Director, Labor & Employee Relations (Duesseldorf)

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The Director, Labor & Employee Relations (f/m/d) is the senior Labor Relations and Employee Relations expert for assigned Diagnostics Operating Companies across the DACH & Benelux. The role shapes labor and employee relations strategy, advises senior business and HR leaders on complex and high-risk matters, and leads cross-Operating Company approaches to organizational change, workforce transformation, employee representation and labor risk.

The position is accountable for decision quality and consistent execution across multiple legal entities and sites, while building scalable capability, standard work and governance across the Diagnostics Platform. The role leads the most complex employee and labor relations matters and connects Operating Company needs with Danaher enterprise expectations.

This position reports to the Diagnostics Platform Global Head of Labor and Employee Relations and partners closely with Operating Company HR teams, People Partners, senior business leaders, employee representative bodies, Danaher’s Global Labor & Employee Relations Center of Excellence, Compliance, Legal and external counsel as required.

In This Role, You Will Have the Opportunity To

• Shape and lead the Labor & Employee Relations strategy for assigned Diagnostics Operating Companies across the DACH and Benelux region, advising senior HR and business leaders on labor risk, workforce decisions, organizational change and the implications of business strategy.

• Lead the most complex and high-risk employee relations matters, including investigations, senior-level performance and conduct matters, grievances, accommodations and terminations, ensuring sound judgment, consistent governance and alignment with employment legislation, collective agreements, company policies and Danaher standard work.

• Own the strategy and execution for information, consultation and collective negotiation processes with works councils, trade unions, employee representative bodies and other social partners, including negotiation mandates, business cases, stakeholder alignment, risk mitigation and implementation oversight.

• Provide senior Labor & Employee Relations leadership for workforce reductions, restructurings, TUPE transfers, reorganizations, site transformations, mergers, acquisitions, integrations, expansions and closures across multiple Operating Companies, identifying enterprise dependencies and enabling coordinated execution.

• Build scalable Labor & Employee Relations capability across the Diagnostics Platform by establishing governance, policies, toolkits and standard work; developing preventive risk approaches; coaching HR and leaders; and using case trends and business insights to improve consistency, speed and outcomes.

The Essential Requirements of the Job Include

• German Bachelor’s Law Degree, Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, master’s degree in Human Resources or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 

• 12+ years of progressive experience in labor relations, employee relations, employment law, HR business partnering or a related human resources discipline, including responsibility for complex, high-risk and multi-entity matters.

• Demonstrated expertise in German employment and labor law, collective labor relations frameworks, restructuring obligations and co-determination requirements, with experience translating legal requirements into practical business decisions. 

• Demonstrated experience leading complex employee relations cases, collective workforce reductions, restructuring, harmonization and major organizational change, including advising senior leaders and coordinating execution across a matrixed, multinational environment.

• Demonstrated experience developing negotiation strategy and leading engagement with works councils, trade unions or other employee representative bodies, together with experience building governance, standard work and organizational capability in Labor & Employee Relations.

Travel Requirements

• Ability to travel up to 25% to support assigned sites, Operating Companies, employee representative engagements and business transformation activities.

It Would Be a Plus If You Also Possess

• Demonstrated employment law or senior Labor & Employee Relations experience in at least one additional DACH or Benelux jurisdiction beyond Germany. 

• Professional proficiency in Dutch or French. 

• Experience supporting labor and employee relations in manufacturing, diagnostics, life sciences or another highly regulated environment, including mergers, acquisitions, integrations or significant site transformation. 

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