ER Transformation Lead

We are looking for an Interim Employee Relations Transformation Lead to join our Colleague Experience & HR Operations team.   If you are an experienced people leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment, brings others with you and delivers change, this could be a great opportunity for you.  

Job Type:  Fixed Term Contract – 12 months

Location: Hybrid.  This is a hybrid role, with quarterly travel expected to support face to face time with the team, most likely in Edinburgh and Birmingham.  

Flexible working: All roles are open to part-time, job-share and other types of flexibility. We will discuss what is important to you and balancing this with business requirements during the recruitment process. You can read more about flexible working here.

Closing Date: 2nd September 2026

Salary and benefits: Salary of up to £100k depending on level of experience, indicative bonus range of 30-60%, private medical cover, 38 days annual leave, excellent pension, income protection, 3 x volunteering days and much more. 

To make things easier, you might want to save this advert now, it won’t be accessible after the closing date.

Who are we? 

We’re Standard Life, a retirement specialist focused entirely on retirement savings and income. We champion the belief that everyone’s journey to and through retirement can be better, and for more than 200 years, we’ve been helping our customers plan and prepare for their financial futures.

Life today is increasingly complicated, uncertain and unpredictable. People move through different careers, face unexpected moments and navigate important choices. We offer our colleagues flexibility, trust and benefits that work for whatever life brings. In return we expect curiosity, connection, accountability and high standards. We make room for what matters - so you can bring your best, every day.

The role  

This role presents an exciting opportunity to join our Operations Leadership team and lead a strategic review of our Employee Relations and Wellbeing teams.  You’ll undertake a comprehensive assessment of our current operating model, identifying key strengths, opportunities and priorities that will help shape the future of these critical colleague facing teams.   

Working at the heart of our colleague experience and operational delivery, you will help redefine how both Employee Relations and Wellbeing services are delivered, transforming the way we support colleagues, manage risk and drive positive business outcomes.   A key focus will be evolving from reactive case management to proactive, insight- led model that builds capability, drives consistency and enables better outcomes for colleagues, leaders and the business. 

You will influence how teams deliver both business-as-usual activity and strategy change initiatives, redesigning processes, systems and ways of working to improve effectiveness, efficiency and experience.  As part of this, you will create opportunities to broaden capability, build specialist expertise and develop future-ready skills, ensuring the team continues to be recognised as a centre of excellence. 

This is an exciting opportunity to create a lasting impact by shaping a progressive, data-driven and inclusive vision for Employee Relations and Wellbeing, building on existing strengths while creating the foundations for future growth, innovation and excellence.  

What are we looking for?

• A strong people leader with experience leading and delivering transformative change in an agile, large-scale, high matrixed regulated business, with the ability to balance an exceptional colleague experience with strong commercial outcomes in an HR or employee relations environment.

• Proven ability to create high-performing, inclusive and empowered culture, underpinned by operational excellence and enabled by modern and progressive ways of working including digital solutions.

• Strong judgement and proven ability to balance risk management, commercial outcomes, regulatory requirements and colleague experience considerations to deliver sustainable business value.

• Experience leading within an HR role focused on the delivery of change or transformation and demonstrating ability to balance employment law considerations alongside operational, commercial and experience outcomes.

• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the confidence and credibility to work collaboratively with operational teams, HR Business Partners and our staff association to drive successful outcomes.

• A passion for continuous improvement, using data, insight and emerging trends to challenge traditional assumptions or approaches and drive meaningful change. 

We want to hire the whole version of you.

We are committed to ensuring that everyone feels accepted and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. If your experience looks different from what we’ve advertised and you believe that you can bring value to the role, we’d love to hear from you. 

 If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, please let us know so we can help you to be at your best. 

We’re reviewing applications as they come in and may close this role before the closing date, so apply early to avoid missing out.

Find out more about working at Standard Life

• Guide for Candidates: standardlifeplc.pagetiger.com/guideforcandidates

• Find or get answers from our colleagues: www.standardlifeplc.com/careers/talk-to-us

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