Industrial Relations Manager

Job Summary

The Industrial Relations Manager leads the company’s industrial and employee relations agenda, fostering constructive union-management relationships while safeguarding company’s interests. The role provides specialist advice on union matters, employment legislation, grievances, disciplinary matters, employment legislation, grievances, disciplinary matters, workforce changes and employment disputes. It supports management in achieving fair, practical and sustainable outcomes while maintaining compliance with Singapore employment and industrial relations requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Industrial & Union Relations

• Serve as the key liaison with unions and maintain constructive union-management relationships.
• Lead or support negotiations on Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs), Collective Agreements (where applicable) and other union-management arrangements.
• Develop negotiation strategies, management positions and responses to union proposals.
• Advise management on union representation, membership, consultation and emerging industrial relations issues.

Employee Relations & Case Management

• Advise management on complex grievances, disciplinary matters, misconduct and employment disputes.
• Conduct or support workplace investigations and facilitate fair and timely resolution of cases.
• Ensure consistent application of HR policies, due process and procedural fairness.
• Maintain appropriate documentation and precedents for significant employee relations cases.

Employment Legislation & Governance

• Provide specialist advice on Singapore employment and industrial relations legislation, tripartite guidelines and prevailing employment practices.
• Monitor legislative developments and assess implications for organizational policies and practices.
• Review HR policies, procedures and industrial relations arrangements for compliance and effectiveness.
• Identify and mitigate potential employee and industrial relations risks

Management Advisory & Capability Building

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior management, HR and line managers on sensitive employee and industrial relations matters.
• Coach managers in grievance handling, playbooks and briefings to strengthen management capability.
• Liaise with relevant government agencies, tripartite institutions and external advisors where required.

Qualifications & Experience

• Degree in Human Resource Management, Industrial Relations, or Law.
• Approximately 8-12 years of relevant HR/employee relations experience.
• Demonstrated experience in union engagement, negotiations, grievance and disciplinary management.
• Strong working knowledge of Singapore employment and industrial relations legislation.
• Experience in healthcare, unionized or complex manpower-intensive environment would be advantageous.

Key Competencies & Attributes

• Industrial and employee relations expertise
• Union negotiation and stakeholder management
• Employment legislation and policy interpretation
• Grievance, disciplinary and conflict resolution
• Strong judgement, negotiation and influencing skills
• Clear and effective communication
• Fair, objective and pragmatic
• High integrity and confidentiality
• Calm and resilient in sensitive and contentious situations
• Able to balance employee, union and organization interests