Employee and Industrial Relations Manager

Uisce Éireann; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working option

Job summary

Uisce Éireann is seeking an Employee Relations Manager to lead the ER/IR function, advise managers, and engage with unions to support terms and conditions across the organisation.

You will develop policies, oversee investigations, coordinate change, and deliver ER/IR strategy with senior HR partners, maintaining industrial peace while ensuring compliance. This hybrid role requires nationwide travel and influencing senior leaders to embed best practice through data-driven insights.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years of proven experience in a senior industrial relations role within a large, unionised, complex organisation.
• Experience negotiating with trade unions and employee representative bodies at senior level.
• Ability to coach and advise senior leaders on complex ER/IR matters.

Responsibilities

• Promote and manage HR policies and procedures through an ER/IR lens.
• Lead and coordinate ER/IR investigations as required.
• Develop and deliver ER/IR strategy across functions in Uisce Éireann.
• Manage relationships with unions and HR business partners to drive industrial peace.
• Provide written and verbal reports to stakeholders on ER/IR developments.
• Support organisational change while assessing impacts on employees.

Skills

Industrial relations

Union negotiations

Stakeholder management

IR strategy

Policy development

Education

Third level qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office

AI familiarity

Job description

We are Uisce Éireann. Every day, we are responsible for the delivery of secure, safe, and sustainable water services for the people of Ireland. As Ireland’s national regulated water utility, our vision is a sustainable Ireland where water is respected and protected, for the planet and all the lives it supports.

Our purpose at Uisce Éireann is to rise to the challenge of delivering transformative water services that enable communities to thrive. That means we are proud to take on the responsibility of protecting our water supply and passing on a safe and secure water system to a rapidly growing population and empowering Ireland’s social and economic growth.

We are passionate about empowering our people, enabling them to make a positive impact on communities across Ireland. We are guided by a shared vision and purpose, grounded in values that define who we are and shape how we work, where we deliver for customers and communities, we work better together, we do the right thing, we aim high, and we keep each other safe. Our behaviours define how we interact, communicate, and succeed together. These values and behaviours apply to each one of us, across every role, location, and level.

Our goal is to attract and develop skilled and talented people from diverse backgrounds, who bring a dynamic range of expertise and insights to our work. With a strong, values-driven workforce, we ensure Uisce Éireann can continue advancing Ireland’s water services and meeting the needs of the communities we serve for generations to come.

The Role:

The Employee Relations function is responsible for supporting the employee and industrial relations requirements of the organisation. The Employee Relations Manager will support managers and HR staff on specific cases and employee relations issues, offering advice and advancing resolutions. To support good industrial relations, the Employee Relations Manager will actively engage with Union representatives to support any changes in agreements or terms and conditions necessary to support business requirements. He/she will also be responsible for any submissions to the WRC and Labour Court, drafting same and presenting in both fora.

The ER/IR Team work with HR Business Partners to:-

• Manage organisational compliance with Employment Law, Industrial Relations best practice

• Provide expertise to the HR function and the rest of the business as required on all Industrial Relations/Employee Relations matters.

• Develop & Manage HR policies, planning and procedures through an Industrial Relations lens

• Support the business in the management of employee relations matters including Discipline & Grievance issues, Harassment & Bullying matters and Equality & Diversity cases.

• Conduct and/or coordinate investigations regarding alleged breaches of the above policies.

• Support the business in the introduction or organisational change and managing the impact of same on employees.

• Liaise with the Health and Safety functional area on occupational health matters, supporting the employee return to work process as relevant.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Collaboration with key internal stakeholders across the UÉ business

• Support the delivery of the Uisce Éireann Transformation Programme, driving results required within the Directorate and supporting organisation-wide objectives while maintaining industrial peace

• Manage and facilitate IR issues on behalf of Uisce Éireann

• Drive the analysis of the impact of ER/IR change to the organisation, dependencies and impact on other programmes. Interact and support these impact assessments while monitoring and analysing the impact of change

• Present both written and verbal reports to relevant audiences in support of organisational outcomes

• Advise management in the development, application and interpretation of Industrial and Employee relations policies and practices

• In conjunction with the Employee and Industrial Relations Senior Manager support and facilitate bargaining and the resolution of issues or conflict being addressed

• Make informed decisions having regard to the perspective of those impacted, best practice, legislation and policy procedures

• Support the Employee and Industrial Relations Senior Manager with the delivery of the ER/IR strategy consistently across all functions in Uisce Éireann.

