Employee Relations Specialist

Maersk Mexico; Madrid; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Maersk Spain is seeking an experienced Employee Relations Specialist to partner with business leaders and People Function teams across Spain. You will shape employee and labour relations strategies, ensure compliance with Spanish employment law, and support organizational change while promoting a positive employee experience.

In this strategic and hands-on role, you will coach leaders, manage complex ER cases, collaborate with works councils and unions, and drive risk mitigation across both

Qualifications

• Degree in Law, Human Resources, Industrial Relations or related discipline.
• Strong knowledge of Spanish employment and labour law.
• 7–10+ years of experience in Employee Relations, Labour Relations, Employment Law or Industrial Relations.
• Experience with works councils, trade unions and employee representative bodies.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement employee and labour relations strategies aligned to business priorities.
• Provide pragmatic, commercially balanced and legally compliant ER advice.
• Lead complex employee relations matters, including disciplinary cases, grievances and investigations.
• Manage whistleblowing, ethics and workplace conduct cases with fair investigations.
• Build and maintain relationships with works councils, trade unions and employee representatives.
• Lead information and consultation processes and labour relations initiatives.
• Support organizational transformations, restructurings and workforce planning activities.
• Ensure policies remain compliant with Spanish labour legislation and collective bargaining obligations.
• Identify and mitigate employment and workforce risks across populations.
• Coach leaders on ER matters, accountability and performance management.
• Promote an inclusive culture with employee voice and fair practices.
• Collaborate with regional and global stakeholders to ensure consistency of ER practices.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Employee relations

Communication

Leadership coaching

Education

Degree in Law, HR, or Industrial Relations

Job description

Employee Relations Specialist

Location: Spain

Help us create a positive, compliant and high-performing workplace

At Maersk, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As we continue to transform global logistics, we are looking for an experienced Employee Relations Specialist to partner with our business leaders and People Function teams across Spain.

This is a strategic and hands-on role for an Employee Relations professional who thrives in complex, fast-paced environments. You will play a critical role in shaping employee and labour relations strategies, managing workforce risks, supporting organizational change, and ensuring compliance with Spanish employment legislation while creating a positive employee experience.

Working across operational and corporate environments, including labour-intensive logistics settings, you will be a trusted advisor to leaders, helping them navigate complex people challenges and deliver sustainable business outcomes.

What you’ll be doing

• Develop and implement employee and labour relations strategies aligned to business priorities and country people plans.


• Partner with business leaders and HR teams to provide pragmatic, commercially balanced and legally compliant employee relations advice.


• Lead complex employee relations matters, including disciplinary cases, grievances, investigations and conflict resolution.


• Manage whistleblowing, ethics and workplace conduct cases, ensuring fair and thorough investigations.


• Build and maintain strong relationships with works councils, trade unions and employee representatives.


• Lead information and consultation processes, collective discussions and labour relations initiatives.


• Support organizational transformations, restructurings, workforce planning activities and business change programmes.


• Ensure employment policies and practices remain compliant with Spanish labour legislation and collective bargaining obligations.


• Identify and mitigate employment, labour relations and workforce risks across operational and corporate populations.


• Coach and develop leaders on employee relations matters, leadership accountability, performance management and workplace conduct.


• Promote a culture of inclusion, fairness, employee voice and responsible employment practices.


• Collaborate with regional and global stakeholders to ensure consistency of employee relations practices across the organisation.

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for an experienced Employee Relations professional who combines strong technical expertise with excellent stakeholder management skills.

Essential Requirements

• Degree in Law, Human Resources, Industrial Relations or a related discipline.


• Strong knowledge of Spanish employment and labour law.


• 7-10+ years of experience in Employee Relations, Labour Relations, Employment Law or Industrial Relations.


• Experience supporting both corporate and operational workforces within logistics, transportation, manufacturing, industrial or similarly complex environments.


• Proven experience working with works councils, trade unions and employee representative bodies.


• Experience leading consultation processes, collective negotiations and stakeholder engagement activities.


• Strong experience managing complex employee relations cases and workplace investigations.


• Exceptional communication, influencing and relationship-building skills.


• Ability to work effectively within a matrixed, international organisation.


• Fluent English and Spanish, with excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred Experience

• Experience supporting organisational transformations, restructurings, site expansions, acquisitions or workforce planning initiatives.


• Exposure to contract logistics or labour-intensive operational environments.


• Additional European language skills would be advantageous, especially French.

What success looks like

• Proactive management of employee and labour relations risk.


• Strong employee engagement and constructive social dialogue.


• Successful delivery of business transformation and people strategies.


• Positive relationships with works councils and trade unions.


• Legally compliant and commercially effective workforce solutions.


• Enhanced leadership capability in managing people matters.


• Sustainable workforce stability and operational continuity.

Why join us?

At Maersk, you’ll have the opportunity to influence business decisions, shape employee relations strategy and support meaningful organisational transformation within one of the world’s leading integrated logistics companies.

You’ll work alongside talented colleagues in a collaborative, international environment where your expertise will directly contribute to creating a fair, compliant and high-performing workplace.