Job Reference: SBPIRER1708

Purpose of the Role

HR Hire is delighted to partner with an international multi-site organization to recruit an HR  Business Partner with strong employee relations expertise and experience working in a trade union environment. Acting as the primary subject matter expert across ER and IR, this role provides strategic, commercially aligned advisory support to senior leaders HR and operational managers.

You will oversee complex case management, lead sensitive workplace investigations, support organisational change, and ensure absolute legislative compliance. Additionally, this position plays a pivotal role in strengthening management capability through ER coaching, policy refinement, and data analysis to mitigate risk and foster a positive workplace culture.

Key Candidate Requirements

• Expert Advisory: Act as the primary technical expert and key escalation point for complex Employee Relations, Industrial Relations, and Irish employment law queries.

• Complex Case Management: Oversee end-to-end resolution of high-complexity cases, including grievances, disciplinaries, capability, dignity at work, and long-term absence.

• Workplace Investigations: Lead sensitive internal investigations, ensuring procedural fairness, objectivity, confidentiality, and full statutory compliance.

• Industrial Relations & Union Engagement: Manage active relationships with recognised Trade Unions and employee representative groups, supporting constructive dialogue and formal consultations.

• External Representation: Represent and support the organisation in formal proceedings before third-party bodies, including the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the Labour Court.

• Organisational Change: Provide expert ER guidance on business transformation, restructuring, formal consultations, and redundancy processes.

• Capability Building: Design and deliver practical ER training programs and toolkits for managers, upskilling leadership in investigation techniques, difficult conversations, and performance management.

• Data & Risk Analytics: Monitor and analyse ER metrics (grievances, absence, turnover) to identify emerging organisational risks, presenting data-driven recommendations to leadership.

• Policy Governance: Continuously review and update ER policies, guidelines, and frameworks to align with statutory legislative updates and emerging case law.

Candidate Profile:

• 8 years + demonstrating expert-level knowledge of Irish employment legislation, case law, and contemporary ER/IR practices.

• Demonstrates sharp commercial judgment with the ability to balance strict legal compliance, employee experience, and business objectives.

• Highly discrete, analytical, and structured when navigating sensitive workplace issues and complex dispute resolution.

• Confident and articulate when advising executive stakeholders, negotiating with trade union representatives, or presenting at external tribunals.

• Passionate about upskilling leadership capability and promoting early, informal conflict resolution across the organisation.

Requirements:

• 8+ years of progressive HR experience, with substantial time spent specialising in Employee Relations and Industrial Relations in an Irish context.

• Proven track record operating within a large, complex, multi-site environment. Extensive experience managing complex ER cases and leading formal workplace investigations from inception to resolution.

• Hands-on experience managing trade union relationships, collective consultations, and industrial relations processes.

• Direct experience preparing for or representing an employer before the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) or Labour Court.

• Degree qualification in Human Resources, Employment Law, or a related discipline.

Full job description on shortlisting