International Labor Relations Community Director

Overview
We are now hiring for an International Labor Relations Director as a key leader in our HR Consulting organisation. The mission of HR Consulting is to empower Microsoft's business performance and inclusive culture through human centred, data and insights and AI powered, coaching and global solutions for managers and employees across the world.

As the International Labor Relations Community Director , you will play a pivotal role in shaping our overall labor relations strategy across the world, defining and implementing our priorities in a way that places you at the forefront of managing relationships with employee unions and works councils, advocating for fair practices, and ensuring a positive and productive work environment through your deep partnerships with an international group of labor relations consultants. This position requires a unique blend of strategic thinking, hands-on execution, and exceptional stakeholder management.

Microsoft in on a mission to empower every organisation and individual on the planet, to achieve more. As employees, we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

This role can be based in other locations outside of UK; should they be relevant for the success of this position.

Responsibilities
Strategy Development

· Co-create an overall strategy for labor relations in the Americas (US, Canada and LATAM), EMEA, and Asia working in partnership with regional peers, team and Geo HR leaders, that is relevant to Microsoft’s context of rapid innovation, hybrid work and a highly skilled, diverse, workforce and that contributes positively to our culture

· Collate meaningful insights on market trends and external factors from each region, that will inform a more proactive approach to labor relations that in turn build knowledge and awareness across the HR function

· Develop, in partnership with your key stakeholders and peers, a set of principles for labor relations engagements, in alignment with Microsoft’s overall perspectives on labor relations, and work through others to ensure the principles are implemented where appropriate

· Make recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of our operating model that ensures productive and positive labor relations in our context, and work in partnership with stakeholders to gain input into transformation priorities

Build and lead a Labor Relations Community of Practice.

· Create a Labor Relations Community of Practice of Country Labor Relations Specialists, in each region or market, accountable for delivering the Labor Relations strategy, and enabling a listening system to identify associated risks & priorities.

· Build a mentoring partnership with CELA and labor relations experts, internationally

· Act as coordination point to drive cross country scale for global HR and Product teams in consulting on commercial or cultural matters with relevant unions/Works Councils / employee representatives.

· Enable greater consistency in applying philosophy or approaches, reducing duplication and increasing pace of coordination.

· Key liaison and HR partner to regional/area HR & CELA on regional projects / agenda.

· Engage with Corporate and other stakeholders as well as local labor relations specialists and HR Leads, identifying opportunities for scale and bringing the labor relations strategy to life. This provides consistency of approach and reduces duplication and delay.

Serve as the primary contact for negotiations, internationally

· Assist/Partner with HR Planners, change leader/s and the labor relations community to ensure an effective implementation model for organizational changes requiring labor relations engagements.

· Lead and coordinate engagements with Works Councils, Trade Unions and other Employee Representative groups, gaining input from peers and Geo HR teams.

· Ensure appropriate control, compliance and tracking of open labor relations issues in partnership with CELA and HR/LR stakeholders

· Support the work of the local Labor Relations Consultants and others, aligning on strategy & delivery where appropriate.

Analyze labor trends, prepare negotiation strategies in partnership with other HR teams, and influence/contribute to collective bargaining

· Surface trends and themes across the labor relations landscape and develops insights to influence the direction of the company labor relations strategy.

· Inform and consult on negotiation strategies and timelines for people and policy changes that require labor relations engagements and leads labor relations engagements when the scale demands e.g. international organizational changes, mergers and acquisitions, sensitive technology/product inquiries.

Capability Building

· Identify and deploy approaches to enhance organizational capability in managing labor relations by influencing learning plans; conducting one-on-one consulting/coaching with senior business leaders, or by engaging relevant stakeholders and Human Resource (HR) partners in capability building conversations.

· Lead collaboration with peer disciplines or professions (e.g., Talent Management, Learning and Development), as well as global Human Resource partners and country Labor Relations leads to contribute insights, leverage resources, and provide capability building support for the leadership of labor relations in a business, region, or geography via scalable projects, programs, and/or initiatives.

· Identify and aggregates training needs on labor relations topics; develop implementation plans to address the training needs identified, and partner with peer Human Resource (HR) disciplines in developing and coordinating respective trainings as needed.

HR Project and Programs

· Partner with peer disciplines (Centers of Excellence, Global Scalable Solutions team, HR planners and regional HR leadership etc.) on connecting scalable Human Resources programs and processes with the sentiment from labor relations groups to ensure productive ongoing relationships and partnership.

· Leverage, align, and integrate communication strategies and messages from the Center of Excellence; to regional labor relations teams to gain perspectives and buy-in on programs and processes from employee representatives where required

Other

· Embody our culture and values

Qualifications
Required/Minimum Qualifications

• Extensive experience with Human Resources or Business programs/processes
• OR Bachelor’s Degree AND vast experience with Human Resources or Business programs/processes.

• Demonstrable experience in leading challenging labor relations negotiations and setting labor relations strategy.
• Formal qualifications/demostrable experience in associated skills (e.g. mediation and/or conflict resolution).
• Significant previous experience of Labor Relations and knowledge of the legal frameworks in a relevant market based in the region.
• Demonstrable ability to build this knowledge out to other markets.
• Project and change management capability.
• Experience of working within a HR discipline maanaging sensitive and complex ER casework.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.

Work site
Up to 50% work from home

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Germany

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Netherlands

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Switzerland

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Ireland

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Denmark

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Sweden

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Finland

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Spain

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Portugal

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Italy

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Austria

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Norway

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Belgium

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Luxembourg