proud to be partnering exclusively with this leading UK health charity on this appointment.

If you're looking for a 6 month, fixed term contract and want to make a lasting impact within a purpose-driven organisation, we'd love to hear from you. Apply today or contact Merrifield Consultants for a confidential discussion.

We practice a diverse and inclusive recruitment process that ensures equal opportunity for all we work with, irrespective of race, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, age or gender. As an organisation, we encourage applications from all backgrounds and will ensure measures are met when required, to allow a fair process throughout.