Senior Employee Relations Manager

This is a new exciting role we're bringing into the business. You'll be required to establish and lead specialist employee relations (ER) support across Booker, ensuring complex, high-risk and sensitive ER matters are managed consistently, fairly and in line with employment law, company policy and business priorities.

The role will lead the ER Partner team (1 North, 1 South), act as a senior escalation point for complex ER cases, use ER data and insight to reduce risk and improve manager capability, and work closely with the Head of ER, Policy & Change to strengthen ER frameworks, policy application, case management and cultural progress.

• Establish and manage specialist ER support within the business, working closely with the Head of ER, Policy & Change to shape the ER approach, service and ways of working.
• Lead, coach and develop ER Partners, ensuring clear priorities, strong technical capability and delivery of a high-quality ER service.
• Build effective relationships with Heads of People Partnering, People teams, managers and senior leaders to resolve ER issues effectively and support sound decision-making.
• Provide timely expert advice on complex ER matters, including conduct, capability, performance, absence, grievance, disciplinary and other workplace issues.
• Actively support managers and leaders with formal processes, including complex harassment, discrimination or sensitive cases involving senior managers and leaders.
• Provide constructive challenge to managers and leaders where decision-making, cultural impact, policy application or ER risk requires review.
• Launch, embed and support effective use of the new case management tool across the People team.
• Analyse ER data, case trends and risk indicators to identify themes, priorities and opportunities for targeted intervention.
• Use ER insight to improve manager capability, strengthen consistency, reduce repeat issues and lower ER risk across the business.
• Work closely with the People Manager - People Change & Policy to ensure policies remain compliant, practical, useful and aligned with business priorities.
• Provide ER assessments for business projects where there may be people-impacting change, identifying risks, mitigations and recommended actions.
• Oversee the relationship between Booker and external employment law advisers, ensuring advice is used appropriately and employment law budget activity is managed effectively.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex, high-risk and sensitive ER matters, providing guidance, recommendations and risk-based decision support. Further escalating significant ER, legal, reputational, colleague or business risks to the Head of ER, Policy & Change and People Leadership Team where required.

Technical / Professional

• Strong ER experience, including complex case management, employment law application and formal ER processes.
• Experience leading or managing ER specialists, People colleagues or advisory teams.
• Strong understanding of UK employment law, ER risk, discrimination, harassment, absence, conduct, capability, performance and grievance processes.
• Experience advising on complex, high-risk or sensitive employee relations matters involving senior managers or leaders.
• Ability to provide clear, practical and risk-based advice to People teams, managers and senior leaders.
• Experience using mediation and conflict resolution skills to address issues outside of formal processes.
• Experience using ER data and case trends to identify risks, themes and capability needs.
• Ability to develop targeted interventions that improve manager capability and reduce ER risk.
• Strong understanding of policy application, policy improvement and the link between ER, culture and business priorities.
• Experience working with external employment law providers and managing a tribunal case load.
• Experience implementing or embedding ER case management tools would be beneficial.
• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear case summaries, recommendations, reports and stakeholder updates.
• Confident using Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and Word.

Behavioural & Leadership

• Able to influence senior stakeholders and provide clear direction.
• Fair, balanced and values-led, with a strong commitment to consistency, integrity and sound judgement.
• Calm and resilient when managing complex, sensitive or high-risk ER matters.
• Strong communicator, able to explain complex ER and employment law matters clearly and practically.
• Analytical and evidence-led, with the ability to use data, case insight and risk assessment to guide decisions.
• Constructive challenger, able to support better decision-making while maintaining trusted relationships.
• Collaborative, with the ability to work effectively across People, Policy, Legal, Operations and senior leadership teams.
• Improvement-focused, with willingness to strengthen ER processes, policy application, reporting and manager capability.
• Organised and disciplined, with strong follow-up, case governance and attention to detail.
• Professional and confidential when handling sensitive colleague, legal or business information.

Booker is the UK's leading food & drink wholesaler. We are privileged to serve independent retailers, caterers and small businesses, from locations across the country. We operate over 190 cash and carry branches, 8 distribution centres, 5 Best Food Logistics sites, as well as 6 support centre locations across the UK.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) at Booker means that whoever you are and whatever your background, we always want you to feel represented and that you can be yourself at work. In short, we’re a place where Everyone’s Welcome.

We know life looks a little different for each of us. That’s why at Booker and Best, we always welcome conversations about flexible working. Some people are at the start of their careers; some want the freedom to do the things they love. Others are going through life-changing moments like becoming a carer, nearing retirement, adapting to parenthood, or something else. So, talk to us throughout your application about how we may be able to support you.

We’re proud that Booker is a Disability Confident Committed Leader and we’re committed to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. For further information on the accessibility support you can expect, please contact recruitment@bookergroup.com

Please note

We can only accept candidates over the age of 18 if the role requires working before 6:15 am or after 9:45 pm or involves working in areas such as the warehouse, beers, wines & spirits, and driving roles.

On the occasions where we have high volumes of applicants, some roles may close earlier than the advertised end date in order for us to manage all of the applicants appropriately. We will only be able to offer individual feedback to those candidates who attend an interview.

*Booker Group is part of Tesco plc, however, is operated separately from the core Tesco business and as such the benefits offered will be different from those offered at Tesco*

For more information about us please visit www.bookergroupjobs.co.uk