Director, EMEA Employee & Labour Relations

We are looking for a Director of Employee & Labour Relations EMEA to lead a team of Employee Relations and Labour Relations Consultants in the EMEA region covering 22 countries. This role reports to our Senior Director, Global Employee Relations and is part of our Employee Experience function. We are at a pivotal moment of growth and this role represents an amazing opportunity for an experienced leader, with a passion for employee experience and workplace culture, to lead a high performing team through our next wave of growth. 

Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop a high performing Employee & Labour Relations Team in EMEA as part of a Global ER Leadership Team, working in close alignment & collaboration with ER Regional Lead Counterparts in the Americas, Asia, and India. 

• Act as a leader for Employee Experience (EX) in EMEA, joining the EX EMEA-Leadership team to drive positive business impact & velocity through a unified People Strategy.  Partner closely & collaboratively with HRBPs, COE, HR Ops, and other critical regional leaders to deliver complex HR strategies in the region. 

• Lead and evolve the ER and LR strategy across the EMEA region, in alignment with global strategy and local priorities. 

• Responsible for the leadership, development, and high performance of a team of ER and Labour Relations team members located pan-EMEA. 

• Provide leadership to mitigate risk and build constructive labour relations with works councils and employee representative bodies across the region, ensuring a consistent approach and delivery of objectives. 

• Lead employee relations matters across the EMEA region, through effective partnerships with all stakeholders, including the EX team (ie. HRBPs, COEs, HR Ops), Legal team, and all stakeholders, to include complex investigations 

• Leverage data and insights to proactively drive recommendations for change, including trend identification & intervention strategies (ex training, mediation etc). 

• Leverage pan-European expertise to build & mature standardised ER & LR processes. 

• Monitor and analyse internal and external trends, regulatory changes and provide strategic and tactical guidance for HR and leaders. Anticipate, assess, and manage risk. 

• Partner with and influence business and EX stakeholders and Employment Legal to implement business-specific or corporate-wide initiatives and programs. 

• Accountable for financial tracking and reporting into the Finance functions across change activity  

Qualifications:

• Extensive experience in strategic Employee Relations experience and a second line people management experience 

• Pan-European experience, with in-depth knowledge of HR/ER/LR practices and regulations 

• Solid understanding of European employment law and practical experience navigating its complexities  

• Solid experience leading EMEA Works Council matters 

• Strong experience partnering with leadership across all levels to translate business objectives into actionable people strategies. 

• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast-paced, global, and matrixed environment, effectively managing competing priorities and delivering impactful outcomes at the speed of the business. 

• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a multi-national environment, with experience interpreting & localising HQ philosophy in EMEA markets 

• Strong skills in anticipating and identifying problems and use sound judgment and fact-based analysis to develop effective and efficient solutions. 

• Strong change management, project management, and process development/improvement experience.