Employee (/ Labor) Relations Specialist

Join Maersk as an Employee Relations Specialist / Lead and help create fair, resilient and high-performing workplaces. In this role, you will partner with People teams and leaders to manage complex employee and labour relations matters, strengthen leadership capability and support business growth and transformation. You will work across frontline, site-based and broader country employee populations, translating legal requirements and workforce risks into practical solutions. Job title - Employee/Labor Relations Specialist Location - Sydney or Melbourne, Australia Role type – Permanent, office/site based 5 days per week Function - People Function (HR) | Employee & Labor Relations Drive Positive Employee Relations in a Complex Operational Environment At Maersk, we are transforming global logistics and creating better ways of working for our people across operational environments. We are seeking an experienced Employee Relations Specialist to provide strategic and operational leadership across employee and labour relations activities in Australia. This role is ideal for a senior Employee Relations professional with deep expertise in works councils, trade unions, collective labor relations, and employment law , gained within logistics, warehousing, supply chain, transportation, manufacturing, or similarly labor-intensive environments. As a trusted advisor to business leaders, People Partners and operational stakeholders, you will help shape employee relations strategy, manage complex labour relations matters, support organisational change, and ensure the business can operate effectively while maintaining positive employee and stakeholder relationships. What You'll Be Doing Partner with country People teams, People Business Partners and operational leaders to translate business priorities into practical employee and labor relations solutions. Lead complex employee relations and labor relations matters, including grievances, investigations, disciplinary cases, disputes, litigation and industrial relations issues. Build and maintain strong relationships with Works Councils, Trade Unions and employee representatives . Support collective bargaining activities, consultation processes and representative body engagement. Advise leaders on employment law, labor law and employee relations risks within operational and frontline environments. Support business growth, site start-ups, operational transformation, restructures and organisational change programmes. Develop proactive strategies to identify, mitigate and escalate employee relations and labor risks before they impact operations. Coach leaders and People Partners on conflict resolution, respectful leadership, grievance handling and employee engagement. Support labor standards governance across directly employed and third-party labor populations. Partner with Legal, Operations, Procurement and external stakeholders to ensure compliance and effective workforce risk management. What We're Looking For Essential Experience 7-10+ years' experience in Employee Relations, Labor Relations, Employment Law or Industrial Relations . Significant experience working with Works Councils and Trade Unions in a complex, operational environment. Strong knowledge of Australian employment and labor legislation . Proven experience supporting organisational change, restructuring, consultation and workforce transformation initiatives. Experience managing sensitive and high-risk employee relations matters. Ability to influence stakeholders at all levels, from frontline leaders to senior management. Excellent negotiation, stakeholder management and relationship-building skills. Preferred Background Degree in Law, Human Resources, Industrial Relations , or a related discipline. Legal background with strong employment law expertise. Experience within: Contract Logistics Warehousing Distribution Transportation Supply Chain Manufacturing Other labor-intensive operational industries Experience working with blue-collar, frontline and shift-based workforces. Exposure to agency labor, temporary workforce management and third-party labor providers. What Success Looks Like In this role, you will: Foster constructive relationships with Works Councils, Unions and employee representatives. Enable stable and resilient operations through proactive ER and LR risk management. Support leaders in making fair, consistent and legally compliant people decisions. Successfully navigate organisational change while maintaining employee engagement and business continuity. Strengthen frontline leadership capability and workforce relations across operational sites. Why Join Maersk? This is a unique opportunity to play a key role in one of the world's leading logistics companies. You'll work at the intersection of people, operations and business strategy, helping shape a positive employee relations environment that supports growth, transformation and long-term business success. If you're an experienced Employee Relations professional with strong labour relations expertise and a passion for supporting complex operational environments, we'd love to hear from you. Apply today and help shape the future of logistics with Maersk. Maersk is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we embrace different styles of thinking. Maersk is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants without regard to race, colour, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy or parental leave, veteran status, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. 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