Head of Employee Relations

Lever, Inc.; Netherlands; Hybrid; EUR 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Flexible remote in Europe

Career development

Ownership and autonomy

International teams

Collaborative culture

Impactful AI/tech projects

Job summary

Lever, Inc. is seeking a Head of Employee Relations based in the Netherlands to define and lead a global approach to ER and performance management for a fast-growing international organization.

You will establish practical governance, policies, and tools to ensure consistent, fair handling of employee matters while balancing legal and business priorities. This role requires strong judgment and collaboration across People teams, counsel, and leadership.

Qualifications

• Significant senior-level experience in employee relations, employment law, HR, or related discipline.
• Experience designing and implementing an ER strategy, framework, or operating model.
• Strong knowledge of performance management, investigations, disciplinary and grievance processes.
• Experience with works councils or employee bodies across multiple jurisdictions.
• Ability to translate legal considerations into practical recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement global employee relations and performance management strategy and governance.
• Establish consistent performance management across jurisdictions.
• Develop policies, processes, templates, and guidance for ER matters.
• Provide senior-level oversight on complex or high-risk ER matters.
• Support managers to address concerns early and achieve fair outcomes.
• Ensure ER practices reflect local employment law and regulatory requirements.
• Build relationships with works councils and employee representatives.
• Advise leaders on consultation requirements and change communications.
• Shape internal capability through guidance, training, and tools.
• Lead a team or ER function where applicable.

Skills

Senior ER experience

Employment law knowledge

HR leadership

Influencing & negotiation

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Change management

People partner collaboration

Job description

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Head of Employee Relations based in Netherlands.

The Head of Employee Relations will define and lead a global approach to employee relations and performance management across a rapidly growing international organization.
You will establish practical frameworks, policies, and governance that enable employee matters to be handled consistently, fairly, and in line with applicable employment laws.
The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on oversight of complex, sensitive, and high-risk employee relations cases.
You will build constructive relationships with works councils, employee representatives, and other workforce bodies across multiple jurisdictions.
Working closely with senior leaders, People teams, and employment counsel, you will balance legal considerations, employee experience, organizational values, and business priorities.
You will also strengthen manager capability through guidance, coaching, training, and practical tools for managing employee matters effectively.
This is an international leadership opportunity in a fast-moving environment where strong judgment, collaboration, and meaningful organizational impact are highly valued.

Accountabilities

• Define and implement the global employee relations and performance management strategy, principles, governance framework, and operating model.
• Establish a consistent approach to performance management, including the effective and fair management of underperformance.
• Develop practical policies, processes, templates, and guidance covering performance concerns, grievances, disciplinary matters, investigations, and other employee relations cases.
• Provide senior-level oversight and advice on complex, sensitive, or high-risk employee relations matters.
• Support managers in addressing employee concerns early, establishing clear expectations, and reaching fair and proportionate outcomes.
• Ensure employee relations practices are applied consistently while appropriately reflecting local employment law and regulatory requirements.
• Identify recurring employee relations themes and recommend preventative measures or organization-wide improvements.
• Partner with relevant People teams to align employee relations and performance practices with broader talent, reward, and people strategies.
• Build and maintain constructive relationships with works councils, employee forums, trade unions, and other employee representative bodies.
• Establish effective approaches for engaging, informing, consulting, and negotiating with employee representatives.
• Advise senior leaders on consultation requirements, timelines, communications, and employee engagement during organizational change.
• Support consultation and negotiation processes and ensure agreed actions are implemented effectively.
• Build internal capability so leaders and People teams can engage with employee representative bodies confidently and consistently.
• Partner with internal and external employment lawyers to ensure employee relations processes and decisions operate within applicable legal requirements.
• Translate legal advice into clear, practical, and commercially appropriate recommendations for leaders and People teams.
• Monitor relevant employment law developments and update policies, processes, and practices where necessary.
• Identify and manage legal, financial, employee, and reputational risks associated with employee relations matters.
• Establish effective case-management, governance, documentation, and reporting standards.
• Use employee relations case data and workforce insights to identify trends, emerging risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, People partners, and Legal on complex employee relations and performance matters.
• Strengthen organizational capability through manager guidance, training, coaching, and practical resources.
• Lead a team or specialist employee relations function where applicable.

Requirements

• Significant senior-level experience in employee relations, employment law, HR, or a closely related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing an employee relations strategy, framework, or operating model.
• Strong knowledge of performance management, investigations, disciplinary and grievance processes, organizational change, and dispute resolution.
• Experience working with works councils, employee representatives, trade unions, or similar employee bodies, ideally across multiple jurisdictions.
• Strong understanding of employment law and proven experience partnering with internal or external employment counsel.
• Ability to interpret complex legal considerations and translate them into clear, practical recommendations for business leaders.
• Sound judgment when balancing legal and organizational risk, employee experience, organizational values, and commercial priorities.
• Strong influencing, negotiation, communication, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with senior leaders, People teams, Legal, managers, and employee representatives.
• Comfortable operating at both strategic and operational levels, including direct involvement in complex and sensitive employee relations cases.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to use case data and employee insights to identify trends and inform organizational improvements.
• Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple sensitive matters while maintaining confidentiality and attention to detail.
• Experience leading a team, specialist function, or employee relations capability is desirable.
• Adaptability and confidence working in a fast-paced, international, and continuously evolving environment.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation package.
• Flexible remote working opportunities within Europe.
• Career growth, professional development, and continuous learning opportunities.
• High degree of ownership and autonomy in shaping employee relations strategy and practices.
• Opportunity to work in an international environment with talented, globally distributed teams.
• Collaborative and innovative working culture.
• Opportunity to contribute to impactful projects within the rapidly evolving AI and technology sector.
• Meaningful scope to shape employee relations practices, manager capability, and organizational culture.
• Trust-based environment that encourages ownership, bold thinking, and continuous growth.
• Opportunity to work on complex, high-impact employee relations challenges across multiple jurisdictions.