Cancer Research UK
Employee Relations Specialist
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Honing a safe place. Lending a helping hand. Making a difference.
£32,000 - £39,000 per annum + benefits
Reports to: Employee Relations Manager
Directorate: Chief Operating Office
Contract: 12 month fixed-term contract
Hours: Full time 35 hours per week
Location: Stratford, London. Office-based with high flexibility (1-2 days per week in the office)
Visa sponsorship: You must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this vacancy. Cancer Research UK is not able to offer visa sponsorship.
Closing date: 6 September 2026, 23:55
This vacancy may close earlier if a high volume of applications is received or once a suitable candidate is found, therefore we strongly recommend that you apply early to avoid disappointment. If you require more time to apply as part of a reasonable adjustment, please contact recruitment@cancer.org.uk as soon as possible.
Recruitment process: One competency-based interview and one task-based assessment
Interview date: 17th September 2026
How do I apply?
We operate an anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. CVs are required for all applications; but we won’t be able to view them until we invite you for an interview. Instead, we ask you to fully complete the work history section of the online application form for us to be able to assess you quickly, fairly, and objectively.
At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.
We are professionals with purpose, beating cancer every day. But we need to go much further and much faster. That’s why we’re looking for someone talented, someone who wants to develop their skills, someone like you.
This is an opportunity to join Cancer Research UK’s Employee Relations (ER) Team of 8. The ER team (and wider HR department) play an essential role in engaging and inspiring Cancer Research UK’s large and dynamic workforce of hundreds of shops and 2,500+ office staff across the UK by delivering operational transformation, governance, and an employee experience that enables us to be an inclusive, sustainable, and agile organisation.
As an Employee Relations Specialist, you will manage and advise on a diverse range and high volume of ER cases across Cancer Research UK (such as performance management, conflict resolution, ill health, grievance, and disciplinary). This will involve supporting and developing line managers in creating an environment where employee concerns and conflicts are resolved compliantly, while fostering effective communication channels to promote a culture of openness, trust, and mutual respect.
Your legacy by the end of this contract will be to have positively impacted Cancer Research UK’s employee experience, ultimately creating an environment where our people feel they belong and are better enabled to deliver the charity’s lifesaving work. If you are an experienced Employee Relations and/ or Human Resources Advisor with a background in medium to large-sized organisations, while managing a high volume of ER cases, we would love for you to join our mission.
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What will I be doing?
- Providing expert advice, coaching, and development to managers across the organisation to resolve all ER cases (such as performance management, conflict resolution, ill health, grievance, and disciplinary) effectively and in line with legislative requirements and Cancer Research UK’s policies and procedures.
- You will be managing a caseload of c.30-40 cases at a time.
- Supporting case managers to make sound unbiased decisions ensuring colleagues are treated in a human way through robust, credible ER advice and support.
- Collaborating with colleague representatives and case managers to ensure that all cases are resolved efficiently to mitigate organisational risks in everything we do.
- Mediating and facilitating conflict resolution between parties by promoting open communication, mutual understanding, and constructive dialogue to resolve informally and amicably wherever possible.
- Accurately recording and maintaining case information ensuring that all case-associated paperwork is of a professional standard and meets GDPR and data protection regulations.
- Identifying opportunities to improve business processes and approaches and collaborating with colleagues across HR and the wider organisation to implement these.
What are we looking for?
- Experienced Employee Relations and/ or Human Resources Advisor (or equivalent) with a background in medium to large-sized organisations.
- Proven success managing 30+ employee relations cases at any one time involving senior stakeholders, end-to-end with strong attention to detail, organisation, and prioritisation.
- Thorough knowledge of employment law, regulations, and best practices related to employee relations.
- Strong understanding of HR policies and procedures, disciplinary and grievance processes, and employee engagement strategies.
- Has trained and coached case managers and senior stakeholders to conduct investigations and manage employee relations cases with sensitivity, confidentiality, and impartiality.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to effectively interact and build relationships with employees at all levels of the organisation.
- Experience generating professional reports and writing ER letters.
- Ability to provide practical, solution-oriented advice and guidance to employees and management on employee relations matters.
- Strong problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills with the ability to remain resilient, calm, and composed in challenging situations.
- Ideally, available on one month's notice or less.
Our organisation values
Bold: Act with ambition, courage, and determination
Credible: Act with rigour and professionalism
Human: Act to have a positive impact on people
Together: Act inclusively and collaboratively
We’re looking for people who can believe in and embody these organisation values and can use them to drive forward progress against our mission to beat cancer.
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If you’re interested in applying and excited about working with us but are unsure if you have the right skills and experience we’d still love to hear from you.
What will I gain?
We create a working environment that supports your wellbeing and provide a generous benefits package, a wide range of career and personal development opportunities and high-quality tools. Our policies and processes enable you to improve your work-life balance, take positive steps in your career and achieve your personal wellbeing goals.
You can explore our benefits by visiting our careers web page.
Additional information
For more information about working with us please visit our website or contact us at recruitment@cancer.org.uk.
For more updates on our work and careers, follow us on: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.
Our vision is to create a charity where everyone feels like they belong, benefits from, and participates in, the work we do. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, in particular those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently under-represented.
We want to see every candidate performing at their best throughout the job application process, interview process, and whilst at work. We therefore ask you to inform us of any concerns you have or any adjustments you might need to enable this to happen. Please contact recruitment@cancer.org.uk or 020 3469 8400 as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, we are unable to recruit anyone below the age of 18, so that we can protect young people from health & safety and safeguarding risks.
There’s a place for everyone at Cancer Research UK. Our vision is to create a charity where everyone feels like they belong, benefits from and participates in, the work we do. We're committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential.
We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, in particular those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently under-represented, and believe that a diverse workforce will help us to beat cancer sooner.
If you’re interested in applying and excited about working with us but are unsure if you have the right skills and experience we’d still love to hear from you. We don’t expect everyone to meet all of the criteria listed.
We want to see every candidate performing at their best throughout the job application process, interview process, and whilst at work. We therefore ask you to inform us of any concerns you have or any adjustments you might need to enable this to happen by emailing us at recruitment@cancer.org.uk.
Unfortunately, we are unable to recruit anyone below the age of 18, so that we can protect young people from health & safety and safeguarding risks.
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