Employee Relations Partner

Job description

The Global Employee Relations Team supports WD to ensure consistency in adherence to company policies and reducing compliance risks in our employment practices and policies worldwide. The ER Team partners closely with the regional HR Centers of Excellence, Ethics and Compliance and Employment Law teams to review, advise, and investigate workplace concerns and address complex employee matters to help build a high-performing and respectful workplace culture within WD.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Serve as the primary subject matter expert for all employee relations matters across US and EMEA, providing strategic and pragmatic guidance to employees and people managers at the site. Lead and manage complex ER cases including misconduct, grievances, performance management, workplace conflict, labor disputes and policy violations. Conduct and support workplace investigations, ensuring thorough fact‐finding and providing clear, balanced, and actionable recommendations to support business decisions and employee outcomes.

Act as the lead HR representative for regional union and labor relations matters, partnering cross-functionally to develop labor relations strategies, support negotiations, consultations on activities related to collective agreements, workplace changes and employee impact discussions. Promote constructive, collaborative relationships with union partners Provide coaching and build capability of business leaders on managing performance, disciplinary actions, documentation standards and employee communications.

Develop scalable manager education and preventative ER programs to strengthen leadership capability and foster a respectful workplace culture. Lead or participate in ER-related projects, initiatives, and continuous improvement efforts to enhance employee experience and organizational effectiveness. Maintain weekly ER/IR reports, track disciplinary cases and related data, and provide insights to support decision-making and trend analysis.

Qualifications

Required

Deep expertise in US and EMEA employment laws, employee relations practices, labor laws and workplace culture, with the ability to navigate complex cross-border employment matters. Minimum 8+ years of progressive Employee Relations experience supporting, including experience supporting both US and EMEA employee populations in a multinational organization, working with Works Councils, employee representative bodies, or collective consultation processes.

Strong knowledge of US employment law and familiarity with employment legislation and employee relations practices across key EMEA countries. Experience partnering with regional HR and Legal teams to navigate cross-border employment matters. Demonstrates strong judgment and decision-making skills when assessing a wide range of employee matters, ensuring fair, consistent, and business-aligned outcomes. Experience supporting a broad range of employee relations issues, including performance management, workplace investigations, misconduct, accommodations, reductions-in-force, restructurings, and organizational change.

Exceptional coaching and consulting capabilities, with the ability to elevate manager effectiveness in performance management, equitable practices, and respectful workplace behaviors. Proven analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret data, identify trends, and provide insights that guide informed decision-making. Proven experience influencing senior leaders in a matrixed multinational environment.

Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced global environment while maintaining high standards of responsiveness, confidentiality, and professionalism. Familiarity with Workday and HR case management systems. Demonstrated ability to leverage data, automation, and AI-enabled tools to improve Employee Relations processes and decision-making. Proficiency in one or more additional EMEA languages (e.g., French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, or Polish) is preferred.