HR Partner (ER/Policy)

Reports to: HR Partner Lead – UKI & Nordics 

Location: London – Heathrow

Contract Type: (1 Year fixed Term)

Introduction to role

Vanderlande is the global market leader in automation systems and solutions for customers within the Airports, Parcel & Warehousing sectors striving to improve the competitiveness of our customers through Value Added logistic process automation. If you are passionate about creating great employee experience, People Services is the place for you! This role is central to maintaining a cohesive and positive working environment within the HR team, so being hands-on and ready to help with whatever comes up is essential. This is a great opportunity for any individual who wants to make a direct impact on people and culture.

Role Responsibilities

The HR Partner – Employee Relations & Policy is responsible for managing a complex employee relations (ER) caseload while leading the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of employment policies and associated manager guidance.

This is a delivery-focused role, ensuring consistent, legally compliant, and pragmatic handling of ER matters across the business. In addition, the role plays a critical part in creating clear, practical policy frameworks and supporting materials, including letters, toolkits, and manager scripts, to enable effective and consistent people management.

The role will also design and deliver structured training programmes to build manager capability across all areas of employee relations, ensuring managers are confident in handling people matters and applying policies fairly and consistently.

This role will work in close partnership with the UK HR Partnering team, ensuring alignment on business priorities, consistent application of policies, and a joined-up approach to people management across the organisation.

Your responsibilities and activities will include:

Employee Relations Case Management

• Own and manage a high-volume and complex ER caseload end-to-end, including disciplinary, grievance, performance, absence, and other employee matters
• Lead fair, thorough, and legally compliant investigations, producing clear findings and outcome recommendations
• Provide practical, risk-based advice and direction to managers, enabling confident and timely decision-making
• Ensure cases are managed consistently and resolved within appropriate timeframes
• Maintain accurate, detailed, and audit-ready case documentation
• Identify trends and root causes within ER activity and recommend proactive solutions

Policy Development & Documentation

• Lead the drafting, review, and implementation of employment policies, ensuring alignment with UK employment legislation and best practice
• Develop and maintain a suite of supporting documentation, including:
  • Manager guidance documents
  • Step-by-step process flows
  • Template letters (e.g. invitations, outcomes, warnings)
  • Manager scripts and conversation guides
• Ensure all materials are clear, practical, and user-friendly, driving consistency in application
• Regularly review and update policies and materials based on:
  • Legislative changes
  • ER case trends
  • Feedback from managers and stakeholders

Manager Capability & Training

• Design, develop, and deliver a structured ER and policy training programme for managers across the business
  • Lead the end-to-end rollout of training, including content creation, delivery (virtual and face-to-face) & valuation of effectiveness
• Equip managers to confidently handle:
  • Disciplinary and grievance processes
  • Absence and performance management
  • Complex and sensitive employee situations

Other responsibilities include

• Monitor and analyse ER trends and provide data-driven insights and recommendations
• Proactively identify opportunities to reduce risk and improve people management practices
• Ensure all ER and policy activity aligns with legal requirements and organisational standards
• Contribute to wider HR initiatives and projects to support the delivery of an integrated HR service

Role Qualification and Skills

• Strong working knowledge of UK employment law, policies, and best practice
• Proven experience managing a high-volume ER caseload independently
• Demonstrable experience in drafting employment policies and ER documentation
• Experience creating manager toolkits, templates, letters, and guidance materials
• Proven ability to design and deliver manager training programmes at scale
• Ability to translate complex legal requirements into clear, practical guidance
• Strong judgement with the ability to provide balanced, risk-based advice
• Highly organised with the ability to manage competing priorities autonomously
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills across all levels
• Ideally CIPD qualified (or equivalent experience)
• Experience working with trade unions is beneficial but not essential

What we offer

• 28 days of annual leave (excluding public holidays)
• Aviva Medical Cover
• YuLife – Wellbeing membership with fast access to GP appointments, promotion of health and wellbeing along with daily quests to gain Yu coins that can be swapped for shopping vouchers
• A challenging work environment with lots of opportunities for career progression.
• Cycle to work scheme
• Pension with Aviva
• Achievers – Employee Recognition Platform and discount of everyday shopping!

Diversity & Inclusion

Vanderlande is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regards to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age marital status or disability status. If you feel there is a barrier that potentially prevents you from applying, we are always happy to discuss or explore, any reasonable adjustments can be made to support your application.