Executive Director, Employee Relations and HR compliance lead

You desire impactful work.

You’re RGA ready

RGA is a purpose-driven organization working to solve today’s challenges through innovation and collaboration. A Fortune 500 Company and listed among its World’s Most Admired Companies, we’re the only global reinsurance company to focus primarily on life- and health-related solutions. Join our multinational team of intelligent, motivated, and collaborative people, and help us make financial protection accessible to all.

A Brief Overview

This role is accountable for two primary components of HR; Employee Relations & HR Compliance across the region of EMEA.

The role will lead employee relations activities across the region and act as the point of contact for any performance, conduct, complaints, and investigations in EMEA. It is responsible for counselling and advising managers and leaders regarding performance, conduct and other employee relations situations. It will investigate and respond to complaints and potential policy violations. It’s responsible for coaching and educating managers and HR colleagues on how to best handle conflict resolution, performance and other employee relations issues in a fair and consistent manner.

This role will plan, manage and lead regional HR compliance within the EMEA region to ensure the company and employees adhere to legal and regulatory standards. The role will be responsible for advising on employment regulations and policies broadly across the region. The role will also engage in thorough discussions regarding employment regulations and policies with key stakeholders across the region.

The role will partner closely with both internal, and external legal counsel, global HR compliance, local compliance colleagues, and employment relations professionals as necessary. The role will also be the coordinator and central point of contact with the internal risk team as it relates to RGA EMEA.

What You Will Do

• Provide advice to HR, managers and employees regarding company policies.
• Advise and counsel people managers to best address performance, sensitive employee matters, conflict resolution, performance management, and conduct issues within their workforce.
• Investigate workplace complaints and potential violations of policy, including complex investigations of capability, conduct, harassment, discrimination, and retaliation complaints.
• Prepare investigative notes and summary of findings, including recommended action in accordance with company protocol.
• Partner with HRBP and leadership to deliver findings and action to the impacted employee(s).
• Interpret and apply understanding of corporate policies and practices, employment laws and other regulations.
• Design, implement and maintain compliant HR policies, procedures and employment contracts for the EMEA region.
• Develop and implement an end-to-end off-payroll working compliance framework for the UK (IR35) and equivalent local regimes across EMEA, encompassing policy design, status determination workflows, documentation and record-keeping, stakeholder training and communication, governance controls and audit readiness, in partnership with tax, legal and procurement teams to mitigate employment-tax and legal risks.
• Partner with Global Ethics and Compliance team regarding complaints that directly impact business ethics and/or the Code of Conduct.
• Partner with HRBP and leadership to communicate any employment suspensions needed during investigations.
• Coordinate terminations into Workday, notify payroll, and ensure compliance of state-level compliance responsibilities.
• Use case management system to document and manage cases from intake to resolution.
• Partner with internal legal counsel to resolve complex employee relations matters, and to appropriately respond to any litigation threats.
• Own and deliver the HR workstream for workforce change and restructuring projects, ensuring project plans, governance, risk controls and stakeholder engagement are in place. Partner with internal legal counsel to advise on strategy and execution, including separation agreements and severance packages.
• Develop and execute communications, tools, and training to managers and HR regarding the proper handling of performance and other employee relations situations.
• Analyse employee relations data and metrics for themes, trends and root cause identification to inform leadership and shape future interventions.
• Assess key areas of risk with EMEA human capital, ensure appropriate controls are in place, and work closely with EMEA regional risk team to ensure appropriate mitigation steps are in place and incidents reported accordingly.
• Partner with our regulatory compliance teams across the region to ensure robust and effective management of regulated and seconded roles.
• Keep inventory of regulated roles within EMEA and ensure decisions and actions taken with roles follow appropriate regulatory guidance.
• Lead regional projects to mitigate risks through the evaluation of HR processes for any compliance gaps or policy conflicts and advise HR process and control owners in maintaining consistent updated process and policy documentation.
• Assist with complains and investigations outside of EMEA on a case-by-case basis.
  
  

Required

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent related work experience
• 10+ years of Human Resources experience with expertise in compliance (including policy review and development) and employee relations
• Track record of managing high-risk employee relations cases, including senior-level exits and conducting internal investigations
• In-depth knowledge of UK employment law and working knowledge of EMEA employment regimes
• Experience working across multiple jurisdictions in EMEA
• Experience managing complex projects, including demonstrable ownership of redundancy and restructuring exercises in the UK market
  
  

Preferred

• MBA, Master’s Degree in Human Resources or Organizational Development or similar
• Experience advising in relation to Tribunal (or equivalent) claims within EMEA
• CIPD certification or equivaleny
• Insurance or Financial Services (regulated) experience
• Previous experience working in a global, matrix organization
• In-depth knowledge of EMEA employment regimes
• Experience advising in relation to the off-payroll working compliance framework for the UK (IR35) and equivalent local regimes across EMEA
  
  

What you can expect from RGA

• Gain valuable knowledge from and experience with diverse, caring colleagues around the world.
• Enjoy a respectful, welcoming environment that fosters individuality and encourages pioneering thought.
• Join the bright and creative minds of RGA, and experience vast, endless career potential.