Manager - Employee Relations
Why Globalization Excellence (GE)
Zinnov's Globalization Excellence (GE) practice helps enterprises build and scale Global Capability Centers (GCCs) end-to-end - from Design & Discovery to Build, Scale, and Run.
In GE, you don't work in silos. You:
Own complex, end-to-end client journeys
Work across GCC advisory, managed services, and BOT / outsourcing models
Influence leadership decisions that shape long-term talent and operating strategies
This is where strategy meets execution - and where talent plays a defining role.
About the Role
We are looking for an experienced Manager - Employee Relations to lead complex employee relations initiatives for enterprise clients and Global Capability Centers (GCCs). This role requires a strategic advisor who can balance business objectives with employee experience while ensuring legal compliance and organizational governance.
You will partner closely with business leaders, HR teams, legal counsel, and client stakeholders to manage sensitive employee matters, lead workplace investigations, strengthen ER frameworks, and drive best-in-class employee relations practices.
What You'll Do
Employee Relations Advisory
- Partner with business leaders, HR teams, and client stakeholders to provide strategic guidance on employee relations matters.
- Design, review, and strengthen employee relations frameworks, policies, governance models, and operating procedures.
- Advise on organizational restructuring, workforce transitions, retention strategies, and other sensitive people initiatives.
- Assess organizational ER maturity and recommend scalable solutions that improve governance, compliance, and employee experience.
Investigations & Case Management
- Lead complex workplace investigations involving misconduct, harassment, ethics concerns, discrimination, and policy violations.
- Conduct structured interviews, evidence reviews, and fact-finding exercises to ensure objective, defensible outcomes.
- Manage disciplinary actions, grievance cases, performance-related concerns, and employee separations with appropriate governance and documentation.
- Partner with legal teams to assess risks and ensure regulatory compliance.
Labour Law & Compliance
- Provide subject matter expertise on Indian labour laws, employment regulations, statutory compliance, and workplace governance.
- Monitor legislative developments and advise stakeholders on policy implications.
- Support audits, regulatory reviews, inspections, and compliance assessments.
- Guide leaders on employee separations, statutory obligations, and risk mitigation strategies.
Stakeholder Partnership & Client Advisory
- Build trusted relationships with HR leaders, legal teams, and senior business stakeholders.
- Serve as the primary escalation point for sensitive employee relations matters.
- Manage multiple client engagements while ensuring consistent, high-quality delivery.
- Provide balanced recommendations that align employee experience, business priorities, and legal considerations.
Capability Building & Governance
- Develop playbooks, toolkits, and standardized employee relations frameworks.
- Coach HR teams and people managers on investigations, documentation, performance management, and ER best practices.
- Drive governance, consistency, and continuous improvement across employee relations processes.
- Contribute to organizational knowledge sharing and capability development initiatives.
Analytics & Insights
- Monitor employee relations metrics, workplace trends, compliance indicators, and organizational risk.
- Develop dashboards and reporting frameworks that enable proactive workforce risk management.
- Generate actionable insights for HR and business leaders to improve policies, processes, and organizational effectiveness.
- Identify recurring trends and recommend preventive interventions.
What You Bring
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor's degree required; Post Graduate Diploma in Industrial Relations, Labour Law, HR, or a related specialization preferred.
- 10-15+ years of progressive experience in Employee Relations, Industrial Relations, HR Business Partnering, or related HR functions.
- Strong expertise in Indian labour laws, employment regulations, and compliance frameworks.
- Proven experience managing workplace investigations, disciplinary proceedings, grievance handling, and complex employee relations cases.
- Experience partnering with legal teams on employment-related risk management.
- Exposure to multinational organizations, Global Capability Centers (GCCs), technology companies, shared services, or consulting environments is preferred.
- Consulting or client advisory experience is an added advantage.
Key Skills
- Employee Relations strategy and advisory
- Workplace investigations and case management
- Labour law, statutory compliance, and governance
- Executive stakeholder management and influencing
- Risk assessment and conflict resolution
- Strong interviewing, documentation, and analytical skills
- Excellent communication, consulting, and problem-solving capabilities
- Ability to navigate complex, fast-paced, and ambiguous environments with sound judgment and discretion
What Success Looks Like
- Effective resolution of complex employee relations matters with balanced business outcomes.
- High stakeholder confidence as a trusted advisor across client organizations.
- Strong governance, compliance, and risk management practices.
- High-quality, legally defensible investigation outcomes.
- Data-driven recommendations that improve employee experience and organizational effectiveness.
- Scalable employee relations frameworks that support business growth across multiple client environments.