Employee Relations Specialist

Markerstudy Ltd; Sunderland; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK leading insurance organization is seeking an experienced Employee Relations Partner for a 7-month fixed-term contract to provide maternity cover. This role will involve offering expert advice across the business, supporting line managers with complex employee relations matters, and managing varied ER cases. The ideal candidate should have strong experience in employee relations, excellent understanding of employment law, and the ability to navigate regulatory environments while supporting a collaborative team.

Qualifications

• Strong, hands-on ER experience managing a wide range of casework independently.
• Excellent employment law knowledge and ability to apply it pragmatically.
• Confident stakeholder manager with strong influencing and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice and guidance to line managers on all aspects of employee relations.
• Manage complex ER cases end-to-end, including disciplinary, grievance, capability matters.
• Build strong, trusted relationships with stakeholders.

Skills

Employee relations experience

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Employment law knowledge

IT literacy

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Locations: Sunderland, Peterborough or Portsmouth (hybrid working)

Markerstudy Insurance Group is one of the UK’s leading insurance organisations, known for combining technical expertise with a strong people-first culture. We’re now looking for an experienced Employee Relations Partner to join our Group HR team on a 7-month fixed-term contract, providing maternity cover from February through to September.

The role

Reporting into the Lead ER Partner, you’ll provide expert, pragmatic ER advice across the business, supporting line managers with complex and sensitive employee relations matters while balancing colleague experience with commercial and regulatory needs.

You’ll manage a varied ER caseload end-to-end and work closely with HR Business Partners and the wider HR function to deliver a consistent, high-quality ER service across the Group.

Key responsibilities

• Provide expert advice and guidance to line managers on all aspects of employee relations across the full employee lifecycle
• Manage complex ER cases end-to-end, including disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence, flexible working and appeals
• Build strong, trusted relationships with stakeholders to influence fair and commercially sound outcomes
• Assess and manage ER risk, ensuring robust audit trails, governance and documentation
• Support absence and capability management, including liaison with Occupational Health, PHI cases and sensitive matters
• Contribute to ER MI, identifying trends, risks and opportunities for improvement
• Support policy development and continuous improvement of ER processes
• Stay up to date with employment law developments and emerging risks

About you

• Strong, hands‑on ER experience managing a wide range of casework independently
• Excellent employment law knowledge and ability to apply it pragmatically
• Confident stakeholder manager with strong influencing and communication skills
• Able to balance colleague experience with business and regulatory requirements
• Experience working in a regulated environment
• Strong IT literacy, including Microsoft Office

You’ll be joining a collaborative, supportive ER team within a large, fast‑paced and highly regulated organisation, where your expertise will have real impact from day one.