Employee Relations & Hr Policy Director

Employee Relations & HR Policy Director

Investment Bank

Permanent

City of London

£120,000 + bonus

2 days in the office / 3 days working from home

I have partnered with a leading Investment Bank with a global footprint who have exciting and innovative growth trajectory plans for their EMEA presence. The role of Employee Relation & HR Policy Director has become available, with this role being integral in the firm's ability to own a variety of complex ER cases as well as strategic oversight of processes & policies. The successful candidate will need to have a dual background in ER & Policy writing, as well as an understanding of the complexities of experience working in a matrix firm.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee all Employee Relations (ER) matters, including responding to regulatory inquiries in collaboration with the Senior Employment Legal Director.
• Serve as Secretary for the EMEA Behaviour Conduct Review Committee, assisting in performance adjustment decision-making, and co-manage the EMEA Performance Adjustment Policy with the Senior Employment Legal Director.
• Function as Secretary for Conduct Rule Breach Committee meetings and ensure the communication of decisions from the UK Conduct Rule Breach Sub-Committee to relevant stakeholders and processes.
• Review outputs from ER cases, data, and Key Risk Indicator (KRI) reports, identifying themes and recommendations. This includes managing the central ER case tracker and reviewing reports from the HR ER and Policy Manager.
• Act as the subject matter expert for all ER matters, providing timely and consistent advice to senior management and HR. Leverage knowledge of regulations, employment law, and company policies to recommend solutions that balance risk and business objectives, including expert advice on grievances, disciplinary actions, appeals, redundancies, terminations, performance management, long-term sickness absence, whistleblower complaints, and employment tribunal actions.
• Support the development, updating, and maintenance of effective HR and ER processes, policies, practices, and principles to ensure consistency, regulatory compliance, and mitigation of risks in a regulated environment. Ensure policies are implemented and updated appropriately across the UK.
• Lead the EMEA Policy Development Forum to share best practices and manage EMEA-wide projects.
• Oversee the regular review process of the UK Employee Handbooks for permanent, temporary workers, and expatriates.
• Manage internal governance and approval processes required for policy implementation and changes.
• Supervise one direct report.

Skills:

• HR qualification or equivalent experience.
• Proven experience in managing a variety of complex and sensitive Employee Relations (ER) cases to resolution in the UK, with additional experience or a demonstrated interest in policy development.
• Preferably gained experience within the financial services sector, with an understanding of the regulatory environment, particularly the impact of the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR) on employment policies and practices.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and its application in a commercial context. Understanding of employment legislation principles across EMEA is an asset but not essential.
• Experience working in a regulated environment.
• Experience navigating a complex organisational structure during periods of change and expansion.
• Proven ability to manage multiple work requests and competing deadlines simultaneously.