Summary
- Salary
- Competitive
- Job Family
- People
- Location
- Germany - Cologne Office
About us
At Dyson we are encouraged to think differently, challenge convention and be unafraid to make mistakes. We’re creative, collaborative, practical and enthusiastic.
About the role
The Employee Relations Manager plays a key strategic part in shaping and driving the employee relations (ER) strategy and capability across our European operations. You will own the ER agenda region-wide, ensuring its alignment with our business goals, embedding best-in-class ER processes, guiding cultural change, and enabling high performance teams.
Reporting to the Senior ER Manager, UK & Europe, you will lead regional ER efforts, providing subject matter expertise, setting standards, and inspiring best practice—particularly for our teams in the Netherlands, Poland, Turkey, Germany, and France.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Change
Help define and drive the regional ER strategy, ensuring it’s embedded across all markets and functions.
Act as the regional go-to expert for complex ER issues, steering high-risk and high-profile cases, and leading robust solutions that balance business goals with employee advocacy.
Lead on providing expert advice and guidance on engaging with Works Councils and Trade Unions, representing the company position and ensuring consistent, constructive industrial relations. Pivotal in shaping the strategic approach with both Works Councils and Trade Unions.
Champion change management, driving ER transformation, leading process improvements, and owning implementation of new ways of working.
Influence and challenge senior stakeholders to ensure ER is considered and integrated into strategic decisions.
Governance, Compliance & Risk
Own the integrity of ER case management, ensuring complete, compliant documentation and robust reporting to senior leadership.
Partner with Employment Legal and HR Operations to actively mitigate risks and ensure full compliance with employment laws and best practice.
Lead regional audits, policy reviews, and data analytics to track trends and inform strategic decisions.
Capability & People Leadership
Develop and upskill HR teams and people managers, leading training delivery and creating tools that enhance ER capability regionally.
Build, coordinate, and energise a virtual network of ER and HR professionals across Europe, sharing knowledge, setting standards, and embedding consistent ways of working.
Foster a culture of positive, productive working relationships between managers, employees, and HR; act as a respected advisor and role model.
Project Management & Implementation
Lead and deliver critical ER projects, such as the design and rollout of new policies and processes that anticipate legal, workforce, or cultural shifts.
Oversee the planning and implementation of organisational change programmes and redundancy processes, ensuring integrity and minimal disruption throughout.
Monitor and report on project progress, outcomes, and learning to leadership teams.
Market Expertise
Stay ahead of developments in ER/Employment Law, proactively sharing insights and implications with the business.
Drive innovation by continuously looking for ways to improve ER practice, policy, and outcomes.
About You
Degree-qualified (or equivalent) with a specialism in employment law, HR, or a related field.
Significant, practical, multi-country ER experience at a strategic, decision-making level—ideally including Turkey, France, the Netherlands, Poland, and Germany.
Demonstrable track record of shaping and delivering impactful ER strategies, and leading transformation projects in large-scale or international environments.
Proven ability to influence, challenge, and build credibility with senior stakeholders and leadership teams.
Sound experience in leading complex negotiations with Trade Unions and Works Councils.
Resilient, determined, and results-focused—comfortable working through ambiguity and leading teams through change.
Highly data-literate; skilled in using insight to anticipate trends and inform strategies.
Naturally collaborative, proactive, and culturally aware.
Adept at balancing hands-on delivery with strategic vision, always striving to raise standards and drive positive change.
Experienced developer and facilitator of HR learning interventions.
This is your opportunity to shape the future of Employee Relations at a regional scale, driving positive, lasting change across our European teams.
Benefits
At Dyson, Reward goes beyond just salary and bonuses. Through a comprehensive package of Financial, Lifestyle, and Health Benefits, we provide support tailored to every stage of life and the moments that matter most.
Working policy
At Dyson, our vibrant campus culture is built on in-person collaboration, creativity, and shared learning. Working side by side not only fuels our innovation, but also creates a strong sense of belonging. To nurture this dynamic and inclusive environment, we do not offer a regular hybrid working arrangement.
Dyson is an equal opportunity employer. We know that great minds don’t think alike, and it takes all kinds of minds to make our technology so unique. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and employment decisions are made without regard to race, colour, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other any other dimension of diversity.
