Sr Manager, Employee Relations

Work Schedule

Environmental Conditions

Job Description

Senior Manager, Employee Relations

Reporting to Director Employee Relations, EMEA & APAC

As a member of the Culture and Counsel platform, the Senior Manager Employee Relations will advise on and conduct sensitive investigations of potential policy and/or Code of Conduct violations, developing Employee Relations (ER) capability, as well as, leading initiatives to strengthen culture programs focusing on ethical business practices across assigned business divisions/group(s).  They will also provide consultation and advice on ER issues across the EMEA region.

The position requires the ability to quickly issue-spot complex employment and ER matters and to create and implement sound, balanced, and thorough solutions aligned with our cultural values. Successful candidates must possess ER leadership experience, excellent communication and relationship-building skills, and experience working successfully with multiple internal customers including internal/external counsel, compliance, internal audit, and other business leaders to create effective and efficient partnerships!Key Responsibilities:

• Partner with HR leaders across business unit to create and sustain positive ER programs
• Lead employment investigations for complex in-scope ER investigations across business unit, while providing advice to HR on conducting investigations and other formal ER procedures in difficult cases – disciplinaries, grievances, capability (performance or ill health absence management).
• Provide advice and consultations on a range of other ER issues across EMEA.
• Provide guidance in relation to issues within the remit of the European Whistleblowing Directive.
• Partner with Labor Relations, when required, to provide counsel and advice on Labor Relations issues and concerns involving Trade Unions and Works Councils and ensure alignment with global Labor Relations strategy.
• Advocate for the ethics hotline and coordination of associated programs.
• Coordination and facilitator of investigations training and other ER learning and development initiatives to deliver investigation tools and knowledge to assigned HR team.
• Provide thought leadership on embedding a true continuous performance improvement culture, including review and management of updates to Performance Improvement Program procedures and associated supporting PIP plan materials. Advise and coach Managers and HR through PIP process.
• Preparation and training of HRGs on template toolbox materials (invitations to disciplinary and grievance hearings, investigation meeting minutes, investigation outcome reports, disciplinary decision letters, etc)
• Conduct periodic reviews of HR related policies and provide improvement recommendations in conjunction with HR Compliance team.
• Delivery of specific ER projects across the EMEA region.
• Analyse business unit’s ER data, identify trends, and communicate findings and suggested improvements.
• Partner internally with Functional/Regional and Country HR leaders, Employment law, Compliance teams, Internal Audit, and other internal customers as appropriate to achieve the above responsibilities.

Minimum Requirements

• Solid experience supporting employee relations efforts
• Track record of influencing and providing consultative guidance to senior management around complex organizational issues
• Experience of providing ER advice across the EMEA region
• Extensive experience conducting and handling corporate investigations of complex and confidential workplace complaints
• Be a great teammate with a flexible and adaptable approach
• Ability to work independently and in a group setting with little direction and without direct supervision.
• Experience in developing and delivering training on a variety of employment issues
• Proven ability to independently identify and analyze issues and problems and to develop and influence appropriate business solutions and plans of action
• Ability to run analytical reports and leverage data to identify and diagnose root cause elements
• Strong partnering, diplomacy, and collaboration skills, enabling individual to establish influential partnerships working with peers, senior leaders and across organizational lines
• Strong project management, oral communication and social skills
• Fluid and persuasive technical writing skills
• Ability to handle highly sensitive information with confidentiality and professionalism
• Comfortable in a fast-paced environment with adaptability to changing business conditions and needs.
• Ability to multitask, deal with ambiguity, and work in a team environment
• Excellent applied knowledge of ER issues (including performance management), risk management practices, investigative practices, and employment law 
• Trade Union and Works Council experience desirable
• Masters in HR, CIPD, employment lawyer, or other specialized training in labour/ER preferred
• Experience handling ER in union and non-union environments preferred
• Multi-lingual language skills are preferred
• Particular experience in ER within France, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands and/or Switzerland is desirable