Head of Employee Relations for India and APAC, Vice President

Overview

Senior leadership role providing strategic, operational and people leadership across Employee Relations for India and the broader APAC region, serving as the primary regional escalation point for complex, high-risk ER matters.

What you'll do

• Provide end-to-end leadership for Employee Relations across India and APAC, ensuring alignment with global ER strategy and standards.
• Partner with the Head of International Employee Relations to shape and execute the regional ER operating model, including governance, escalation pathways, capability building, and technology-enabled process and service improvements.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior business and HR leaders on complex, sensitive, and high-risk employee relations matters.
• Provide leadership across diverse APAC jurisdictions, balancing global consistency with local requirements and business needs.
• Provide oversight and direction on complex investigations, grievances, employee misconduct matters, executive employee matters, and other high-risk employee relations issues.
• Oversee employee misconduct and conduct-related matters in partnership with Conduct Standards, Ethics, Legal, Compliance, and Global Security.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for significant employee conduct matters and issues presenting legal, regulatory, reputational, operational, or cultural risk.
• Support regional governance and risk management, including audit reviews, regulatory inquiries, employee-related risk reporting, and senior leadership forums.
• Lead, develop, and coach a team of VP/AVP/Officer level Employee Relations consultants across India and APAC.
• Build a high-performing ER leadership team and succession pipeline through coaching, talent development, and knowledge sharing.
• Establish strong partnerships with HR Business Partners, COEs, and regional leadership teams.
• Support restructurings, integrations, transformation programs, and other organisational change.
• Maintain strong relationships with internal and external counsel and industry networks to anticipate legal, regulatory, and market developments across APAC.
• Ensure regional ER practices align with global policies, local labour laws, and regulatory expectations.
• Use ER metrics, case data, trend analysis, and thematic reporting to identify emerging risks and inform evidence-based senior leadership decisions.
• Report on ER activity, conduct-related concerns, organisational trends, and key risk indicators across the region.
• Contribute to the evolution of ER policies, frameworks, and manager capability initiatives.

What you'll need

• Significant senior-level experience in Employee Relations / Employment Law / HR Advisory, ideally within a complex, global organisation.
• Proven experience leading regional or multi-country ER teams.
• Strong track record managing high-risk, high-profile, and senior-level ER matters.
• Experience operating in regulated environments and partnering with Legal and Compliance.
• Strong judgment and decision-making capability in complex and ambiguous situations.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills at senior leadership level.
• Ability to balance global consistency with local nuance and cultural sensitivity.
• Proven people leader with experience developing senior professionals.
• Commercial, pragmatic approach with a strong risk and conduct mindset.
• Ability to use data, technology, and innovative approaches to improve Employee Relations outcomes and processes.

Details

• Location: Bangalore, India.
• Reports into Head of Employee Relations – International.