AstraZeneca
Employee Relations Partner
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Employee Relations Partner – Macclesfield, UK
Competitive salary and benefits
At AstraZeneca, we put patients first and strive to meet their unmet needs worldwide. Working here means combining entrepreneurial thinking, bold innovation, and collaborative teamwork to make the impossible a reality.
As part of our Employee Relations (ER) team, your role is to build a positive and safe work environment for employees by implementing global policies and processes, working closely with Legal, Compliance, HR teams, and employee representative groups, including:
- European Consultation Committee
- Works Councils
- Trade Unions
As an ER Partner, you will be part of a small, collaborative team responsible for driving UK ER strategy, policy, and solution design. You’ll work alongside business leaders and HR Business Partners to shape the future, ensuring flexibility in unionised and non-unionised environments while adhering to relevant policies and UK legislation.
Key Responsibilities
- Support the Industrial Relations Strategy: Manage relationships with trade unions while advocating for AstraZeneca’s interests.
- Lead Business Change Projects: Align ER considerations with strategic goals, ensuring compliance and risk mitigation.
- Handle HR Caseload: Provide high-level consistent advice for formal investigations and coaching for future process improvements.
- Risk Management & Strategy: Devise and implement case strategies using a commercial, risk-based approach.
- Process Optimization: Apply an AI-driven mindset to improve ER and business efficiency.
- Investigations Support: Assist the Lead Investigator in conducting formal investigations.
- Governance Communication: Set clear expectations for escalation and risk while maintaining a pragmatic commercial approach.
- Stakeholder Service: Deliver excellence in ER customer service, actively seeking feedback for continuous improvements.
- Ergonomics & Effectiveness: Design and deliver training programs for managers on people management, ER policy, and processes.
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Essential Requirements
- Qualification: Degree (or equivalent) in HR, Employee Relations, Compliance, or Legal.
- Experience:
- Extensive background in UK Industrial Relations, including trade union negotiations and consultative bodies.
- Broad exposure to UK and AI-driven business change projects.
- Strong understanding of employment law, advising executives on its application.
- Technical Competency: Knowledge of AI tools and their analytical impacts on ER methodologies.
- Leadership Skills:
- Collaborative yet innovative approach in managing stakeholders and key priorities.
- Superior persuasion, negotiation, and facilitation skills with all organisational levels.
- Ability to influence decisions and integrate diverse perspectives.
- Soft Skills:
- Strategic creativity and resilience in handling difficult conversations.
- Strong written and verbal communication.
- Flexibility to adapt to changing priorities with independent problem-solving instincts.
- Comfortable working with ambiguity and shaping resolutions effectively.
- Understanding of human behaviour and leadership a must.
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Desirable Requirements
- Diverse Background: Law degree preferred.
- Industry Knowledge: Experience in the pharmaceutical sector highly desirable.
- Certifications: Mediation training or accreditation.
Our Commitment: A Great Place to Work
At AstraZeneca, we put patients at the core of everything we do. But we also prioritise our employees, fostering an environment where innovation thrives. Our global team is driven by:
- Inclusion and Diversity: Ensuring everyone feels valued and included.
- Collective Responsibility: Measuring success by how well we improve lives together.
- Excitement & Growth: An ethos that celebrates curiosity and lifelong learning.
Join Us
If you’re ready to step into a meaningful role and make science work for patients, apply today!
📍 Location: Macclesfield, UK 🗓 Closing Date: 18-Jul-2026 📧 Recruitment Process: Focused on inclusive hiring and flexibility. If accommodations are required, please indicate these during application.
Let’s ignite a world of difference together.
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Why AstraZeneca? ✅ Curate life’s outstanding breakthroughs. ✅ Charge your impactful instincts in a world of entrepreneurs. See your work translate into true medicines. ✅ Work 3+ in-person days weekly for innovation and connection—blending that with flexibility.
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