Specialist, Employee Relations at Save the Children

Role purpose

Lead the delivery of a fair, timely, and person-centred Employee Relations service across SCI, managing complex and sensitive investigations through to resolution while ensuring compliance with organisational policies and legal requirements whilst aligned to SCI’s values. The role provides expert guidance to leaders and HR teams on employee relations matters, manages risk throughout the investigation lifecycle, and ensures robust, evidence-based recommendations are implemented to address root causes, strengthen organisational practice, and prevent recurrence.

• Reports To: Lead, Employee Relations
• Work Pattern:Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available
• Location: Any approved Save the Children International office location. For a full list of locations that Save the Children International can hire in, please visit: SCI Careers 
• Required Time Zone: Any
• Contract Length: Initial 1 year fixed-term contract with potential to become permanent
• Right to Work: The successful candidate must have the right to work in the country where the role is based, for the duration of employment. 
• Language Requirements: English (Arabic, French or Spanish desirable)
• International Travel: up to 5% 
• Remit: Global

Principal Accountabilities

• Lead and manage the investigation and resolution of employee relations cases, including complex and multifaceted grievances, ensuring fair, timely, and consistent outcomes in line with SCI values, policies, and employment legislation.
• Manage risks and dependencies throughout the investigation lifecycle, anticipating potential barriers and competing priorities, escalating issues where appropriate, and driving investigations to a timely and effective conclusion while maintaining fairness and integrity of process.
• Ensure the identification of lessons learned from formal investigations, developing clear, evidence-based recommendations to address root causes, strengthen organisational practices, and prevent the recurrence of issues, while informing continuous improvement of policies, processes, leadership capability, and organisational culture.
• Champion a person-centred approach to Employee Relations, safeguarding the wellbeing, dignity, rights, and needs of all parties involved, and ensuring individuals are treated with fairness, respect, and compassion throughout formal and informal processes.
• Act as the Employee Relations Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Country Office Senior Management Teams, providing strategic advice and guidance on highly complex and sensitive employee relations matters, consulting with internal and external legal counsel where required to ensure compliant and values-led decision making.
• Partner with Country Office HR teams to build capability and confidence in Employee Relations, providing coaching, guidance, and support to strengthen investigation and case management expertise and enable effective handling of local caseloads.
• Drive continuous improvement and innovation across Employee Relations processes, tools, systems, and frameworks, enhancing efficiency, consistency, user experience, and organisational effectiveness.

Experience and Skills

Essential

• Significant experience leading and managing complex employee relations investigations, including grievances, disciplinary matters, and other sensitive workplace issues, ensuring fair, timely, and legally compliant outcomes.
• Demonstrated expertise in providing strategic employee relations advice to senior leaders and managers on high-risk and complex cases, enabling effective decision-making aligned with organisational values, policy, and legal requirements.
• Strong experience conducting investigations and producing high-quality investigation reports, including developing clear, evidence-based findings and recommendations that address root causes, strengthen organisational practice, and prevent recurrence of issues.
• Proven ability to identify, assess, and manage risks throughout formal employee relations processes, balancing competing priorities and stakeholder interests while maintaining procedural fairness and delivering timely outcomes.
• Experience building capability within HR teams and people managers, through coaching, mentoring, and knowledge sharing to strengthen employee relations expertise and case management effectiveness.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex and sensitive issues clearly, objectively, and authoritatively to a wide range of stakeholders.
• Highly developed interpersonal, listening and questioning skills, with the ability to build trust and engage sensitively and effectively with all stakeholders, including reporters, impacted individuals, subjects of concern, and witnesses throughout the case management process. 
• Strong relationship-building skills, with the ability to establish credibility and trust with employees, HR teams, senior leaders, and other stakeholders across diverse cultural and organisational contexts.
• High levels of integrity, sound judgement, and resilience, with a demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality, impartiality, and professionalism when handling sensitive and complex matters.
• Strong organisational and case management skills, with the ability to manage a complex caseload, prioritise competing demands, maintain accurate records, and ensure effective implementation and monitoring of recommendations and actions.
• Experience driving continuous improvement of employee relations frameworks, tools, systems, and processes, enhancing efficiency, consistency, and organisational effectiveness.

Education and Qualifications 

Essential

• Expert understanding of employment laws and regulations in one or more countries that SCI programmes in.

Desirable

• Qualifications, experience or training in mediation, conflict resolution, or labour law would be advantageous. 
• Professional certifications in Human Resources (such as CIPD) are desirable.
• Arabic, French or Spanish language skills