Director, Global Employee Relations

Zendesk•Madison, WI

4d•$202,000 - $302,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Zendesk is seeking a Director, Global Employee Relations to help transform its Employee Relations function from a reactive escalation point into a proactive, scalable center of excellence. This is a global role supporting issues and initiatives across Zendesk’s international footprint. The director will strengthen ER’s analytics and reporting capabilities, promote continuous improvement, and ensure the function’s work aligns with People and business strategies. The role provides advice and counsel on a broad range of employee relations matters, leads or guides complex investigations, and works with employment legal partners to mitigate risk. The director will use employee relations data and knowledge of practices across global locations to inform decisions, develop policies, and support consistent service delivery. The team is distributed across time zones and is focused on creating scalable processes that enable more proactive, value-added support for employees. Zendesk describes its working approach as hybrid, with employees coming together in offices to connect, collaborate, and learn while also having flexibility to work remotely for part of the week. The US annualized base salary range is $202,000–$302,000. The position may also be eligible for bonus, benefits, or related incentives.

Requirements

Extensive experience in Employee Relations and labor law, with a proven track record of successfully leading global employee relations initiatives.
Broad knowledge of international labor practices and experience navigating complex employee relations issues in multicultural and multinational business environments.
Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships and influence at all levels of the organization.
Exceptional judgment, conflict-resolution skills, and discretion in sensitive, complex, or ambiguous situations.
Ability to prioritize and work proactively in a fast-paced environment with time-sensitive deadlines.
Independent work style that balances collaboration with minimal supervision.
Proactive strategic thinking, with a high degree of integrity and professionalism.

Responsibilities

Transform Zendesk’s Employee Relations function from a reactive function into a proactive, repeatable, and scalable global center of excellence.
Build Employee Relations data analytics and reporting capabilities to provide real-time analysis and trends that support improvements to current offerings.
Foster continuous improvement in the Employee Relations team by implementing best practices and innovative solutions.
Develop strong working relationships across the People organization, particularly with HR Business Partnering, to align Employee Relations efforts with People and business strategies and goals.
Monitor and analyze trends in employee relations issues, using data to inform decision-making and policy development.
Maintain in-depth knowledge of employee relations practices across Zendesk’s global locations to support compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
Provide advice and counsel on internal investigations, performance management, harassment, discrimination, reductions in workforce, and unfair dismissal.
Lead or guide complex investigations at and above a specified organizational level.
Tailor and deliver recommendations to influence appropriate outcomes while mitigating risk for Zendesk.
Lead the resolution of complex employee relations issues, including investigations of misconduct, harassment, and discrimination.
Partner with the employment legal team to mitigate risks and manage employment-related strategies.