Employee Relations Partner

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 being entrepreneurial, thinking big and working together to make the impossible a reality. If you are swift to action, confident to lead, willing to collaborate, and curious about what science can do, then you’re our kind of person. 

The Employee Relation team’s purpose is to build a positive and safe work environment for employees through implementing global policies and processes in partnership with Legal, Compliance, HR colleagues and employee representative groups such as the European Consultation Committee, Works Councils and Trade Unions. 

As an ER Partner, you will be part of a small team who work in collaboration with business leaders and HR Business Partners to drive UK ER strategy, policy and solution design; helping them achieve their business goals and people plans.  A key part of the role will be to share ER best practice and optimise data insights to influence the strategic direction of our ER policy, whilst managing a portfolio of change programmes within unionised and non-unionised environments in line with relevant policies and associated UK legislation.  Responsibilities

• Support AstraZeneca’s Industrial Relations strategy and support and manage relationships with AstraZeneca’s recognised trade unions. 

• Lead on a range of business change projects, ensuring that all ER considerations have been understood and devise appropriate approaches to discharge all legal responsibilities. 

• Manage own complex ER caseload providing high quality consistent advice to stakeholders in relation to formal hearings and diagnosing areas of improvement for future organisational learning. Devising and implementing case strategy with a risk-based and commercial mindset. 

• Apply a process improvement mindset, drawing on experience and skills in AI to streamline and improve the efficiency of ER and business processes. 

• Undertake formal investigations in support of the Lead Investigator in the UK. 

• Set appropriate expectations for governance, escalation and communication of ER risk by taking a commercial and pragmatic approach. 

• Ensure ER provides the highest level of customer service to stakeholders, regularly seeking feedback to drive continuous improvement. 

• Design and deliver a range of training to managers on people management issues, ER policy and processes. 

Essential requirements: 

• Degree or equivalent 

• HR/ER related qualification and previous experience in Employee Relations, Legal or Compliance departments 

• Extensive experience of UK Industrial Relations and working with trade unions and other consultative bodies, including pay and other negotiations 

• Extensive experience of UK and Global business change projects 

• Excellent understanding of employment law and good practice and understanding of how to advise managers and leaders on the application 

• Experience of technology developments relevant to the field of ER and a track record of harnessing AI solutions to drive efficiency 

• Ability to work collaboratively while managing key stakeholders 

• Able to influence decisions by persuasion, negotiation, facilitation 

• Well-developed written and verbal communication skills to communicate effectively with staff and leaders at all levels 

• Flexibility to meet changing business demands and manage evolving priorities 

• Independent approach to leading own workload, acting decisively and using appropriate judgement relating to the application of policy and local employment law 

• Comfortable with ambiguity and able to develop innovative approaches to achieve a resolution 

• An understanding of human behaviour and handling difficult conversations 

• Developing others in employment relations matters 

Desirable requirements: 

• Law degree 

• Pharmaceutical Industry experience 

• Accreditation in mediation techniques 

At AstraZeneca, we're dedicated to being a Great Place to Work. Where you are empowered to push the boundaries of science and ignite your entrepreneurial spirit. There’s no better place to make a difference to medicine, patients and society. An inclusive culture that champions diversity and collaboration, and always committed to lifelong learning, growth and development. We’re on an exciting journey to pioneer the future of healthcare! 

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Where can I find out more?

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 When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working give us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That’s why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn’t mean we’re not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.  Join a talented global team that's powering AstraZeneca to better serve patients, every day. The fuel behind our evolving, rapidly growing enterprise, we're here to help unlock the power of what science can do and ultimately have a big impact on patients' lives. 

Are you ready to make a difference? Apply today!

Date Posted

01-Jul-2026

Closing Date

18-Jul-2026

Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.