Industrial Relations Manager

Summary  

 This role can be based in either our London or Manchester Support Centers. 

At M&S, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We're looking for an experienced Industrial Relations Manager to play a pivotal role in shaping our approach to colleague representation, consultation and industrial relations across the business. 

Working as part of the People team, you'll lead the development of our industrial relations strategy, supporting senior leaders through organisational change, managing risk, and ensuring colleagues have a meaningful voice through our representation arrangements. You'll provide expert guidance on collective employment matters that protect colleague experience, business continuity and the M&S reputation. 

To stay close to customers, our support teams are in the office three days a week as we believe that skills are developed through collaboration, and that spending time together makes us more creative and connected. 

What you’ll do  

Your key accountabilities will include: 

• Lead and deliver M&S's industrial relations strategy, taking a proactive, risk-based approach to colleague representation, consultation and engagement across the business. 
• Act as the key advisor to BIG, building strong relationships with representatives and ensuring colleague voice is embedded in business decisions and transformation programmes. 
• Support leaders through significant organisational change, restructures and business transformation programmes, ensuring consultation activity is effective, compliant and colleague-focused. 
• Build constructive relationships with trade unions and employee representatives, leading consultation, negotiation and engagement activity where required. 
• Provide expert industrial and employee relations advice to senior stakeholders, helping manage risk while balancing commercial priorities and colleague experience 

Who you are  

Your skills and experience will include: 

• An experienced Industrial Relations, Employee Relations or Workforce Relations professional with a track record of operating within large, complex organisations. 
• Experienced in working with employee representative groups, works councils and/or recognised trade unions. 
• Highly knowledgeable in UK employment law, with strong understanding of collective consultation, employee representation and industrial relations best practice. 
• A confident influencer who can build credibility with senior leaders, navigate complex stakeholder environments and deliver pragmatic solutions. 
• Commercially minded, resilient and collaborative, with excellent communication, negotiation and relationship-building skills. 

What’s in it for you?  

Working at M&S means being part of something bigger - helping to deliver quality, value and service to millions of customers every day. We’re inclusive, fast-moving and always evolving, with a strong sense of purpose and a focus on doing the right thing. 

Here are just a few of the benefits that make working here even more rewarding: 

• 20% colleague discount on all M&S products and many third-party brands for you and someone in your household, available once you’ve completed your probation 
• Competitive holiday allowance with the option to buy more 
• Discretionary bonus schemes linked to your performance and ours  
• Strong pension and life assurance to help plan for the future 
• Tailored induction and training to support your development from day one 
• Exclusive perks and savings through our M&S Choices portal 
• Market-leading family policies, including parental, adoption and neonatal leave 
• 24/7 wellbeing support, including virtual GP access and mental health services 
• One paid volunteer day a year to support a cause that matters to you 

Everyone’s welcome  

We are ambitious about the future of retail. We’re disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We’re transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen. 

We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together. 

If you feel you'd benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process. 

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