Manager Employee Relations

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and family, be your true self and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.
• Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.
• An excellent retirement savings plan with high employer contribution
• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.
• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries around the world and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.
• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as a best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

This position works out of our Abbott Park, IL location within the CHR Corporate Human Resources Division.

As The Employee Relations Manager, you will work in a team environment responsible for managing Employee Relations cases that include performance management and investigations into workplace matters across the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. The Employee Relations Manager also provides expert consultative and problem-solving services to managers, employees and other HR functions regarding HR policies and practices ensuring compliance with all relevant country laws, regulations, policies, and practices.

• Effectively manages day-to-day operations of the employee relations support function for a single business unit and/or country. Master of employee relations complexities. Provides highly innovative strategic solutions. May lead cross functional teams and/or manage unique business unit projects.
• Provides general direction and training to ER staff.
• Adjudicates complex ER issues.
• Manages and monitors metrics and reporting for the business unit and/or country.
• Interprets, administers and communicates policies and procedures including a review and update of local laws and regulations.
• Consults, coordinates and managers reductions in force.
• Assists/participates in ER vendor selections.
• Maintains compliance with local and country laws.
• Liaison with Senior HR Management, Business Leaders, Business HR, Legal, OEC, Security, etc relating to all ER matters in supported area.
• Overall responsibility for single division or country Acts as a trusted advisor on important ER decisions.
• Anticipates, identifies and meets internal and external customer needs/expectations.
• Effectively communicates and negotiates with customers to define service levels.
• Influences business partners toward optimal solutions.
• Within scope of responsibility, grasps complexities and perceives relationships among problems or issues.
• Sells ideas or changes solution in order to find best practice.
• Encourages creative thinking in others, to bring forward as many ideas as possible.
• Assesses the degree to which changes to the scope, issues and risks will affect a project’s success with division or senior management to gain agreement for resolution.
• Leads project managers and teams in developing and executing a program plan ensuring that authorized resources are obtained to make certain that all activities are formed.
• Sponsor of identified projects.
• Proficient in application of common tools for managing project scope, cost schedule and resources. Assesses and manages strategic risk to best achieve business objectives.
• Ability to execute while balancing risk with business objectives.
• Ability to identify and manage risk, have contingency plans.

• Bachelors degree in Human Resources, Business, Employee Relations or related field.
• MBA or Master's degree in HR desired  
• 10-15 years in HR with a minimum of 10 years of employee relations experience. Multi-functional experience desired.
• 8+ years of HR experience in multifaceted global Fortune 200 environment preferred.
• Considered an expert in HR regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Prior experience managing an exempt and nonexempt staff.
• Experience working in a shared services environment preferred.

In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.