Employee Relations Specialist (Change & Transformation)

Are you resilient, decisive, and focused on delivering results? Do you communicate with clarity and take ownership of outcomes? If so, this could be the right opportunity for you. 

This role offers the chance to make a tangible impact, combining strategic influence with hands on delivery in a fair and inclusive manner. You will build your expertise, broaden your experience, and drive meaningful organisational change that delivers real value to colleagues and the wider public. 

You will join a high-performing People & Change team, where your experience will contribute directly to shaping organisational transformation. 

As an Employee Relations Specialist (Change & Transformation), you will play a key role in delivering expert employee relations support across complex change programmes. You will operate in a fast-paced environment where accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement are essential. 

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is evolving its culture, perspectives, and ways of working to strengthen its core outcomes. This is an opportunity to take ownership, sharpen your professional capability, and play a part in improving the police complaints system across England and Wales. 

We'll assess you against Grade 7 Level behaviours during the interview process. Specific behaviours will be shared to successful candidates who reach the interview stage.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a Statement of Suitability based on the essential criteria. 

Once you have submitted your application, please email a copy of your CV to the Recruitment Team via the button below. 

Please note that your CV will be anonymised to ensure the integrity of the anonymous recruitment process. 

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, to find out more, please click here. 

Throughout the recruitment process we will also assess your Experience, Strengths and Values. 

We aim to follow these timeframes and will inform you of any changes if they arise: 

• Advert goes live on: 2 July 2026


• Advert expires: 16 July 2026


• Shortlisting take place: W/C 20 July 2026


• Candidates invited to interview: W/C 27 July 2026 (or sooner if possible)


• Interviews: W/C 3 August 2026 (or sooner if possible)

Main Responsibility: 

• Organisational change and transformation projects, such as restructures, realignments, and redundancies are effectively delivered in line with employment law, best practice and civil service governance frameworks.


• Complex casework, such as grievances raised because of change and transformation are managed promptly and effectively and seek ways to mitigate financial risk and legal recourse.


• Restructure, redeployment, and realignment activities are managed sensitively and in accordance with IOPC policy and employment legislation.


• Consultation with staff is effectively conducted and proposals offered by colleagues are given full consideration by leaders, and support management with providing a written response.


• Work alongside People Business Partners to ensure that our redeployment and realignment processes are fully exhausted to reduce exit costs.

Please refer to the Job Description for full role responsibilities. 

The Ideal Candidate 

Qualifications: 

• Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development level 7 qualification or equivalent experience. 

Knowledge: 

• Excellent knowledge of change management and transformation principles.


• Excellent knowledge of employment law and its practical application


• Excellent knowledge of HR best practice when managing change.


• Leadership principles and practices.


• Excellent knowledge of redundancy consultation.

Experience: 

• Experience of leading and advising senior managers on implementing organisational change and restructures.


• Significant experience of consulting and negotiating with trade unions.


• Significant experience of supporting staff through change.


• Significant experience of leading on providing employee relations advice in relation to redundancies, redeployment and grievances.


• Experience of leading large organisational transformational change.


• Working in a People/HR environment with responsibilities for influencing change.


• Experience of working in the civil service, public, not for profit or charity sectors, preferably with experience of engaging with the civil service redundancy process.


• Developing processes and or policies and procedure to facilitate effective change.


• Working collaboratively with senior managers and leadership teams.


• Experience of working with multiple stakeholders.


• Experience of assessing and evaluating the outcomes of change and transformation.

Skills: 

• Excellent influencing and negotiation skills.


• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.


• Excellent analytical skills.


• Strong decision-making skills.


• The ability to problem-solve and find cost effective solutions.


• Good coaching and mentoring skills.

Other requirements: 

Applicants must be willing to travel to regional locations to conduct in person meetings with staff and senior management. 

We believe that diverse perspectives contribute to a more innovative and dynamic workplace. We actively encourage applications from individuals who are typically under-represented or disadvantaged in society. This includes women, people from ethnically diverse backgrounds, parents and carers, and disabled candidates, including neurodiverse candidates.

We are committed to providing equal opportunities for all applicants and creating an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued and supported. 

The role requires clearance to BPSS

National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

Positive Action 

Positive action as detailed in the Equality Act 2010, allows us to use measures designed to help improve equality in the workplace, and create a level playing field for all, whilst still employing everyone based on merit. Our workforce profile data shows that people who identify as black, Asian and minority ethnic are under-represented at the IOPC. 

For this role – should we have a situation where multiple candidates have achieved the highest score and one identifies as black, Asian or minority ethnic, by using positive action, we can select that candidate for the role, therefore improving this area of under-representation at the IOPC. We will only use positive action in this way where the highest scoring candidates have all scored equally, at the final assessment stage, and above our required threshold.

Reasonable Adjustments: 

The IOPC is a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we want to help you demonstrate your full potential whatever type of assessment is used. We are open to providing you with the tools you need to succeed.

Please refer to our Reasonable Adjustment guidance document linked to this job advert on how to access Reasonable Adjustments with us. 

Package Description

What we Offer: 

• 27.5 days paid annual leave (increasing with service to 32.5 days)


• The option to buy, sell, or carry over annual leave is reviewed each year and offered when possible.


• Voluntary Health Cash Plan provided by BHSF


• Civil Service pension


• Civil Service maternity leave package


• PAM employee assistance programme


• Access to Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC) membership


• Cycle to work scheme


• Opportunity to enjoy the latest home and electronics in a more affordable way provided by Vivup


• Car Leasing Scheme


• Staff Networks focussed on each of the protected characteristics - run for staff, by staff: Enable Network, Age Network, Welsh Network, Pride and LGBTQ+ Network, Sex and Family Network, Race, Religion and Belief Network Learning and development tailored to your role.


• An environment with flexible working options


• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

Additional Information: 

Any move to the Independent Office for Police Conduct from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may, however, be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk 

Although we are currently unable to guarantee a longer or more permanent contract, if the role can be extended or made permanent, the successful post holder may be offered the role first without further interview. 

In line with the IOPC recruitment and Selection Policy, we recommend that the internal colleagues make an early application within the first seven days, so that we can see if there is enough interest within the organisation to keep the role internal for the full advert live period. We will review the number of applications after the first seven days and the role may be advertised externally after this period. Please see the Recruitment and Selection Policy Guidance, which is available on the Hub, for further information. 

Emotional Consideration: 

In performing this role, you [may/will] have occasional exposure to distressing material which will likely be impactful, traumatic and challenging. Given the nature of the work, it is also possible that you will have contact with individuals who are experiencing extreme distress.

The IOPC recognises this and offers all staff a range of wellbeing provisions, including TRiM (Trauma Risk Management), peer-to-peer support, a dedicated Wellbeing Advisor, and access to free confidential counselling.

All staff are strongly encouraged to proactively access and engage with the support available. If you would like to speak about this element of the role with somebody already doing similar work at the IOPC please contact [email protected] and this can be arranged.