Employee Relations Associate

Ford Motor; Chennai; On-site; INR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Ford Motor in Chennai seeks an Associate in Employee Relations to deliver ER and administration objectives for the plant. You will coordinate with employees, service providers, and internal stakeholders to ensure efficient, compliant administration and address employee queries.

The role covers canteen, transport, vendor management, budgeting, audits, and compliance, with a focus on labor relations and safety standards in a manufacturing setting.

Qualifications

• MBA in HR or MSW HR/Industrial Relations or equivalent postgraduate qualification.
• 3–6 years of experience in Employee Relations, Industrial Relations, Plant HR, or Administration.
• Experience in a manufacturing environment is strongly preferred; automotive sector is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Deliver Employee Relations and Administration objectives for the Chennai Plant.
• Coordinate with employees, service providers, Finance, Purchasing, Security, Medical, Safety, and regulatory authorities to ensure compliant administration services.
• Support employee relations activities, labor matters, audits, and employee queries relating to compensation and benefits.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Documentation

Vendor management

Conflict resolution

Education

MBA in HR or MSW HR/Industrial Relations

Tools

Microsoft Office

Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Job description

Associate, Employee Relations

This position is responsible for delivering Employee Relations and Administration objectives for the Chennai Plant. The incumbent will coordinate with employees, service providers, Finance, Purchasing, Security, Medical, Safety, regulatory authorities, and other internal stakeholders to ensure efficient, compliant, and employee-focused administration services. The position will also support employee relations activities, labor matters, statutory and contractor compliance, audits, and employee queries relating to compensation and benefits.

Employee Services, Canteen & Transport

Develop and maintain canteen and employee transport policies and procedures in accordance with applicable legal requirements and corporate standards.

Support the implementation and continuous improvement of canteen and transport services.

Manage day-to-day canteen operations in accordance with the organization's prescribed safety, hygiene, and food-quality standards.

Address and resolve employee queries and concerns relating to canteen and transport services.

Coordinate with canteen maintenance, Safety, and Medical teams to close identified observations and corrective actions.

Ensure required preventive maintenance/service arrangements are in place for canteen equipment.

Coordinate periodic food testing and maintain reports and documentation for audit purposes.

Provide payroll inputs relating to applicable canteen and transport deductions.

Vendor & Contractor Management

Manage service providers supporting canteen, transport, reception, drivers, mailroom, and other employee services.

Coordinate purchase/service-order renewals with the Purchasing team to ensure continuity of services.

Verify attendance and validate monthly invoices for outsourced employees and service providers.

Manage end-to-end contractor compliance and maintain documentation required for statutory and internal audits.

Monitor vendor performance against agreed service levels, safety standards, commercial terms, and compliance requirements.

Budgeting & Administration

Prepare the annual Employee Services budget and coordinate with Finance for review and approval.

Monitor operating expenditure and support invoice processing and reconciliation.

Coordinate food and hospitality arrangements for senior leadership visitors and government delegations.

Maintain accurate records, reports, and documentation relating to employee services and administration.

Employee Relations & Compliance

Support employee grievance handling and timely resolution of workplace concerns.

Respond to employee queries relating to pay and benefits, coordinating with relevant teams where required.

Support labor cases, conciliations, and ongoing or upcoming employment-related litigation.

Maintain working knowledge of applicable labor legislation and statutory requirements, including: Employees' State Insurance (ESI) Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) Payment of Gratuity requirements Factories Act and applicable occupational safety legislation Industrial Employment Standing Orders Industrial relations and dispute-resolution requirements Develop effective working relationships with relevant government and regulatory authorities.

Vehicle & Transport Administration

Manage applicable vehicle surrender/buyback processes for eligible employees during separation.

Coordinate used-company-vehicle auction activities.

Liaise with the Regional Transport Office (RTO) and other relevant authorities on lease/company vehicle matters.

Coordinate administrative matters relating to employee transportation and associated service providers.

Security, Access & Audit Support

Coordinate access-control activation for new employees and timely removal of access for separated employees.

Maintain required security-related administrative data and records.

Support internal and corporate audits and ensure timely closure of observations and corrective actions.

Maintain appropriate documentation and audit trails for administrative processes.

Qualifications

Education MBA specializing in Human Resources, MSW specializing in Human Resources/Industrial Relations, or an equivalent postgraduate qualification is preferred. Experience 3–6 years of relevant experience in Employee Relations, Industrial Relations, Plant HR, and/or Administration. Experience in a manufacturing environment is strongly preferred. Experience in the automotive or multinational manufacturing sector would be an advantage.

Functional Knowledge

Functional Knowledge Candidates should have practical exposure to several of the following areas:

• Employee Relations and grievance handling
• Plant administration
• Canteen and employee transport management
• Vendor and contractor management
• Contractor/statutory compliance
• Labor-law fundamentals
• Audit documentation and corrective-action closure
• Budgeting and invoice validation
• Employee compensation and benefits processes
• Vehicle/fleet administration

Skills

• Strong stakeholder, employee, and vendor management skills.
• Good negotiation, influencing, and conflict-resolution capabilities.
• Ability to remain effective during operational issues or crisis situations.
• Strong analytical, reporting, and documentation skills.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple operational activities simultaneously.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional and culturally diverse teams.

Language Requirements

Professional proficiency in English and Tamil is mandatory.

Experience Level

Mid Level