Colleague Relations Manager

PortmanDentex is a leading dental group supporting more than 370 practices across the UK and Ireland. We put patients at the heart of what we do and create an inclusive environment where colleagues can grow and make a real difference. Working in partnership and always looking for ways to improve, we are building a better future for our patients, practices and people.  

The Colleague Relations (CR) Manager leads and develops a team of People Advisors to deliver a responsive, professional, and confidential CR service.

This role ensures the consistent, fair, and timely handling of complex colleague relations matters, while supporting legal compliance, best practice, and a culture of engagement across PortmanDentex.

As a key member of the People team, the CR Manager provides expert advice to senior leaders and People Business Partners, supports strategic initiatives through proactive intervention, and helps shape CR policies and practices that align with our values and business goals.

Responsibilities:

Leadership & Team Management:

• Leads, coaches, and develops a team of People Advisors, ensuring effective performance, continuous learning, and high standards in ER case management.
• Allocates cases, monitor case progress, and provide expert guidance on complex or high-risk matters.
• Fosters a values-led performance culture that values integrity, collaboration, and efficient process management.

ER Case Management:

• Oversees the end-to-end management of all ER cases; including disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence, investigations, and appeals.
• Ensures all cases are managed in an efficient manner in accordance with our policies, employment law, and best practice guidelines.
• Acts as an escalation point for high-risk, sensitive, or legally complex ER issues.
• Maintains clear documentation, data integrity, and reporting standards for case outcomes and trends.

Policy Development:

• Manages the development, review, and implementation of people policies, procedures, and “how to” guides.
• Ensures compliance with employment legislation, regulatory frameworks (e.g., CQC), and internal governance.
• Keeps abreast of legal updates and healthcare-specific ER challenges, providing insights and mitigation strategies.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Builds trusted relationships with internal stakeholders, including Leadership team, People Business Partners and People Support Office.
• Develops strong relations with our Legal team
• Manages our commercial relationship with our external legal support teams.
• Enhances capability of people managers and People BPs by developing and participating in training programmes on key CR topics.

Change Management:

• Supports an effective ER process for organisational change initiatives (e.g., restructures, acquisitions, divestments), including the design and execution of consultation frameworks in compliance with employment legislation

Analytics & Reporting:

• Monitor ER case trends, identify emerging risks, and deliver actionable insights to PLT and the Exec.
• Produce monthly dashboards and reports to track ER performance, volumes, and resolution times.

We welcome your application to our CRM vacancy if you have the following qualifications and skills: 

Skills and Experience:

• Leading ER case management in a complex, regulated environment.
• Strong understanding of UK & I employment law and best practice ER procedures.
• Demonstrated leadership of an ER team, including performance management and coaching.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to manage sensitive issues with discretion, impartiality, and sound judgment.
• Experience in developing and implementing CR policies and documentation
• Experience with Case Management Systems

Competencies: 

• Strong judgement and subject matter expertise
• Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills
• High attention to detail and excellent written communication skills
• Ability to contribute to the broader People agenda
• Ability to support and influence others across the organisation

Personal Attributes 

• Confident, supportive people manager who leads by example. 

• Strong attention to detail and pride in producing high-quality work. 

• Proactive and decisive, comfortable balancing strategic delivery with day-to-day team leadership. 

• Reliable and adaptable, comfortable working with changing priorities. 

• Team player who builds positive relationships across departments and levels.

What we offer:

In addition to a competitive basic salary, our benefits also include: 

• Wellbeing Support: 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme and GP service plus an in-house Mental Health First Aider programme 

• Additional Reward: bonus scheme based on business performance 

• Extra Leave: Birthday off and option to buy 3 more days 

• Family Support: Enhanced maternity/paternity leave 

• Financial Security: Life assurance and pension scheme 

Application process 

When you click apply, we’ll need your CV and contact details, along with the answer to four quick questions and your application will be complete! You’ll get a response as quickly as we can, whatever the outcome of your application. 

Ready to join us? Click apply to take the next step in your career. 

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We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity, equity and inclusion in our workplace. We are committed to creating an environment of mutual respect and are dedicated to providing equal employment opportunities regardless of race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity, marital or civil partner status, disability, age, or nationality.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity, equity and inclusion in our workplace. We are committed to creating an environment of mutual respect and are dedicated to providing equal employment opportunities regardless of race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity, marital or civil partner status, disability, age, or nationality.