Employee Relations Leader — Labor Strategy & Change

Volvo Car Germany GmbH; Northern (KY, SC); Hybrid; USD 93,000 - 173,000; Full time

Job summary

Volvo Cars seeks an Employee Relations Manager to lead the People Experience team’s labor relations initiatives across the Americas. You will design labor strategy, guide managers, and manage union negotiations while ensuring legal compliance and a proactive engagement culture.

You will coordinate investigations, mentor leaders on performance management, and drive change management across manufacturing sites. Experience in HR leadership and strong policy expertise are essential.

Qualifications

• Four-year degree in Human Resources or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive HR experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience negotiating collective bargaining agreements.
• Experience resolving complex employment-related issues at a levels.
• Experience in the automotive industry or manufacturing highly preferred.
• Extensive knowledge of employment legislation and the proper application of relevant employment laws, including ADA, FMLA, etc.
• Ability to work under pressure with shifting priorities.
• Proven project management and change management skills.
• Demonstrated analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience in developing robust PX processes and policies.

Responsibilities

• Partner with leaders to ensure consistent application and timely resolution of employee relations issues.
• Design, implement, and update comprehensive labor strategy.
• Lead collective bargaining negotiations and manage contract administration, strategic planning, and viability for unionized sites.
• Build constructive relationships with union representatives and manage communications.
• Apply employee relations expertise to identify trends, predict and mitigate risk, and develop solution-focused programs.
• Oversee employee relations investigations for the Americas and lead complex investigations.
• Provide coaching and guidance to managers on labor affairs and performance management practices.
• Regularly monitor labor and employment legislation to ensure ongoing compliance.
• Work with legal department on employment related matters.
• Develop and implement team member engagement strategies to ensure positive relations.
• Provide advice and counsel on PX practices, policies and employment laws.
• Design strategies to attract and retain a skilled, diverse workforce.
• Manage projects and programs with varying complexity and create documentation.
• Support and build scalable project management processes, drive best practices, and promote knowledge sharing.
• Change Management: support strategies, identify impacts, create plans and deliverables including sponsorship, coaching, communications, and training.

Skills

Labor relations

Negotiation

Policy development

Change management

HR analytics

Project management

Employment law

Education

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources or related field

Job description

Volvo Cars seeks an Employee Relations Manager to lead the People Experience team’s labor relations initiatives across the Americas. You will design labor strategy, guide managers, and manage union negotiations while ensuring legal compliance and a proactive engagement culture.

You will coordinate investigations, mentor leaders on performance management, and drive change management across manufacturing sites. Experience in HR leadership and strong policy expertise are essential.