AstraZeneca
Employee Relations Partner
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Employee Relations Partner
Employee Relations (ER) Partner
Location: Macclesfield, UK
Our approach is uniquely human. Every decision we make, at every level, reflects our commitment to doing the right thing for patients, people, and the world.
About the Role
At AstraZeneca, we go beyond ambition—we put patients first and deliver on our vision to transform medicine worldwide. We are passionate about making the impossible real through science.
The Employee Relations (ER) team drives the implementation of global policies and processes collaborating with Legal, Compliance, HR, unions, and employee representative groups such as the European Consultation Committee, Works Councils, and trade unions. Our mission is to shape a positive, safe, and thriving workplace for over 50,000 employees across the globe.
As an ER Partner, you will join a smaller team to support UK ER strategy, drive policy design, and collaborate with business leaders and HR Business Partners. You’ll ensure compliance, shape strategy, and deliver consultative services to improve ER operations—balancing legal responsibility, data insights, and change programmes in both unionised and non-unionised environments.
Believe in impact, stay curious and take a true ownership mentality.
Key Responsibilities
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Strategic Industrial Relations Support
- Shape and implement AstraZeneca’s Industrial Relations strategy, fostering strong partnerships with trade unions and consultative bodies (negotiating pay, policies, and contract terms).
- Represent the UK ER function as a trusted, commercially aligned advisor to executive and operational leadership, driving wider business goals.
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Communication and Stakeholder Engagement
- Act as a voice of ER expertise for global and UK leadership in critical business decisions.
- Understand and respiratory the complex needs of employees, trade unions, and senior leaders—ensuring alignment between the threat, vision and wider people strategies.
- Serve as a consultant and strategic advisor on ER risks, operational effectiveness, and long-term organisational health.
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Process Improvement & Efficiency
- Drive system-wide improvements through data analytics, automation, and AI-powered insights to optimise ER workflows.
- Collaborate with AI/process development teams to explore technology that enhances ER effectiveness (e.g., NLP, chatbot insights, predictive analytics).
- Develop clear processes for incident handling, grievances, employee relations complaints, disciplinary hearings, and restorative justice.
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Divisional Leadership & stakeholder Advocacy
- Manage own complex ER caseload, including investigations initiated by compliance or security teams.
- Speak confidently and knowledgeably on matters concerning validity of disciplinary steps, closure of grievance processes, and handling legal circumstances.
- Represent AstraZeneca on unions representative councils and deliver high-level negotiations.
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Collaborative Project Leadership
- Boost project delivery, aligning ER strategy with business change across union and non-union environments.
- Navigate meetings with local works councils, legal teams, and SME operational leaders to resolve complex or politically sensitive issues.
- Enable ER’s contribution to transformation projects / major workstream GRPI changes—balancing the need for business value with ethical standards and workforce inclusivity.
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Growth & Learning
- Deliver ER and HR training programmes, equipping identified top talent and senior leaders for functional expertise.
- Be visible as an established HR advocate in strategy and organisation-wide business priorities.
Your Leadership Mindset
We thrive on a high-speed, Dez healthy workplace—where the right evidence allows people to learn, innovate, listen and adapt in the moment. Here’s how you’ll step into leadership:
- Empower & Collaborate: Partner to design, develop and deliver impactful pieces (policy/process), taking personal accountability for personal effectiveness and delivering influence…
- Own your Talent: Be a people developer—investing your time, providing peer-mentoring and career conversations to ensure collective success.
- EMERGE: Challenge your own thinking so that you work with the right bold, behaviours, and mindsets to enable human impact, operational success & business thriving.
Key Requirements & Expectations
Essential Requirements
✔ Degree (or equivalent) ✔ HR/ER related qualification and significant experience in Employee Relations, Legal, or Compliance ✔ Extensive experience in UK Industrial Relations—including frontline [negotiations with trade unions and employee consultative bodies] ✔ Seasoned experience with UK and global business change programmes (scaling impact, balancing stakeholder needs, mitigating risk) ✔ Deep expertise in employment law, HR policies, and ethical guidance for senior management ✔ Experience leveraging technology (AI, data, automation) for process improvement—tracking success through metrics and outcomes. ✔ Convincing communicator, translating ER complexities to executives, unions, and employees in compelling ways. ✔ Independent problem solver—comfortable with ambiguity, “no wins,” and mitigating risk while balancing fairness, efficiency, and profitability. ✔ Respected people influencer—connecting to senior levels and acting decisively to resolve critical or sensitive situations. ✔ Dedication to perpetual learning—developing others by sharing knowledge and developing mentoring skills.
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Desirable
✅ A law degree or specialist accreditation in legal compliance ✅ Pharmaceutical industry experience (AstraZeneca/R&D-focused firms preferred) ✅ Accreditation in mediation techniques
What We Offer
At AstraZeneca, you go beyond a job—you belong to an inclusive culture prioritising patient-first innovation, growth, and collaboration.
- Excellence వర津�: crescenteale salary & bonus potential.
- People efterçaon: As you grow, so does your earning power based on contributions.
- Expressivealore: Own your tools, office, and mailbox—be your best with empowering environment and flexibility.
- Culture fm يدوالي:anucało—Delivering dependability for our people: Growthlearning, inclusion, workplace wellness, global employee resource groups, and benefits.
- V filósofoing: On 25% stipend result of choosing sustainability. your journey through len, rock firing, CoRährs learning and Cycle2Work.
- Disrupt the mighty statu quo: From the start.
Location & Flexibility
- Based in Macclesfield, UK but welcome those on business visa KEW work permits.
- Hybrid model: Expect to work in-person a minimum of 3 days per week, adjusting for team unity, complex projects, and mandatory attendance.
Your Journey Begins Now
Are you on a mission to transform HR beyond expectations? Do you own accountability and fuel business strategy with people-intelligent data?
Collaborate with us to shape a better future for ER excellence. Join AstraZeneca—where science, curiosity, and commercial risk-taking meet purpose.
Application Deadline: 18 July 2026
Please note: We build a world-class, fair and inclusive environment—where diversity ensures great ambition for every team/download/RAY. If you require any reasonable adjustments, please let us know in your application.
Ready to make an impact? AstraZeneca Careers | Job submission
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