ER & Policies Associate Manager

Accenture in India; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Accenture in India is seeking an Associate Manager in Employee Relations & Policies (CL8) to independently manage complex ER matters, provide policy and advisory support to senior stakeholders, and drive governance and risk mitigation.

You will lead investigations, ensure fair and compliant outcomes, and mentor a mid-sized ER team while partnering with Legal and Compliance.

Qualifications

• Typically 8–12 years of HR/ER experience.
• Proven experience leading complex investigations and senior stakeholder cases.
• Experience in large, matrixed organizations; HR/Law background preferred.

Responsibilities

• Independently manage complex and sensitive ER cases including misconduct and grievances.
• Lead end-to-end investigations with fact finding, interviews, documentation, and closure.
• Advise senior stakeholders on policy interpretation and ER strategy.
• Drive ER governance, risk mitigation, and process improvements.
• Provide fairness, compliance, and risk management in decision making.

Skills

Employee Relations

Investigations

HR Policies

Education

HR / Law background

Job description

The Employee Relations & Policies – CL8 role is a Associate manager‑level position responsible for independently managing complex employee relations matters, providing policy and ER advisory to senior stakeholders, leading investigations and disciplinary decisions, and driving ER governance, risk mitigation, and process excellence. The role acts as a trusted advisor to HR and business leadership, with a strong focus on fairness, compliance, and risk management.

Key Responsibilities

• Independently manage complex and sensitive ER cases, including misconduct, grievances, ethical concerns, and policy violations.
• Lead end‑to‑end investigations (fact finding, interviews, documentation, assessment, recommendations, and closure).
• Handling sensitive cases involving mental health issues, police matters, court proceedings, and similar concerns.
• Recommend and execute appropriate disciplinary actions, not limited to warnings, final actions, or terminations.
• Ensure timely, fair, and consistent resolution of cases while minimizing business, reputational, and legal risk.
• Participate in change management initiatives that require strategic involvement from ER.

Policy Interpretation & Advisory

• Provide expert interpretation of HR policies, Code of Business Ethics, and internal governance standards.
• Advise HRBPs and business leaders on policy application, employee risk, and ER strategy.
• Drive policy communication, awareness, and adherence across the organization.

Stakeholder & Leadership Engagement

• Interact directly with senior HR leaders and business leadership as a trusted ER advisor.
• Exercise independent judgment on ER decisions with significant day‑to‑day and long‑term impact.
• Partner closely with Legal, Compliance, Ethics, and CI teams, including BEL and litigation‑sensitive matters.

Risk Mitigation & Governance

• Proactively identify trends, repeat risks, and systemic issues to prevent escalations and litigations.
• Ensure timely escalation to Legal for potential or active litigation matters.
• Participate in ER governance, audits, internal controls, and compliance reviews.
• Drive process improvements, audit closures, and action plan management.

People & Team Responsibilities

• Manage and guide a medium‑sized ER team (directly or matrixed – organization decision).
• Coach and support team members, including acting as a buddy or back‑up during leadership absence.
• Ensure workload management, quality, consistency, and capability uplift within the team.

Decision‑Making Authority

• Acts independently on ER decisions within defined governance.Decisions have lasting impact on employees, teams, and organizational risk posture.
• Solutions are not limited to disciplinary actions and may include corrective, preventive, or restorative approaches.

Key Skills & Competencies

Functional

• Strong expertise in Employee Relations, Investigations, and HR Policies
• Solid understanding of employment law principles and internal compliance
• Risk assessment and mitigation
• Documentation and case articulation

Behavioral / Psychology‑Driven

• Strong emotional intelligence and active listening
• Ability to assess behavior, motivation, and situational context
• Calm, grounded handling of sensitive or distressing scenarios
• Balanced application of empathy and accountability

Experience & Qualifications

• Typically 8–12 years of HR / ER experience, with significant hands‑on ER exposure
• Prior experience managing complex investigations and senior‑stakeholder cases
• Experience working in large, matrixed organizations
• HR / Law background preferred (not mandatory)

Career Level Indicators (CL8)

• Operates with minimal supervision
• Manages complex cases and teams (organization discretion)
• Influences outcomes beyond own scope
• Recognized as a subject‑matter expert in ER & Policies