Employee Relations Advisor - 9 Month FTC

Company Description

About us

Hello, we’re Reach. Every day, our trusted news, stories and content connect with millions of people where they live - whether that’s on their social feed or at their neighbourhood newsstand; through their local community or their take on the hot topic of the day.

We're home to more than 120 brands - from household names like the Mirror, Express, Daily Star and Daily Record, to local titles like MyLondon, BelfastLive, and the Manchester Evening News, and brands making a splash in the US like the Irish Star.

It's our ability to understand people and the things that matter to them that makes us Britain and Ireland's largest commercial news publisher. We reach around 70% of the UK's online population, 10% of the US online population, and over 100 million social followers around the world, connecting with them on who they are, where they live and what they love.

Your story, with Reach

As a modern media organisation, we're much more than just news. And it takes a wide range of people and skills to serve diverse audiences, customers and communities like we do.

We know everyone has their own story to tell, so we’ve built an environment where every background is respected and every day is a day to explore.

We’ll help you build a career that works with your life, while giving you the space to create and grow.

Job Description

What the role involves - 12 Months FTC 

You will independently champion a portfolio of complex ER cases from inception to resolution, including dismissals, appeals, and tribunal preparation. 

When the business undergoes change, you will act as our operational anchor, guiding leaders through organisational design, restructures, and redundancy processes. 

Beyond casework, you will legally safeguard the business by virtually representing us in confidential grievances, disciplinaries, and collective consultations. 

You will keep us ahead of the curve by updating policies in line with shifting UK&I legislation, while proactively building team capability through best-practice training. 

Finally, you will collaborate with the wider HR team on strategic projects to continuously elevate our overall service delivery.

Qualifications

What You’ll Need to Succeed

To thrive in this role, you bring a proven track record of managing a highly complex, sensitive ER caseload within a dedicated advisory or specialist environment. 

You pair in-depth, up-to-date knowledge of UK&I employment legislation with practical experience navigating change programs, organisational restructures, trade union consultations, and employment tribunal preparation. A CIPD qualification 

Behaviorally, you are a pragmatic problem-solver with a commercial, solution-oriented mindset focused on balanced outcomes rather than just quoting policy.

You possess the stakeholder management skills to quickly build trust, establish credible relationships, and confidently challenge leaders at all levels.

Fast-paced and resilient, you manage competing priorities with agility while helping others focus.

You communicate complex legal advice with clarity, and you demonstrate the strong collaborative judgment needed to work seamlessly across the wider People function, knowing exactly when to escalate for the best outcome.

Additional Information

How we'll look after you

We take good care of our people - and that means more than just a pay packet. Whatever your role, you'll get a range of benefits, including:

• 25 days' holiday (plus bank holidays), as well as an extra day after you've been with us for three, five and 10 years. We also have a scheme to help you buy extra holiday if you want to.

• An extra day's paid leave each year to volunteer for a cause close to your community or your heart.

• Big moment day - an extra day’s paid leave for a moment that matters to you - like getting married, moving house or welcoming a new addition to the family (human or furry!)

• Bonus scheme - you'll get a stake in our success and a chance to add to your annual earnings.

• Help saving for your retirement - we'll match your company pension contributions up to 6% and you can contribute through salary sacrifice.

• Supportive and progressive people policies - we’re proud to have a range of policies to support people in their lives in and outside work, including enhanced family leave and policies to promote flexibility, inclusion and progression. We believe you shouldn’t have to wait to join us to know what to expect from us, which is why we share this overview of the policies we have in place to support families and carers. If there's something you want to understand more about, just ask - it won’t make a difference to your application.

• A healthcare cash plan - giving you money back for a range of medical expenses and fast access to doctor's appointments.

• Car lease scheme - you can buy a brand new electric or hybrid car through our leasing partner, and pay for it through salary sacrifice.

• Wellbeing support - including a 24/7 assistance programme for you and your family.

• Financial Wellbeing – Access Stream, our app for managing your finances, pay, rewards and benefits all in one place

• Access to lots of discounts - including 15% off with Reach's very own online marketplace, Yimbly, where you can buy everything from homewares to beauty products.

• Interest-free loans - including for season tickets and technology.

If you’re excited about this role but don’t tick every single box, please don’t let that stop you from applying.

We know that everyone has their own story to tell, and we value potential, passion and the perspectives that different backgrounds bring to our work.

Diverse perspectives strengthen our teams and help us better serve our audiences, which is why we’re dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcome and supported. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.

We are committed to a recruitment process that is fair and welcoming to all, without discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender identity, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic.