Associate (Workplace Investigations & Employee Relations Support)

Are you an HR/ER professional, looking for a new and exciting opportunity within a thriving company?

At ibex gale it is our team’s powerful blend of expertise, skills and experience that enables us to deliver our purpose of helping organisations create and maintain workplace cultures where people can thrive. We work for clients ranging from investment banks to the NHS and commit to delivering work with a combination of professional rigour and a people-centric approach. 

Our Workplace Investigations and Employee Relations team consists of specialists with a reputation for delivering professional services to exceptional standards. We are looking for our next Associate, who will deliver robust, people-centric workplace investigations and provide hands-on Employee Relations case support to a wide range of organisations.

Our work can be complex and challenging and requires skilled professionals who are committed, motivated and able to work autonomously, as well as within a team environment. In turn we offer a competitive remuneration and benefits package, remote working, a supportive and compassionate culture and flexible working. 

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and we particularly encourage applications from candidates who are currently under represented in our team.

To apply, please ensure you meet the essential criteria on the attached job profile and submit your CV, including a personal statement about your suitability for the job to careers@ibexgale.com

If you would like an informal chat about the role, please contact Laura Kaddey at careers@ibexgale.com who will be able to arrange a short call with one of our Associate Directors. 

Closing date for applications: 14th April 2025

JOB DESCRIPTION

Associate (Workplace Investigations & Employee Relations Support)About us: 

At ibex gale, it is our team’s powerful blend of expertise, skills and experience that enables us to deliver our purpose of helping organisations create and maintain workplace cultures where people can thrive. We work for clients ranging from investment banks to the NHS, and the commitments we make to all our clients are that we combine a professional rigour with a people-centric approach.  

Our clients trust us with their people, and we work with empathy and compassion and put the wellbeing of people and teams at the heart of everything we do. At the same time, we are relentless in our pursuit of excellence, aim to deliver work to the highest standards of quality and professionalism and are continually looking for ways to improve what we do.  

We want ibex gale to role-model an outstanding workplace culture and have developed a set of core values and behaviours which captures the best things about the way we work.  

We call it the ‘Ibex Gale Way’: 

We put people first 

• We’re empathetic and compassionate with everyone we engage with. 
• We try to understand the perspectives of others and stand in their shoes. 
• We put people’s wellbeing at the heart of everything we do. 
• We value diversity of all types and think about the impact of our actions on others. 

We are relentless in our pursuit of excellence 

• We expect the highest standards of quality and professionalism from ourselves and our colleagues. 
• We’re curious, fact-focused and continually look for ways to improve what we do. 
• We take ownership of our decisions and outcomes and adopt a learning approach in everything we do. 
• We grow by embracing challenges and seeking support from colleagues when needed. 

We’re great team players 

• We’re flexible, responsive and do what we say we’re going to do.  
• We treat everyone as an equal and give everyone a chance to be heard.   
• We’re open to, and respectful of, the views and ideas of others. 
• We support others and celebrate their successes. 

About the role: 

At ibex gale we have a team with a unique blend of legal expertise and people management skills. We support organisations through what are often highly sensitive and complex employee relations processes to address matters such as employee misconduct, grievances, bullying and harassment complaints and whistleblowing concerns.  

We do this by:  

• Delivering robust investigations on behalf of organisations  
• Providing external hands-on process support in relation to formal hearings and appeals  
• Providing advisory capacity or acting as the decision-maker under delegated authority arrangements  
• Designing and delivering best practice training for organisations on how to conduct fair and robust workplace investigations and hearing processes  
• Conducting lesson learned reviews to help you to understand and learn from processes and outcomes, including Employment Tribunal Judgments  

The cases we are involved with are often complex, highly contentious and involve very senior people, requiring the utmost care, sensitivity and rigour. 

Reporting to: 

Lead Associate 

Location: 

Fully remote (home based), with occasional travel to client sites as and when required 

Hours: 

Minimum of 30 hours a week (office hours 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday. Flexible working available) 

Salary:  

£45,000 - £60,000 (dependent upon experience)  

Key Responsibilities: 

• Conduct workplace investigations and independent reviews on behalf of clients to include; disciplinary, grievance, dignity at work and whistleblowing. 
• Conduct and support clients on undertaking disciplinary and grievance hearings and appeals and provide general employee relations advice and support as required   
• From time to time there may be the opportunity to support clients in relation to culture and change projects.  
• Contribute to professional development and learning of the team. 
• Contribute towards maintaining high morale within the team and support the ongoing vision and strategy for ibex gale.  
• And all other related duties as determined reasonable by the needs of the business. 

Person Specification (Essential Criteria):Knowledge and Experience 

Educated to degree level or equivalent experience commensurate to that level 

Chartered CIPD qualification and/ or minimum of 5 years human resources / employee relations experience at a senior level 

Extensive knowledge and understanding of employment law and HR best practice 

Strong track record of dealing with complex employee relations matters, specifically workplace investigations  

Experience of managing complex cases, conflict and sensitive issues and achieving positive outcomes  

Skills and Abilities 

High level of IT literacy with experience of working with Microsoft 365 applications, including Teams, Word and Excel 

Strong report writing skills and ability to produce written work to a very high standard with meticulous attention to detail 

A natural problem solver and able to take an analytical approach with the ability to critically assess complex information  

Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to effectively communicate complex ideas and information to a range of audiences 

Strong ability to build effective working relationships internally and externally, dealing with people at all levels 

A compassionate and people-centric approach 

Proactive and flexible with the ability to work independently and autonomously, prioritising work to deadlines 

Personable and collaborative with the ability to work remotely and engage in a virtual team environment 

Strong commercial acumen, and the ability to work within cost estimates to maintain profit margins  

Evidence of commitment to continuing professional development  

At ibex gale we are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and we particularly encourage applications from candidates who are currently underrepresented in our team.