Employee Relations Manager

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

Employee Relations Manager

Let's introduce ourselves

Employee Relations Manager

The People Experience (PX) Employee Relations Manager will play a key role in building strong, positive employee relations by developing and executing workforce strategies, which achieve the organization’s short and long-term goals and objectives as well as, being compliant with applicable local, state and federal laws and regulations. At Volvo Cars, our PX team is focused on understanding and promoting the culture, organization, and inclusive environment to help us become the employer of choice.

What you'll do

• Partner with leaders at all levels 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 successfully identify trends and challenges, predict and mitigate risk, and develop and execute solution-focused strategies and programs.
• Oversee the employee relations investigations process for the Americas. Lead complex investigations involving allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, misconduct, and policy violations.
• Provide coaching and guidance to managers on labor affairs and performance management practices within their departments, including employee disciplinary issues.
• Regularly monitor labor & employment legislation to ensure Volvo Cars’ ongoing compliance.
• Work closely with the legal department, both external and internal, on employment related matters.
• Develop and implement team member engagement strategies to ensure a climate of positive employee relations.
• Provide advice and counsel to managers and supervisors regarding People Experience practices, policies and employment laws.
• Design strategies that enhance the company’s abilities to meet objectives and to attract and retain a skilled, diverse, and effective workforce.
• Manage projects and programs with varying levels of complexity. Translate vision and expected outcomes of projects into clear goals
• Support and build scalable project management processes, drive best practices, and promote knowledge sharing and close collaboration. Develop project documentation such as charters, plans, dashboards, and progress updates
• Change Management
  • Support change management strategies that mitigate risk and maximize employee engagement
  • Identify and analyze change impacts, and assess organizational and audience readiness
  • Create actionable change management plans and deliverables including executive sponsorship, manager coaching, communications, resistance management, and training (with the L&D team)
  • Support communication and training efforts, manage resistance to change, and help ensure user readiness

What you'll bring

• Four-year degree in Human Resources or a related field. HR Certification (PHR/SPHR or the SHRM equivalent) is preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive HR experience in a manufacturing environment, with demonstrated career progression.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating collective bargaining agreements
• Experience with resolving complex employment-related issues at a levels.
• Experience in the automotive industry or manufacturing experience is 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.

Salary Range: $93,168 - $173,026

Compensation is determined based on experience, qualifications, internal equity, location and company guidelines.