Employee Relations Manager

Are you looking for your next opportunity?

Sompo has a unique opportunity for an Employee Relations Manager in our UK Human Resources team.

This is a 12-month Fixed Term Contract

Our HR team plays a critical role in enabling the business through effective people practices, strong employee relations support, and robust policy governance. Working across the UK organisation, the team partners closely with business leaders and key stakeholders to deliver pragmatic, compliant, and people-focused solutions that support both our employees and our strategic objectives.

Location: This position will be based out of our London office. We strive for collaboration which is why we offer a work environment where our employees thrive and develop long lasting careers.

Our business, your impact, our opportunity:

What you’ll be doing:

Process and Procedures

• Provide pragmatic employee relations advice and policy solutions that appropriately balance employment law, legal, and risk considerations.
• Act as the ER SME for the UK to support the development, review, and implementation of HR policies and associated documentation arising from new initiatives.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of employment law developments and best practice, sharing insight to enhance capability across the HR team.
• Support the review, draft, and update of employment contract templates, employee handbooks, and HR policies as required, working with Legal and HR governance teams
• Develop standardised ER templates for use across the UK.
• Use data, analytics, and external insights to monitor employee relations trends and legislative changes, identifying themes and recommending policy improvements.
• Ensure the timely and effective resolution of employee relations matters.
• Promote and communicate a consistent approach to people practices across the organisation.

People Management

• Manage a team of HR Advisors, with a strong focus on coaching and development to build capability in employee relations and wider people matters.
• Support HR Advisors to develop the confidence and competence to independently manage employee relations cases.
• Ensure people, resources, and processes within the team are aligned to business needs and are fit for purpose.
• Lead, motivate, resource, and develop the team to ensure high performance and continuous personal and professional development.
• Hold regular one-to-one meetings with team members to support performance, development, and engagement.
• Collaborate closely with the wider HR function, including Centres of Excellence.
• Actively mentor team members to support their development and career progression.
• Implement development plans for each HR Advisor, with a particular focus on strengthening employee relations capability across the team.

Strategy and Planning

• Support HR activity to ensure alignment with business objectives and the overall HR strategy.
• Ensure HR working practices, procedures, and documentation remain compliant with internal HR policy and relevant legislation.
• Contribute to the effective delivery of operational objectives for the HR function.
• Align people management plans with broader business goals and HR strategy

Environmental Awareness / Customer Focus

• Work closely with key stakeholders, including the UK Employee Forum, to gather input and insight on proposed policy changes.
• Ensure consistency, equality, and fairness in the handling of all UK employee relations matters.
• Partner with the Legal team and HR Business Partners to define effective strategies for complex employee relations cases.
• Act as the ER SME and Lead HR projects such as TUPE transfers, Target Operating Model changes, Collective and Individual consultations.
• Manage relationships with external employment law advisers in conjunction with the Legal team and oversee the budget for employee relations-related costs.
• Support the Legal team with all employment tribunal claims, working with the Legal team and key stakeholders to determine strategy and approach.
• Demonstrate responsiveness to business needs and priorities through practical, commercially focused HR support.
• Facilitate, build and maintain effective two-way relationships with the UK Employee Forum.
• Work collaboratively across HR and with business stakeholders to understand needs and identify proactive employee relations solutions that support continuous improvement.

Technical Performance

• Take responsibility for the service, quality, and performance standards of the team, proactively monitoring output and addressing performance issues where necessary.
• Apply external market knowledge and commercial thinking when developing HR and employee relations solutions.
• Maintain accurate and efficient monitoring and recording of all employee relations matters.
• Provide expert employee relations guidance and support to HR colleagues and relevant stakeholders.
• Deliver timely, reliable, and high-quality outcomes across all areas of responsibility.

What you’ll bring:

• Experience of working in a similar ER Specialist/Manager role, with extensive ER knowledge and a strong understanding of employment legislation and HR best practice.
• Proven ability to apply external insight and commercial thinking when developing practical HR and employee relations solutions.
• Ideally, experience within the insurance or financial services sector.
• Strong communication and listening skills, with the ability to coach, advise, and influence managers on employee relations matters.
• Sound judgement, with the ability to identify risks, make balanced and fair decisions, and provide guidance that meets both business and employee needs.
• Strong analytical capability, including the ability to present data in a clear, meaningful, and compelling way.
• Demonstrated change and project management skills, with experience of leading and implementing HR initiatives.
• Ability to manage multiple competing priorities effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong people management capability, including experience in developing teams and supporting individual personal and career development.
• CIPD qualification, or equivalent relevant experience, with the ability to demonstrate the level of skill and knowledge required for the role.
• Experience of managing medium to high-risk employee relations cases through to conclusion.
• Proven experience in designing, developing, and implementing HR process improvements across contracts of employment, employee handbooks, HR policies, and associated documentation.
• Experience of working with UK Employee Forums or Unions and driving collective and individual consultations.
• Likely to have experience working within a multinational financial services environment.

At Sompo, we recognize that the talent, skills, and commitment of our employees drive our success. This is why we offer competitive, high-quality compensation and benefit programs to eligible employees.

Our compensation program is built on a foundation that promotes a pay-for-performance culture, resulting in higher incentive awards, on average, when the Company does well and lower incentive awards when the Company underperforms. 

The total compensation opportunity for all regular, full-time employees is a combination of base salary and incentives that gets adjusted upfront based on overall Company performance with final awards based on individual performance.

We continuously evaluate and update our benefit programs to ensure that our plans remain competitive and meet the needs of our employees and their dependents. 

Below is a summary of some of the benefits we offer, which may vary depending on the country:

• Health & Wellness Benefits
• Retirement & Savings Plans
• Global Parental Leave & Adoption Assistance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Tuition Reimbursement & Professional Qualification benefits

Who we are and what we stand for:

At Sompo, our shared purpose is to create meaningful value for clients, communities, and each other. We strive to foster a workplace where everyone feels respected, included, and empowered to excel. As a global organization, we embrace diversity and champion equal opportunity. Guided by our core values—Accountability, Agility, Collaboration, Development, and Integrity—we build trust and support one another to achieve our goals worldwide. Life at Sompo page

Our values come to life in how we hire and grow talent. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and organizational need, and we strive to ensure equitable access to opportunities so everyone can do their best work. If you need an accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact the recruiter in charge.