Senior Labour & Employee Relations Partner

Bring more to life. 

Are you ready to accelerate your potential and make a real difference within life sciences, diagnostics and biotechnology? 

At Cytiva, one of Danaher’s 15+ operating companies, our work saves lives - and we’re all united by a shared commitment to innovate for tangible impact. You’ll thrive in a culture of belonging where your unique viewpoint matters. By harnessing the Danaher Business System, you will help turn ideas into impact and innovate at the speed of life. 

Working at Cytiva means being at the forefront of providing new solutions to transform human health. Our customers undertake life-saving activities ranging from fundamental biological research to developing innovative vaccines, new medicines, and cell and gene therapies.

In this role, you will help shape a fair, compliant and future-ready employee relations environment that enables business performance and protects trust across the organization. 

Learn about the Danaher Business System which makes everything possible. 

The Senior Labour and Employee Relations Partner (LER) leads complex labour and employee relations matters across Austria, Belgium, Poland and Switzerland. 

The role provides tactical, strategic and operational Labour and Employee Relations support to the People Partner Team, HR Business Partners, HR Generalists and business leaders, with a focus on providing legally sound, practical and business-aligned outcomes when dealing with Labour and Employee Relations matters.  

This role is primarily responsible for reducing reputational, legal and employment risk in sensitive employee relations matters, and strengthening constructive social partner relationships during day-to-day operations and business transformation initiatives whilst respecting local laws in the relevant country. 

The role will also collaborate with the Danaher Global Labour and Employee Relations function and relevant HR / Legal / Compliance Centers of Excellence, acting as liaison for cases that fall within the scope of Global LER and supporting the appropriate use of the case management data base.This position reports to the LER Multi-Country Lead & EWC within the People Partners  EMEA. The position works closely with business partners and people partners and HR generalist across the countries supported. 

This role can be based in Belgium or Austria and requires significant travel to other areas of Europe, as and when there is a requirement to do so.  

What you will do: 

• Provide expert labour and employee relations counsel to the People Partner Team, HR Generalists and HR business partner & business stakeholders across Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and Poland on complex ER matters, labour law, disciplinary processes, grievances, performance issues, separations, transformation initiatives and workforce-related risk. 

• Structure, support and advise peoples partners - and even participate directly - in activities related to employee representative engagement and social dialogue, particularly the processes of information-sharing, consultation, and negotiation with works councils and unions, while fostering a constructive atmosphere and trust-based relationships that support business objectives and legal compliance. 

• Act as the lead LER partner for reorganization, restructuring and transformation initiatives. Support organizational redesigns, workforce evolution and changes to operating models, ensuring legally compliant, consistent and business-balanced outcomes.  

• Lead and support complex workplace investigations and performance management processes, including preparing documentation, manager guidance, and risk assessment. Support stakeholders throughout disciplinary, misconduct, grievance, partnering with Legal, Compliance, HR and Centers of Excellence to ensure procedurally fair, robust, compliant and defensible outcomes. 

• Operate as the escalation point within Cytiva’s evolving HR operating model for complex, non-standard and higher-risk ER matters, working through clear escalation and hand-off routes with People Partners, HR Business Partners, HR Generalists, Danaher Assist, Legal and Global LER / HR Centers of Excellence. Drive continuous improvement by developing ER frameworks, policies, playbooks, templates, communications, training and case insights that strengthen consistency, compliance, manager capability and risk prevention across the supported countries. 

Who you are: 

• Master’s or bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, Law or a related field, or comparable professional experience. Multiple years of progressive experience in Labor & Employee Relations, ideally within a matrixed international organization. 

• In-depth knowledge of Austria and Belgium labour law and procedures relating to works councils and labour unions, with working knowledge of Switzerland and Poland labor laws.  

• Proven experience supporting reorganizations, restructurings, transformations or sensitive organizational change programs across a multi-country European scope. Strong demonstrated ability to support multiple countries, stakeholders and legal environments, operating effectively in a multi-country matrix organization. 

• Experience in managing labor relations and negotiating with employee representative bodies, as well as in drafting consultation documents and company agreements.

• Ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy, judgement and influence, including making recommendations on matters with material legal, employee relations, reputational or business risk. 

• Fluent English is essential; proficiency in other languages of the relevant countries is a major asset given the countries covered. 

It would be a plus if you also possess previous experience in: 

• Supporting European Works Councils (EWC) or transnational employee representative bodies. 

• Working in a regulated, manufacturing, life sciences or other compliance-intensive environment. 

• Developing training content or playbooks for managers on labor relations and people risk topics. 

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For this position, an annual gross salary between €80,000 and €102,000 (full-time basis) is offered. The actual salary within this range will be determined based on the candidate's qualifications, relevant professional experience, skills, and competencies related to the requirements of the role.

The position is subject to the Austrian Collective Agreement for Employees in the Chemical Industry (Kollektivvertrag für Angestellte der Chemischen Industrie). The minimum salary applicable to this position under the collective agreement is €5,710.82 gross per month on a full-time basis.

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.

Cytiva, a Danaher operating company, offers a broad array of comprehensive, competitive benefit programs that add value to our lives. Whether it’s a health care program or paid time off, our programs contribute to life beyond the job. Check out our benefits at Danaher Benefits Info