Regional Leader, Labor & Employee Relations (f / m / d) -Europe (Open) (Krefeld)

Danaher Corporation has a matrixed and decentralized organization structure with over 16 operating companies. Our collective operating companies form a significant presence in Europe with over 65,000 employees and a wide range of associate representative forums, including 60+ works councils across Europe.

Danaher is seeking a Regional Leader, Europe (f/m/d) for its Labor and Employee Relations (LER) Center of Excellence. This role is responsible for driving the LER COE mission in Europe: to transform the delivery of labor and employee relations services with fairness, expertise, efficiency, and professionalism. The leader must manage a process-oriented function with clear governance, roles, and responsibilities, relying on data-driven decisions for continuous improvement and deployment.

The LER COE Regional Leader will provide innovative and effective recommendations for challenging labor and employee relations issues, supporting a positive and fair workplace culture aligned with Danaher’s Code of Conduct and Core Values. The leader must be capable of shaping strategy, operational solutions, and building strong relationships to advise and influence stakeholders across the region, including unions and works councils. A nuanced understanding of labor relations and effective management of such relationships are essential.

This position is part of the Labor & Employee Relations team within Human Resources and is remote-based.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Deliver core labor and employee relations services efficiently across all Operating Companies within a matrixed environment.
2. Ensure the LER COE EU team meets operational, quality, and service level standards within its pillars, including investigations, separations, and performance management.
3. Build and foster a positive partnering culture with employee representative bodies and engage in critical negotiations with group-level employee structures to achieve business performance, employee engagement, and legal compliance.
4. Serve as an escalation point for Europe LER issues, providing guidance and recommendations on sensitive and complex matters in line with company policies and values.
5. Analyze case data to enhance service efficiencies, identify trends, and develop best practices to improve organizational effectiveness through workflows and process-oriented solutions.
6. Lead a team of experienced LER specialists, ensuring high performance, talent development, and knowledge of Danaher Business System principles.
7. Collaborate with DHR L&E Legal Teams as needed.

Qualifications:

1. Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Human Resources, or related field.
2. 7+ years of labor and employee relations experience in Europe, managing complex issues including investigations, separations, performance management, and restructuring.
3. 5+ years of management experience, leading remote, multi-country teams.
4. Extensive knowledge of key labor and employment laws in Europe and the labor relations landscape.
5. Proven track record in developing, scaling, and measuring LER programs and solutions.

Preferred additional experience includes:

• In-house legal support supporting LER/HR functions.
• Experience in delivering LER training and educational sessions to large HR audiences.
• Ability to operate independently within a complex, matrixed organization.

Physical Demands:

• Willingness to travel 20-30%, involving significant time sitting and using a computer.
• Occasional walking, bending, reaching, standing, and stooping may be required.

Join our winning team today. Together, we’ll accelerate the real-life impact of tomorrow’s science and technology. We partner with customers worldwide to solve complex challenges, bringing the power of science to life.

At Danaher, we value diversity and the unique perspectives that come from our workforce, workplace, and markets we serve, both visible and not.