Employee Relations Advisory Manager - Fixed Term Contract 8 months

HSBC; Genf; On-site; CHF 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

Life insurance

Pension

Family friendly leaves

Job summary

HSBC in Switzerland is seeking an Employee Relations Advisor to provide expert, impartial support on complex people matters, including investigations and case strategy. You will partner with Legal, Compliance and Risk, maintain confidentiality and ensure fair processes.

The role emphasizes advising managers, handling redundancies, exits, and applying employment legislation, with fluency in French and Swiss work eligibility required.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in Employee Relations (ER) or HR advisory.
• Strong track record managing workplace investigations.
• Experience advising on high‑risk matters including whistleblowing and potential litigation.
• Coaching managers through sensitive situations.
• Fluency in French; Swiss/EU work eligibility required.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage end-to-end complex ER cases in Switzerland.
• Provide ER advice and coaching to managers on performance and conduct issues.
• Lead light investigations with fact-finding, interviews and reporting.
• Collaborate with Legal, Compliance, Risk and other teams; maintain strict confidentiality.
• Identify recurring themes and risks; propose improvements to ER processes.

Skills

Employee Relations

Investigations

Coaching managers

HR risk & policy

ServiceNow

Tools

ServiceNow

Job description

The Opportunity

Being part of HSBC in Switzerland, you’ll help evolve and grow our business.

The Opportunity

Being part of HSBC in Switzerland, you’ll help evolve and grow our business. Are you interested? Do you have Employee Relations expertise? Do you enjoy being part of a cohesive team? If you answered yes to any of these questions, we want to hear from you!

What You Will Do

The Employee Relations (ER) Advisor provides expert, impartial support on complex and sensitive people matters, including conduct, capability, attendance, grievances, performance concerns and workplace conflict. The role leads robust and defensible investigations by planning case strategy, assessing evidence, conducting interviews, establishing relevant facts and producing clear findings, case summaries and outcome documentation. Acting as a trusted adviser to managers, the ER Advisor applies employment legislation, regulatory expectations and internal policies consistently, balancing fairness, employee wellbeing and organisational risk. The role works closely with Legal, Compliance, Risk and other specialist teams, uses mediation, coaching and informal resolution where appropriate, and maintains strict confidentiality while making sound judgements in high-pressure situations. In addition, the ER Advisor identifies recurring themes and emerging risks across cases, recommending preventative actions and improving ER processes, guidance, templates and controls to strengthen manager capability and promote consistent, high-quality employee relations outcomes.

In This Role You Will

• Own and manage end-to-end complex ER cases in Switzerland.
• From intake/triage through to resolution and closure, ensuring accurate documentation, appropriate evidence gathering and clear outcomes.
• Provide ER advice and coaching to managers on performance and behaviour issues, including capability/performance improvement actions, conduct management and formal processes where required.
• Lead light investigations (fact-finding, interviews, meeting notes, evidence review) and recommend next steps; elevate to Head of ERA country/Legal where scope, sensitivity or risk warrants it.
• Provide ER support for redundancies (e.g. process guidance, explanation, risk assessment, stakeholder co-ordination) in line with HSBC policy and Swiss requirements..
• Advise on and support dismissals and other sensitive exits, ensuring decisions are defensible, risks are clearly articulated and required approvals are obtained.
• Apply a risk-based approach that balances colleague experience, compliance and commercial realities; document options, rationale, risks and recommended actions within ServiceNow.
• Maintain a close working relationship with the Legal team, engaging them early on cases with higher legal/reputational exposure (e.g. dismissal risk, discrimination/harassment allegations, regulatory sensitivity, high-profile stakeholders).
• Identify recurring themes and policy/process gaps; propose improvements using insights from case trends and knowledge tools.

You Should Apply If You Have

• Extensive and demonstrable experience in Employee Relations (ER), HR advisory or a closely related field.
• A strong track record of managing workplace investigations.
• Deep experience advising on complex or high-risk matters, including whistleblowing, retaliation, long-term absence and potential litigation.
• Considerable experience coaching managers through sensitive and challenging situations.
• Employment principles and legislation.
• Disciplinary, grievance, performance-management and absence processes.
• Equality, discrimination, harassment, bullying and reasonable-adjustment considerations.
• Data protection, confidentiality, record retention and appropriate information.
• Investigation methodology, procedural fairness and evidential standards.
• Mediation, workplace conflict and psychological safety.
• Organisational policies, delegated authorities and escalation routes.
• HR risk management, controls, audit requirements and regulatory expectations.
• HR systems, case-management tools and reporting platforms.
• The organisation’s values, culture and risk appetite.
• Fluency in French is required
• Due to immigration restrictions in Switzerland we will only be able to consider applications from Swiss or EU citizens or from candidates holding a valid Swiss work permit.

What You’ll Get In Return

We offer a comprehensive and competitive package of benefits usually covering healthcare, life assurance, pension, and family friendly leaves, as well as many other benefits to support your wellbeing. HSBC operates multiple variable pay plans, to reflect the diverse nature of the businesses, roles and markets in which we operate. Variable pay is designed to reward colleagues for their individual performance and contribution, as well as the performance of their relevant Business / Infrastructure, and the overall Group.

HSBC has been certified “Top Employer 2026” in Europe. This recognition from the Top Employers Institute rewards our HR practices and recognises HSBC as an HR Leader in France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Switzerland.

HSBC is a signatory company of the Advance Charter. This Charter is a commitment towards gender equality in business and hence a workplace environment that supports a fair and balanced approach to hiring, remunerating, promoting and retaining female talent.

Being open to different points of view is important for our business and the communities we serve. At HSBC, we’re dedicated to creating diverse and inclusive workplaces. We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring careers at HSBC are inclusive and accessible for everyone to be at their best.

If you have a need that requires accommodations or changes during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Personal data held by the Bank relating to employment applications will be used in accordance with our Privacy Statement, which is available on our website.

For further information on building your career at HSBC, please visit: www.hsbc.com/careers