Employee Relations Partner

7 Month Fixed Term Contract

February – September

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

Desirable:

CIPD qualified (or equivalent)
Experience working in a regulated environment
Strong IT literacy, including Microsoft Office

Why join us?

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.