Head of Employee Relations | Bristol NHS Foundation Trust


Company:	University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
Salary:	£79,504 - £91,609 pa
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Bristol, BS1 3NU
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	5 Aug 2026
Closing date:	5 Sept 2026

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Summary

Are you an experienced People professional looking for an opportunity to shape culture, influence strategy and make a meaningful difference across one of the UK’s largest healthcare providers?

We are seeking an exceptional Head of Employee Relations to lead our complex casework and employee relations service across Bristol Royal Infirmary, Weston General Hospital and Southmead Hospital. Reporting to the Associate Director of People Services, you will provide strategic leadership for a high-performing team, ensuring timely, fair and compassionate management of complex employee relations matters, embedding Restorative Just and Learning Culture, and balancing organisational risk and staff wellbeing.

As the Trust’s senior employee relations expert, you will advise executive leaders, lead on complex and high-profile cases, oversee employment tribunals, drive organisational learning, and role model a restorative, just culture approach to case management. You will use data and insight to identify trends, influence decision-making and shape policies that support a positive, inclusive workplace.

The successful candidate will be a Chartered MCIPD professional with extensive senior-level experience in employee relations, employment law, complex casework and people leadership. You will bring outstanding influencing, coaching and stakeholder management skills, alongside a passion for continuous improvement and inclusive leadership.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

For a full and detailed description of this role and responsibilities please refer to the attached job description

This advert closes on Wednesday 19 Aug 2026

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