Employee Relations Specialist - 12 month FTC

Salary up to: Competitive Overall Purpose: The Employee Relations Specialist will build strong business partnerships to deliver ER solutions aligned with company objectives and contribute to key initiatives to enhance processes, capabilities, and overall Nandoca experience. To act as a partner within the Nando People Operations Team, ensuring the business remains compliant, ethical, and commercially sound in all employee relations (ER) matters. This role will focus on proactively advising and supporting leaders across predominately Operations and occasionally Central Support in managing employee relations effectively, fostering a high-performance culture, identifying areas of opportunity to support and mitigating risk. To demonstrate and encourage behaviours that promote Compass – contributing to our culture and embedding 14 brilliant shifts with every touchpoint Key Stakeholders: Regional Directors Regional Managing Directors Head of People (Operations and CS) People Partners Managers in Operations and Central Support Key CS functions – Risk, Health & Safety, Payroll Key Responsibilities: Strategic ER Support: Serve as a trusted advisor to line managers, providing expert ER guidance aligned with business objectives. Develop strong relationships with key stakeholders to influence and drive best ER practices. Partner with leaders to proactively identify ER trends and implement solutions to enhance employee engagement and retention. Contribute to strategic decision-making by balancing commercial objectives with legal and ethical considerations. Employee Relations Case Management: Manage a high volume of complex ER cases, including grievance, disciplinary investigations, performance, absence management, and gross misconduct. Lead on complex ER cases, ensuring risk mitigation and consistency in approach while maintaining fairness and compliance. Provide expert guidance on settlements, COT3 agreements, and liaise with legal counsel when necessary. Advise on tribunal claims and act as a liaison with external legal support and ACAS where required. Training, Coaching & Capability Building: Coach and upskill managers in handling employee relations effectively, driving capability development. Deliver ER-related training sessions, including topics such as discrimination, absence management, investigations, and performance management. Create toolkits, templates, and guidance materials to support managers in implementing best practices. Compliance & Continuous Improvement: Stay up to date with employment law and case law developments, translating them into practical guidance for the business. Contribute to the development and enhancement of ER policies, ensuring alignment with company values and legal requirements. Identify process improvement opportunities and implement initiatives to enhance the ER function effectiveness. Ensure accurate documentation and record-keeping throughout all ER processes. Additional Responsibilities: Provide HR support in formal meetings, including coaching and notetaking where required. Collaborate with external bodies such as UK Visas and Immigration and Occupational Health to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Support wellbeing initiatives and promote employee support programs. Required Skills & Competencies: Partnering & Influence: Strong relationship management skills with the ability to influence and challenge constructively. Commercial mindset with the ability to balance business needs with people priorities. Ability to build trust and credibility across all levels of the organization. Employee Relations Expertise: Strong knowledge of employment law, case law, and HR best practices. Experience managing complex ER cases, including disciplinary and grievance investigations. Proficiency in risk assessment and decision-making within a legal and ethical framework. Communication & Coaching: Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to coach, develop, and empower managers to handle ER issues effectively. Confident in delivering training and presenting to varied audiences. Resilience & Adaptability: Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities. Comfortable working in ambiguity and adapting to change. Proactive and solution-focused approach to problem-solving. Previous Experience & Qualifications: Proven experience in an Employee Relations or HR Advisory role, with exposure to high-volume case management. Strong background in stakeholder management. Working knowledge of UK employment law and best practices. Willingness to travel across the UK as required. This role summary outlines the core responsibilities and requirements but may evolve based on business needs and priorities. #LI-DNI Heart and soul. Passion and personality. You may know us as the home of PERi-PERi goodness, but we’re actually a people-first, chicken-second kind of place.