Lead Employee Relations Advisor

About us You've probably heard of Autotrader, but do you know what we're all about? We're the most trusted, most visited automotive marketplace in the UK. A heritage brand and a tech innovator. We bring together vehicle buyers and sellers to give them real choices. Cars may be what we're best known for but we’re also the place for pretty much everything else on wheels, from e-bikes to caravans. In the automotive world, change is a constant, that’s why we take our job of untangling the complex car-buying journey very seriously. At our core, we’re all about people. We go our own way while embracing diversity and celebrating our differences. We dedicate ourselves to the idea that we work better together. Autotrader is a beautiful, surprising and vibrant place to work. We might not be for everyone, but we could be perfect for you. About the job Our people-centred culture is at the heart of everything we do, and we are looking for a Lead Employee Relations (ER) Advisor to join our collaborative People Partnering team. This specialist role is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced professional ready to make an impact far beyond their own caseload. Rather than a predictable routine with a rigid to-do list, this position requires you to fluidly transition between doing, leading, and influencing. You will have the platform to help raise standards of quality and consistency. Working alongside a team that values practical judgement, you will find this to be the ideal environment to act as a credible mentor while help shaping how employee relations are delivered within a modern, forward-thinking business. In this role, you will take end-to-end ownership of your own diverse but limited volume caseload, managing complex, sensitive, and higher-risk employee relations matters with minimal support from initial assessment through to implementation. You will bring deep, expert knowledge of employment law, staying proactively up to date with legislative developments and industry case law, and translating those changes into actionable insight to influence our internal policies, and overall ways of working. Beyond your hands-on case management, you will spend much of your time being a natural escalation point and trusted guide for our People Relations Advisors, helping them work through nuanced issues, assess risk, and reach sound conclusions. Partnering closely with the People Relations Manager, you will provide day-to-day supervision across the team, deputise when required, and ensure casework maintains high technical standards. Crucially, you will be applying your legal expertise commercially and pragmatically, identifying workable solutions where the path forward is ambiguous, and balancing your individual deliverables with the space needed to elevate and support the team. This is a great opportunity for someone with a passion for ER and who genuinely enjoys helping other people succeed. This role isn't about being given the hardest cases, it means raising the capability and effectiveness of the people around you and thinking about what the team needs, not just what is sat with you. What we're looking for Essential: • Significant experience working at a similar level in a specialist Employee Relations role within a commercial environment • Extensive experience leading complex, sensitive and higher-risk cases independently • Deep employment law knowledge and a sound understanding of the wider employment relationship, with the ability to apply both commercially and pragmatically • Proven experience coaching, mentoring or technically supporting less experienced Employee Relations or People professionals • Strong stakeholder management skills, including credibility with senior stakeholders and the confidence to challenge and i