Head - Employee Relations Advisory - Global Capability Network

Head of Employee Relations Advisory - Global Capability Network India

- The Employee Relations Advisory (ERA) team is accountable to deliver the Employee Relations strategy around Policies & Procedures, Conduct and Concerns Management, Business Change and Transformation, People Risk and Governance, Employment Law and Litigation & Industrial Relations by applying appropriate judgement in making decisions taken are compliant with local legislations and Group's guidelines that apply.

- This role will be part of the Employee Relations Advisory Team of Infrastructure that manages Employee Relations Advisory related aspects for Global Capability Networks across 8 countries supporting Global Capability Network in India comprising of c. 30k employees and reports in Head of Employee Relations Advisory - Infrastructure.

In this role, you will:

- Lead Employee Relations Advisory for Global Capability Network India, aligning the agenda with business strategy, workforce priorities, organisational culture, risk appetite and the broader People strategy.

- Provide strategic counsel and constructive challenge to HR and business leadership on complex employee, workforce and organisational matters, balancing employee experience, business needs, legal and regulatory considerations.

- Own the ER (Employee Relations) risk agenda by proactively identifying litigation, conduct and workforce risks; establish appropriate mitigation strategies and ensure risks remain within the organisation's risk appetite.

- Lead the development, governance and continuous improvement of ER policies, frameworks and practices, ensuring alignment with Indian employment legislation, regulatory requirements, Group frameworks and evolving business needs.

- Own the governance and resolution of complex and high-risk ER matters, including disciplinary cases, grievances, whistleblowing, investigations and performance matters, ensuring consistency, fairness, procedural robustness and appropriate risk management.

- Lead the India approach to employment litigation and disputes, partnering with Internal Legal and external counsel on litigation strategy with clear accountability for outcomes.

- Provide strategic advice on workforce transformation and business change, outsourcing, operating-model changes and other complex workforce interventions.

- Provide guidance on Industrial Relations and employee representation matters, including the management of emerging industrial relations risks where applicable.

- Anticipate and interpret changes in Indian employment legislation, regulatory expectations and market practice, translating these into implications, recommendations and proactive changes to strategy, policies and business practices.

- Establish robust governance and oversight, providing senior leadership with meaningful trends, risk indicators, case insights and recommendations to support informed workforce decisions.

- Ensure appropriate quality assurance, consolidation and reporting of India ER activity, including material cases, risk themes, litigation, workforce change and service delivery metrics.

- Drive an insight-led ER agenda using case data, ER metrics, employee trends and thematic analysis to identify systemic issues, emerging risks and opportunities for preventative interventions.

- Oversee, track and monitor Employee Relations Advisory service delivery metrics and provide trends and insights to Entity, Regional and Global Governance Forums.

- Own the effectiveness of the India ER operating model, ensuring appropriate prioritisation, capacity, service standards, escalation mechanisms, quality assurance and consistent delivery of ER advisory services.

- Lead continuous improvement and simplification of ER processes, leveraging technology, data and innovative approaches to improve manager and employee experience, strengthen controls and increase the effectiveness of ER delivery.

- Build and lead a high-performing Employee Relations team, developing capability in strategic advisory, employment law, investigations, workforce transformation, industrial relations, risk management and stakeholder influence.

- Coach and enable the ER Advisory Team, HRBPs and people managers to strengthen ER capability, improve manager effectiveness and promote consistent, fair and accountable practices.

- Build strong strategic partnerships with HRBPs (Human Resource Business partners), business leaders, Legal, Compliance, Risk, Reward and other specialist functions; represent Employee Relations in governance and leadership forums; embed ER considerations into organisational and workforce strategy; and role-model the organisation's leadership behaviours and values to support high performance, responsible leadership, employee trust and sustainable business outcomes.

To be successful you will:

- Post Graduation in Human Resources, Employee Relations, Law or related disciple, with 15+ years of experience in progressive experience, including significant experience, 10 years leading Employee Relations in a complex, large scale organization.

- Proven track record of leading an Employee Relations Advisory function, shaping ER strategy, policies, frameworks, and practices that enable business outcomes while maintaining appropriate employee, regulatory and reputational risk controls.

- Deep expertise in Indian employment, labor and industrial relations legislations, with the ability to translate evolving regulatory requirements into practical, commercially sound ER strategies, policies and interventions.

- Strong experience managing complex and high-risk ER issues, including investigations, disciplinary actions, grievances, employee disputes, litigations, regulatory proceedings, industrial relations.

- Demonstrated expertise in advising on organizational transformation and workforce changes and other complex workforce interventions.

- Strong risk and governance mindset, with the ability to identify emerging people, legal, regulatory, employee relations risks to establish appropriate controls and provide clear recommendations for active risk mitigation.

- Exceptional influencing skills, with demonstrated ability to consult, challenge and influence stakeholders (across levels) across HR, Business Legal, Compliance, Risk and other control functions to achieve balanced and sustainable outcomes.

- Strong commercial and business acumen with ability to understand business strategy, operating models and workforce priorities and translating them into pragmatic ER solutions.

- Good communication, judgement and interpersonal skills, with the ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential matters with integrity, empathy and sound judgment.

- Strong leadership capability, including developing ER/ Advisory talent, building organizational capability, creating a high-performance culture and establishing consistent ER standards across a complex organization.

- Ability to operate effectively in ambiguity and navigate complex, competing priorities, making sound and timely decisions with limited precedent while maintaining appropriate risk discipline