Senior Manager Employee Relations

About Vantage
Vantage powers, cools, protects and connects the technology of the world’s well-known hyperscalers, cloud providers and large enterprises. Developing and operating across North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific, Vantage has evolved data center design in innovative ways to deliver dramatic gains in reliability, efficiency and sustainability in flexible environments that can scale as quickly as the market demands.
Position Overview
The Senior Manager, Employee Relations, EMEA leads day-to-day ER delivery across EMEA while staying close to complex casework. The role owns intake, triage, risk rating, investigations, consultation, performance, absence, conduct, litigation support, reporting and case closure. It sets clear standards, keeps cases moving, escalates risk early and ensures managers receive practical, country-aware ER guidance across the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Poland.
What success looks like
100% of ER cases are triaged, risk-rated, owned and tracked to closure.
90%+ of standard ER cases close within agreed service expectations.
100% of high-risk cases have Legal, counsel or leadership escalation where required.
Seven priority EMEA jurisdictions have practical playbooks, templates and process guidance.
Manager documentation gaps and repeat process errors reduce by at least 20% year on year.
Monthly ER reporting drives at least three process, policy or training improvements each year.
Core Accountabilities
ER Delivery & Case Governance
Lead the EMEA ER casework model and own or oversee complex matters from intake to closure.
Triage cases by risk, urgency, country, complexity and business impact.
Set standards for case plans, evidence, notes, approvals, actions, deadlines and closure records.
Keep live trackers current and escalate overdue actions, ageing cases and capacity risks.
Investigations, Performance & Consultation
Lead or review workplace investigations, from allegation scoping to findings and next steps.
Coach managers on PIPs, conduct, consultation, absence and sensitive employee conversations.
Prepare or approve scripts, meeting packs, decision documents and outcome letters.
Act as escalation point for dismissals, discrimination, whistleblowing, safety, data protection and litigation risk.
Litigation, Evidence & Counsel Coordination
Coordinate with Legal and counsel on litigation, settlement and high-risk ER matters.
Prepare evidence packs, chronologies, redaction logs, witness notes and counsel instructions.
Track court, counsel and internal deadlines and escalate blockers quickly.
Country, Language & Market Capability
Deliver ER support across the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Poland.
Identify when Legal, Works Council, employee representative, payroll, benefits, translation or counsel input is needed.
Keep country playbooks, templates and local process guidance practical and current.
Reporting, Controls & Continuous Improvement
Maintain ER dashboards covering volume, risk, ageing, jurisdiction, counsel dependency and overdue actions.
Use ER data to spot trends, improve controls and recommend manager training.
Partner with P&C, Legal, payroll, benefits and regional leaders to complete ER actions on time.
Support restructures, consultations and policy rollouts with clear plans, trackers and risk logs.
Additional Duties
Handle additional duties as assigned by Management.
Job Requirements
Capability requirements: Fluent English required; German strongly preferred. French, Italian, Polish, Dutch or another EMEA language is advantageous. The role requires strong judgement, pace, discretion and hands-on ER delivery across multiple jurisdictions.
10+ years’ HR experience, including 5+ years in ER, investigations, consultation or employment risk.
Experience leading ER case delivery, governance, triage, escalation and reporting across multiple jurisdictions.
Strong practical knowledge of EMEA employment law, consultation and employee representative processes.
Able to manage investigations, grievances, disciplinaries, PIPs, absence cases, settlements and litigation support.
Strong case documentation skills, including investigation reports, chronologies, outcome letters and evidence packs.
Practical understanding of GDPR, confidentiality, privilege, redaction and retention.
Confident coaching managers and senior leaders through sensitive ER matters.
Experience building playbooks, templates, dashboards, trackers and process controls.
Strong analytical, written and verbal communication skills.
Proficient in Workday or other HRIS/case management tools, plus Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
Able to manage deadlines across countries, time zones and competing priorities.
Willing to travel up to 15% and flex hours for global stakeholders when needed.
Physical Demands and Special Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to handle, or feel objects; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop or kneel; talk and hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
Additional Details
This position is eligible for company benefits in line with the applicable local market and company policy, which may include health and welfare benefits, retirement or pension arrangements, paid time off, employee assistance support and additional voluntary benefits where available.
Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including qualifications, skills, competencies and experience and may fall outside any range shown.
At Vantage, we work with No Ego and No Arrogance. We build each other up, value different strengths and find opportunities to bring energy and enjoyment into our work. This role is eligible for a competitive total compensation package aligned to local market requirements and company policy.
Throughout the year, being part of Vantage is reflected through benefits, recognition, development opportunities and the knowledge that your contribution adds value to the company and our community.
Don’t meet every requirement? Please still apply if you believe you are the right person for the role and connect with our mission and values.
Vantage Data Centers is an Equal Opportunity Employer
We operate with No Ego and No Arrogance. We work to build each other up and support one another, appreciating each other’s strengths and