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with people managers to ensure HR polices are adhered to within the business

• Work closely with key stakeholders including HR Business Partners and people managers to deliver the initiation, implementation, and embedding of best ER/IR practice

• Report ER/IR developments to the Employee and Industrial Relations Senior Manager and support them on the implementation of IR related change

• Develop an ER/IR roadmap to achieve the ER & IR strategy and periodically review initiative effectiveness

• Manage the provision and execution of Employee Relations services including Discipline and Grievance procedures, Dignity at work, Harassment, Sexual Harassment, Equality, diversity initiatives, policies and WRC / Labour Court case management and engagement

• Monitor the implementation of policies related to Industrial relations, in conjunction with the HR Business Partners, to ensure compliance with terms of employment contracts

• Proactively identify and drive improvements in the ER/IR area

• Drive compliance with Disciplinary and Grievance processes through the provision, assimilation and analytics of data, insights and provide advice and facilitation of discussions and monitor trends in workplace intervention

• Actively advise and assist the people manager in managing a concern and facilitate the resolution of the issue if necessary. Evaluate and manage potential IR implications

• Work closely and collaboratively with the HR community in Uisce Éireann to enable the delivery of best practices in a consistent manner across the business

• Demonstrate a clear understanding of Employee and Industrial Relations trends in Uisce Éireann, Local Authorities and the wider political / trade union climate

• Develop and deliver the training and education of managers on ER topics

• Working with the Employee and Industrial Relations Senior Manager to drive and operationalise IR strategic objectives and policy where required

• Conduct investigations under and in accordance with the above policies as required.

General Duties and Responsibilities

• Responsible for promoting and delivering health and safety commitments across UÉ and its supply chain, reinforcing positive behaviours and delivering health and safety objectives and requirements to the highest industry standards

• Conducts duties and responsibilities in accordance with Uisce Éireann’s Information Security policies, standards, processes and controls to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of UÉ business information and delivery of critical services, in accordance with the NIS Directive and any other relevant cybersecurity regulation

• Travel independently, Nationwide, to resolve issues and liaise with line managment

• Other duties as required

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years’ proven experience in a senior industrial relations role within a large, Unionised, and complex organisation.

• Relevant third level qualification and or accreditation is desirable.

• Experience engaging and negotiating with trade unions and employee representative bodies at Senior level

• Experience coaching and advising senior leaders and managers on complex Industrial Relations matters

• Proven experience in implementing organisational change and new working arrangements while maintaining a stable IR environment.

• Highly motivated individual, working to the highest professional standards and with proven ability to deliver results at a senior level.

• Excellent analytical skills and ability to identify, analyse and solve Industrial Relation problems and propose and implement solutions at a senior level.

• Experience of developing and maintaining effective strategic partnerships with key stakeholders.

• Proven track record with dealing with complex issues, proactively and in a timely fashion along with the ability to communicate complex information to others.

• Experience of driving the implementation of progressive policies.

• A proven track record in leadership, change & transformation experience ideally in a similar sized unionsed organsiation, regulated industry or multi stakeholder environment

• Able to work to deadlines and adapt to changing conditions in an accountable manner .

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, and ability to adapt to, and use new technologies including Artificial Intelligence.

• The ability to communicate complex information to varying audiences.

(Hybrid working option as per policy available)

The closing date for receipt of applications for this vacancy is 08/10/2026.

Please note that applications submitted after this closing date will not be accepted.

*Successful external candidates will be offered a salary within the advertised range based on an assessment of their relevant skills, qualifications, experience and readiness to undertake the responsibilities of the role.

Internal candidates will be considered in line with the application of Uisce Éireann's Pay Model and associated pay policies.

The salary range is designed to recognise that successful candidates may join the organisation at different stages in their career, while also providing scope for future salary progression as capability and experience develop.

Uisce Éireann is an equal opportunities employer.

We are committed to providing a diverse and inclusive place of work and have a robust strategy and framework called ibelong to enable this. We are an equal opportunity employer and through our recruitment process we welcome and encourage applications from interested and suitably qualified individuals regardless of gender, age, racial or ethnic origin, membership of the traveller community, religion or beliefs, family or civil status, sexual orientation/gender identity or disability.