Industrial and Labour Relations & People Partner
Location: Kerry (Killorglin) Plant – Hybrid working. Full time.
Purpose & Scope
Expert in managing local trade unions, employee representative groups, collective agreements, bargaining, day‑to‑day activities and relationship management with unions.
Supports leadership and works closely with the People Partner team to deliver employee relations advice, consistent change and escalation of queries across HR programs and policies, including organisational development, guidance and recommendations.
Provides HR generalist knowledge to support and educate leaders, managers and associates on all employee topics and lifecycle events.
Responsible for resolving employee relations issues and advising leaders on HR‑related matters and policies.
Handles case management (underperformance, disciplinary, grievance, sickness absence), business change projects, in‑country projects and cyclical HR processes on behalf of Global HR Business Partners and Centres of Excellence.
Delivers a legally compliant HR service aligned with identified needs.
Provides data and insights on activity volume, trends, issues and success stories.
Role and Responsibilities
Provide sound advice and guidance to managers and employees on a variety of employee relations issues.
Manage a portfolio of business change projects in collaboration with HR Business Partners.
Monitor and track trends in employee relations queries to proactively identify issues and improvement opportunities.
Escalate complex case management queries to the People Partner Cluster Lead, HRBP or Employee Relations as appropriate.
Collaborate with SMEs and HRBPs to deliver end‑to‑end business change projects (e.g., business restructure).
Work closely with broader HR project teams to deliver in‑country project work.
Maintain a mindset of continuous improvement to enhance HR services.
Act as a thought partner to ensure global solutions work locally and local HR requirements are met.
Provide mentorship, counsel, training and workshops for local leadership teams and employees on HR topics.
Use real‑time reports to draw people insights and address improvement opportunities.
Act as interface to other HR sub‑divisions – e.g., HR Ops, HR Business Partners, Rewards, Talent Acquisition.
Collaborate with HRBPs and Centres of Excellence to provide appropriate support.
Work supportively and collaboratively with other HR teams.
Take initiative, manage self effectively and build relationships and trust with key stakeholders.
Seek opportunities to continually improve HR services.
Key Deliverables
Develop and deliver the employee relations strategy in the local geography and advise on local labour relations to shape and define business changes.
Manage collective agreement and bargaining – determine approach and engage with officials to complete negotiations; provide guidelines to HR on collective agreement requirements.
Manage unions/works councils – maintain ongoing relationship management and own required negotiations.
Resolve case management queries escalated, providing solutions and advice on employee relations issues and policy interpretation.
Support management of unions through collaboration with the ER Centre of Excellence.
Required Qualifications
Degree level education or equivalent, or a professional HR qualification.
Solid experience as an ILR practitioner in Ireland.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience as an HR generalist and understanding of recruitment, performance management, employee engagement, compensation and development.
Experience managing high‑risk employment‑related cases from intake to resolution.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate authentically, transparently and align with organisational values.
Strong analytical skills and sound judgement based on policies, procedures and risk factors.
Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to inspire trust and influence decision‑making.
Self‑starter who can manage a complex workload to high standard.
Experience across core HR functions (e.g., compensation, benefits, performance management) with HR process design and transaction support.
Fluency in English and at least one other European language is desirable.
Knowledge of project management tools and techniques.
Continuous improvement knowledge.
Competencies in a specific domain that aid organisational capabilities planning and level‑setting.
Benefits & Culture
Global collaboration within a connected community dedicated to improving patient lives.
Opportunity to contribute to life‑changing therapies with real patient impact.
Part of an organisation pushing scientific and operational boundaries.
Supportive workplace that values development and progression.
Organisational Values and Behaviours
Impact
Innovation
Integrity
One Astellas
Accountability
Courage
Sense of Urgency
Outcome Focus
Equal Opportunity Statement
We are an equal‑opportunity employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, veteran status or other protected characteristic.
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